Okay, let’s be real about something that’s been bothering me.

There’s this narrative in language learning that you basically have to feel like shit for months before anything gets good. 

Like, everyone talks about immersion as this painful endurance test you have to survive until some magical breakthrough happens.

“The first few months are gonna suck.” 

“You won’t understand anything for a while.” 

“Just push through the pain.”

And look, I get it. 

Nobody expects immersion to feel like fluency when you’re not fluent yet. That’s not what I’m saying.

But here’s where I call BS: Just because your comprehension isn’t high doesn’t mean the process has to be painful.

I’ve been that guy talking about immersion philosophy for years. 

Hell, that’s probably why you’re reading this newsletter. 

But philosophy without practical application just becomes noise, and I realized I’ve been giving you all this theory without breaking down the actual games I was playing.

Here’s the thing-everything in life, you can find ways to make your own. 

For me, it’s about making games out of things you have to do. 

Turn something you dread into something you not only tolerate but actually get excited about.

The word-hunting game I’m about to teach you did exactly that. 

It turned the most frustrating part of immersion – all those unknown words – into the most addictive part of my day.

This isn’t just a Korean technique. It works for any language where you can hear patterns repeat (which is… every language).

You’re a Spectator When You Need to Be a Player

Your brain needs to feel like something’s at stake to stay engaged.

Most learners approach immersion thinking, “I’ll just expose myself to the language and eventually something will click.” 

That’s spectator mentality. 

You’re waiting for the content to do the work for you.

But here’s the thing – your brain can tell the difference between high-stakes attention and lazy attention.

Think about listening to a random podcast versus being on a work Zoom call where your mic is on and you might get called on any second.

On the podcast? You can zone out, rewind if you missed something, let your mind wander. Zero pressure.

But on that work call? Every word matters. You’re tracking the conversation flow. 

When someone says your name and you missed what they said, you feel that stomach drop of “Oh shit, what did I get myself into?”

That discomfort you feel when you zone out on the call? That’s the difference between spectator attention and participant attention.

I learned this principle the hard way in high school. 

Spanish kids would talk about me in the hallways, and my friend who was studying Spanish would tell me they were saying “sly shit.” 

I didn’t understand anything because I wasn’t even paying attention. 

I was a spectator to conversations happening around me.

But you know what? Even if those same kids slowed down their Spanish and insulted me really clearly, I still wouldn’t have been able to respond. 

The problem wasn’t their speed. The problem was my attention.

When you listen “like you’re in the room”

like you’re part of the conversation, 

like people might address you directly, 

like missing something actually matters, 

your brain shifts into acquisition mode.

That’s the magic of immersion: You can create that participant-level attention without the real-world pressure.

The Spelling Bee Game: Step-by-Step

The game isn’t “look up every unknown word.” 

The game is “hunt the words that won’t leave you alone.”

Here’s the game that made confusion addictive instead of painful:

Step 1) Recognize When a Word is “Calling Your Name”

You’re watching content in your target language. 

A word shows up once. Interesting, but nothing special. 

Then you hear it again. Now you’re paying attention. 

Then it appears a third time and your brain goes: 

“What the hell is this word that keeps taunting me?”

This is the word calling your name. It’s showing up repeatedly because it’s important in this context. 

Your subconscious has noticed the pattern and pushed it to your conscious attention.

Don’t ignore this signal. This is your brain telling you: 

“Hey, this seems important. We should probably figure out what this means.”

Step 2) The No-Subtitle Challenge (This is Crucial)

Turn them off. I’m serious. 

This is about testing your sound system, not your reading comprehension. 

You’re building the listening skills that actually work when talking to real people who don’t come with subtitles attached.

Step 3) The Spelling Intuition Builder

Time for the fun part. You’ve heard this mystery word multiple times. Now you’re going to try spelling it based purely on what you heard.

This is where the real magic happens: 

You’re building native-like spelling intuition through trial and error. 

This isn’t about memorizing spelling rules from a textbook – it’s about discovering them through the feedback loop of guessing, failing, and adjusting.

I’d be confident in my spelling, search it up, find nothing. 

Try again – still nothing. 

Finally reveal the subtitle and see a spelling that made me go “Wait, how the hell do THOSE sounds make THAT spelling?”

That’s when I learned that in certain Korean words, they spell completely differently than I expected. 

Double consonants, silent letters, exceptions everywhere. 

But here’s the beautiful part: 

This game taught me all those spelling exceptions in the most natural way possible.

Instead of memorizing lists of irregular spellings, I was discovering them through context. 

Every “wrong” guess was actually teaching my brain the sound-to-letter patterns that textbooks never cover.

By this point, you should have an established ability to type in your target language’s script. If you find this challenging, embrace it. 

You’re building the skill to hear any word and make an educated guess about its spelling – exactly what native speakers do with unfamiliar words.

Step 4) The Guessing Game Begins

Type what you think the spelling might be. Hit search.

“Not a word.”

Try again. Different combination of sounds.

“Still not a word.”

Again. Maybe you heard the vowel wrong.

“Found a word! But wait… this definition makes zero sense in context.”

This is exactly what should be happening. You’re not failing. 

You’re calibrating your ear to the sound system of the language.

Step 5) The Five Hearts System

Here’s my exact game mechanics: I gave myself 5 hearts, just like a mobile game.

Search attempt #1: “Not a word.” One heart gone. 

Search attempt #2: “Still not a word.” Two hearts gone. 

Search attempt #3: “Found something, but this definition makes no sense.” Three hearts gone.

