It seems to me you’ve jumped too deep here… you can start having basic conversations at any given point, but in order to do so it needs to be tailored to your level, as in more guided than the way you use tandem.
If you can choose a tutor/teacher that will start with you from the basics, in tandem, try that, if not maybe iTalki?
Have some exposure/practice with material dedicated to having conversations like the human japanese series + satori reader and pimsleur (all paid subs/one time purchase) or go over irodori which is a free resource with tons of conversation drills.
5 Likes