"rote learning, treated like any other subject, lack of practical application"

I'm onto my second foreign language and you need rote memorization.

A good method for learning involves a combination of practical application+rote memorization. The problem is that in a classroom setting, if you just sit around talking, nobody will learn anything.

I also ran a language learning meetup group and tried multiple methods of study. Structured lessons with rote memorization plus practical application/speaking worked the best.

I also took Spanish in a US public school for 3 years and we had a combination of both. There is no magic. If you truly want to learn a foreign language, it takes tons of discipline and time.

Most people give up at any hint of difficulty or plateau at a very basic level.