Today I lounged around all day. A friend asked in private messages whether I should go abroad to learn English, especially in a Spartan immersive course like in the Philippines. To start with the conclusion: a friend I met in Kuala Lumpur at the end of last year has already gone to a Spartan language program in the Philippines. He met a young guy who studied in Spartan mode for five months, and his IELTS score **did not improve**! Even with strict management—morning reading, small classes, one-on-one tutoring, and evening self-study— the intensity of evening self-study was pushed to the limit, leaving no room for slack.