Currently studying roughly 10h a week, doing Genki, Anki (Vocab+Mnemonics), Comprehensive Input. And recently started talking to an acquaintance, but only ~2h a month.

I want to get through Genki 1 this year and Genki 2 maybe until March '26. So that I can then fully focus on Immersion!

Yes, I agree

I mean... probably more useful than some things you learn in textbooks or on Duolingo 😅

If you consume media in the German, that is also a use. I think generally language learning is good for the brain as well.
But really, I just learn languages for fun.

I mean, news sites can use very specific language sometimes!

Except the first, a lot of times it helps to split the words, since German has a lot of compound words. Of course, you first need to recognize the separate words...
Fahr-rad-fahren
Haus-tiere

Good luck!

German will probably be easier, just also some grammar that is a bit more complicated that English or Spanish, I would say.

For both there is some nice ressources online. And generally I like the method of comprehensible input a lot (after getting the base vocab and gramar down)

So regarding letters/symbols in Japanese, you can start learning only hiragana/katakana and for the kanji there is some nice memorization techniques called mnemonics, you can look into that.
I like learning it a lot, but it is quite different also grammar wise.

True.
Not sure how advanced you are, but I believe Prime also has LOL in German, where comedians try not to laugh. I saw some nice clips.

Ah Tatort, a classic 😃 Germany has a few nice crime shows, and some episodes are free when you are located in Germany (or VPN) from the major TV stations.

Maybe try getting some input, Youtube/Podcast/Books?

It is enjoyable and hopefully after that many hours of Duolingo you have some base vocabulary.
For me comprehensible input helped a lot when I was learning Spanish, to actually understand the language.

I know for Mandarin there are also some channels and of course the HSK books (I only worked through the first one, but it was nice)

Just begin!
You could watch/listen to beginner friendly youtube/podcasts, especially if you re learn German. (Like my podcast - its targeting beginners, maybe it helps you to get back into it)

There are some ressources from Deutsche Welle and Goethe Institut that are free as well.

For Japanese @japanesetalk.bsky.social knows some good alternatives to Duolingo.

For Spanish try the YouTube channel Dreaming Spanish, I credit a lot of my understanding to this channel. And it is fun!
They only speak Spanish, but from complete beginner with images. Basically fully comprehensible input.

Freut mich, dass der Podcast dir gefällt!

For everyone that is not aware, since end of April this year I have started a podcast for German language learners that want to use comprehensible input and immersion to learn. I speak relatively slow clear and easy German!

#langsky #langtwt #languagelearning #German

You could try letting him watch kids shows on YouTube. I can imagine that kids especially can benefit from Comprehensible Input.