After missing it three times, the “pity offer” pops up – you know, like in Temple Run or Subway Surfer when you lose and they’re like 

“Watch an ad to continue?”

Except this was my game, so I could play ad-free. 

The pity offer was: 

“Hey, looks like you’re struggling. Want to listen again?“

Now I had 2 hearts left for rewind opportunities. 

I’d listen again, focus harder, try different spellings until I either nailed it or exhausted all my hearts.

Why this constraint? You could look stuff up 10 times, 20 times – but I understand my energy and treat it like my most valuable commodity. 

Just like 10 new words max per day. Clean numbers. Nice cut-offs.

Step 6) The Reveal (Subtitles as Your Final Answer)

After you’ve exhausted all 5 hearts, it’s time for the grand reveal.

Turn on subtitles for that specific line, or search for the word in context. This is your “check your score” moment, revealing the secret behind the puzzle.

The key here: subtitles become the payoff, not the starting point.

When you use subtitles as confirmation rather than a crutch, every reveal feels like an achievement. 

Getting it right feels amazing. Getting it wrong teaches you something valuable about where your ear needs work.

I can’t tell you how many times I’d see the actual spelling and go “Damn it, I never even thought of that combination. Well.. now I know” That confusion was gold. 

This completely changes your relationship with subtitles. Instead of depending on them, you’re using them strategically to verify your detective work.

Step 7) The Victory Hit

When you finally get it right. when the definition matches the context perfectly and everything clicks. You get this incredible dopamine hit.

This word is now yours. Not because you memorized it from a flashcard, but because you tested and uncovered its meaning in real context. 

That’s comprehensible input in action.

The Progression That Changes Everything

I started at 10 or so guesses before I thought I had the right word (and sometimes I still didn’t). 

That wasn’t a reflection of my lack of “talent”, that was my underdeveloped ear getting better through practice.

10-12 guesses became 7-8 guesses. Then 5-6. Then I started getting words on the first try.

But the magic wasn’t first-try accuracy. 

The real magic was that I could close my eyes and just listen. Listening I could see, like read words I didn’t even know and spell them all out in my head.

That my friends, is acquisition happening in real time.

Why This Works for Any Language

The core principle transcends specific languages: 

• Attention investment – You’re engaged like a detective, not zoned out like a spectator
• Sound-to-meaning connections – Building neural pathways that create fluency
• Context-driven guessing – Using situations to deduce meaning, just like natives do
• Voluntary challenge – Turning confusion into curiosity through game mechanics

The language-specific details matter less than the active attention process.

Content Selection That Makes This Game Possible

The game works best with content that has natural repetition and emotional investment.

Look for:

• High emotional stakes (people arguing, laughing, crying – emotions make words stick)
• Routine environments (cafes, schools, homes where interactions repeat)
• Familiar social dynamics (relationships and conflicts you recognize)

Avoid:

• Technical content (unless that’s your specific domain goal)
• Too much variety (jumping between historical dramas and sci-fi kills repetition)
• Content you don’t care about (engagement drives attention, attention drives acquisition)

Find your equivalent of my web dramas – content you can binge that takes place in environments you want to navigate fluently.

Troubleshooting the Game

“I never hear words repeat.” You’re probably watching content that’s too advanced or too varied. Start with slice-of-life content in familiar settings.

“This feels overwhelming.” You’re trying too hard. Let words call YOUR name instead of hunting every unknown sound. The game comes to you when you pay attention.

“Everything sounds the same to me.” Normal in early stages. You need to listen to MORE natural language, listen to podcasts or re-listen to stuff you’ve watched actively as passive.

“I can’t spell anything correctly.” Good. Playing this game you should be learning about all your mistakes, (exceptions to rules, etc) so you will get better. Keep at it, this issue will fix itself.

“Words don’t stick after I look them up.” That’s normal! You’re not building flashcard knowledge – you’re building sound recognition. (If it’s important for your comprehension when you see it again, make a card for it).

The Real Transformation

The game teaches skills that compound beyond vocabulary:

• Tolerance for ambiguity (essential for real conversations)
• Active attention investment (vs passive exposure hoping for magic)
• Confidence in your guessing ability (natives do this constantly)
• Sound-to-meaning pathway building (the foundation of fluency)

But here’s what’s crucial: This isn’t about aggressively hunting every unknown word. That’s exhausting.

This game works because you let it come to you. Your brain builds its own frequency list through attention. Words that matter will keep showing up and literally taunt you until you look them up.

Smart energy management beats brute force every time.

Your Assignment This Week

Here’s your challenge: Transform one hour of passive watching into active treasure hunting.

Choose content you actually want to understand. Turn off subtitles. Let 2-3 words call your name through repetition, then hunt them down using the 5 hearts system.

Notice the difference in your attention level. 

Notice how invested you become in solving each word puzzle. 

Notice how satisfying it feels when you crack the code.

In the real world, this is exactly what you do when you don’t understand something: 

• Ask (dictionary lookup), 
• Listen more closely (rewind), or 
• Piece it together as they continue (context clues).

Not having subtitles isn’t an excuse not to look stuff up. It’s a challenge turned into your favorite game.

Next week I’ll break down the sentence mining/SRS game that got me to over 10,000 acquired words in 18 months using this same principle of turning confusion into curiosity.

Until then, go hunt some words.

— Ade

P.S. If you haven’t read my 4-hour daily system yet, you can check it out here. The spelling bee game works even better when it’s part of a complete immersion routine.