Down-to-earth, what is an amount of words or even phrases without connection?
They introduce you a data-base of communicative situation, like verbs, nouns, expressions, and so forth. That's what happen in some English courses and some e-learning methods. And usually you are supposed to repeat it all, before thinking in a real situation. I'm not saying you cannot learn by repeating words and expressions.
When I say I´m not a robot I mean that I don´t need to learn only by this way (neurolinguistic). The practice is part of the process, but it´s not the whole process.
Above all is textuality. We are human beings and the learning process of a second language goes beyond the bonds of cognitive science.
Learning English need special tools and these special tools are on the communicative situations of a daily life.
Realized situations of real world can teach the English you need for life.