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Knowing a language is not just being able to read/write but to be able to talk. It's a completely different level: you pass from 'turn based' to 'real time'. To learn languages nothing beats immersion and is even more difficult when you lean toward introvertion. You don't need perfect grammar but you do need to be able to "tame" the language.

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It's not about real time, is more about sound, lot's of people are not used to the sound of words, and if you are from a place whose native language pronounces the letters very differently, you won't adapt easy. It's not timing, as people's brain might even change to english as base when writing and it's immediate, not translating, but when you can't understand well the sounds, than conversations go south really fast.

Yes, you are right.

But that can be learnt. Studying phonetics, despite its theoretical aspect, is essential to know how to pronounce but, also (and most importantly), what sounds to expect. Only when you try and make them do you realize what you should be "expecting to hear". Otherwise, sound becomes simple noise.

Accents are, of course, an aggravant and a difficulty: for this you need exposure.

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