[icefox]

When I was learning Norwegian that happened to me. Every weeks lesson had new words, but we were not told what they meant and we were supposed to figure out them on our own. As you would expect I translated and memorized a few wrong every week. This had a snowball effect of making the class harder and harder as I tried to learn new words and unlearn the words/rules I previously memorized incorrectly.

[SlyShy]

It's interesting that you feel that way. I've taken two foreign languages at the university level, and they were both taught in an "immersion" style manner (that is to say, all the instruction was in the native language) and have found it beneficial rather than harmful. But perhaps I reach for a dictionary more often than you did.

[oujheush]

I'm guessing the "figure them out on their own" precluded using a dictionary? Otherwise you're right, a dictionary should solve the problem.