We didn’t have any connections with Germany at the time either – the German cartoons that we got via illegal satellite just looked more fun than what was on Iranian state TV.

I’m no expert but I think what helped me most in the end was variety, because it meant picking up far more vocabulary.

I became a fluent German speaker at that exact age exclusively from watching classic Disney/Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network/anime every day after school.

My dad traveled frequently to Germany at the time for work, so we also had him pick up any/all kids magazines from the airport.