Your summary (taken from learnanylanguage) isn't what the doctor ordered, but rather what I wrote a few posts above (in fewer words).
From the instructions compiled by siomotteikiru (also linked to from the learnanylanguage site):
The order ought to be EXACTLY as follows:
What you do:
1. you read the translation
because you only remember well what you understand and what you feel is "yours" psychologically
2. you listen to the recording and look at the written text at the same time,
because the flow of speech has no boundaries between words and the written text does, you will be able to separate each word in the speech flow and you will get used to the speed of talking of native speakers – at first it seems incredibly fast
3. you look at the translation and listen to the text at the same time, from the beginning to the end of a story, usually three times is enough to understand almost everything
This is the most important thing in the method, it is right AT THIS POINT that proper learning takes place.
If you’re in a position to do it right from the start, you can skip Step 1 and 2. (It takes some training, but after a while it becomes second nature.) (See ‘The essence, the soul, the spirit of L-R’ as well.)
4. now you can concentrate on SPEAKING: you repeat after the recording (and recite), you do it as many times as necessary to become fluent
Of course, first you have to know how to pronounce the sounds of the language you’re learning. How to teach yourself the correct PRONUNCIATION is a different matter, here I will only mention the importance of it.
(5.) you translate the text from your own language into the language you’re learning, no need to translate everything, of course
you can do the translation both orally and in writing, that’s why the written texts should be placed in vertical columns side by side: you can cover one side and check using the other one.
And last but not least: conversing is not learning, it is USING a language, you will NEVER be able to say more than you already know.
© Ptaszek-Phi-Staszek aYa
No, L-R is NOT watching subtitled movies.
No, L-R is NOT Assimil and suchlike.
No, L-R is NOT just a harmless practical joke of mine – it WORKS.