If you learn math is normal for you to sit down with a book, study for hours, and at the end you are (probably) ready for your math exam.
But I wonder if this method works with a subject where one to one communication is the main achievement. In other words can you learn to speak German if you don’t speak it with anyone?
Is self-learning possible?
If you want to self study German or any other foreign language you could use a good grammar book or a web-based language courses.
With this learning method you achieve a passive knowledge of the language, but will you be able then to put in practice what you’ve learned?
After all you dramatically lack of practice, because you are not used to speak German, to hear the sounds of words and sentences, to think real-time the answer to an interlocutor. And this are all fundamental parts of the learning process.
When you are autodidact there are no native speakers that can correct you and therefore improve your knowledge.
This could be a cheap method to start learning, but in the long run it shows its inherent limit of inefficiency.
If you are in the situation you are not progressing anymore because you need a sparring-partner, you still have the possibility to change and take a regular course, a private one is the most efficient solution but of course I’m biased.
You don’t need to waste your books or your course, they are still a valid integration to a live course.
Have I been able to convince you? Contact me if you have more doubts, I will be happy to help you choose the better German course for your needs.