Everyone’s opinion please

Hey guys!
I need everyone's opinion on this:
Do you think learning Japanese without ever using a textbook is a right thing??!
I mean, I think that I'm missing a lot, but as my 3 ITalki tutors said, my Japanese is so good compared to a student who hasn't ever learn in a class and has no one to study or practice with...
At the beginning, I've used Michelle Tomas's CDs and picked up some random words from anime and dramas only. However, a year or so later, I started to think about learning Japanese seriously and began to study from YouTube and websites such as Japanesepod101(stopped using it{ Maggie sensei(have a lot of advanced grammar so I rarely use it) and other random websites.
What really made my Japanese reach to what I'm at now is Japanese YouTubers, dramas, anime previously and Japanese songs.
What I'm kinda good at:
Listening.
Understanding the main points.
Creating simple and a bit complicated sentences.
Know formal and casual speech.
Can speak but so slow.
Japanese pronounciation.
What I'm really bad at:
Speaking Japanese in a normal Japanese speed.
Maybe grammar.
Really lacking vocabulary.
Writing Japanese essays and stories.
Understanding written Japanese.
Reading.

That's it for now hahaha!
Thank you everyone and sorry for this long question!

I wanted to make something clear, my grammar is something near JLPT n3 but my vocabulary is something near n4 and like... a bit mixed since I don't really learn from those lists etc. However, my listening comprehension is so high thanks to god.
The other thing is, I'm a blind girl therefore I couldn't use a Japanese learning textbook or something and that's why I don't read Japanese at all!!!!!!!!
I wanted to learn Japanese braille "tenji" but I couldn't find anything online that can teach me or something, even amazon didn't have anything so I only use the read out function in my IPhone(voice over) to read the written Japanese texts.
Sorry if I did irritate anyone here!

If you think about it, that is how everybody learns his first language - by listening and repeating what his parent says. Books come much later. Eventually, you expand your knowledge by reading.

Maybe you're right! but that just take longer than a child because children learn faster and easier.
Thank you so much!!

I vaguely remember writing the same thing for someone on this Forum, but have you discussed it with Japan Braille Library? They have an email address, and I believe you can also request books to be translated to Braille.
http://www.nittento.or.jp/en/index.html

Also, looking at the things you claim to be "bad at", I think you should read as much quality literature as you can. The easiest place to find them are on text books for ordinary school children (depending on your level, that would be elementary, middle or high school). The reading material on text books are short, correct, and come in a variety of genre, so they're ideal for learners.

You can also do things like using new words and kanji to write essays and stories, which is also the best way to really learn new words and kanji. It's great that you have a teacher to look over them.

In fact, these are things I did (or was told to do by my skilled teachers) to learn English when I first started living in the U.S., and also to improve my native language Japanese in high school.

I didn't quite understand what you mean by "Speaking Japanese in a normal Japanese speed" though. Speaking a language too slowly is not a problem. On the other hand, speaking too fast can be a problem, although not many people seem to realize it. Take a deep breath and try not to let other people's speed push you.

Hope it helps.

Oh! thank you so much!
Speaking Japanese in a normal Japanese speed:
When I speak Japanese, words don't flow easily. I always stop midsentence saying um um um um a lot and that might be annoying to the person who I'm talking to. I thought, if I practice speaking more, I'll surely do it. But it didn't work. No, I'm not trying to be so fast in Japanese, the normal speed only haha.
Thank you so much again!

Thanks for the feedback.

I always stop midsentence saying um um um um a lot and that might be annoying to the person who I'm talking to.

If you're not like that when speaking a different language (such as your native language), then I think it's easier, because all you have to do is to figure out how you're avoiding it in that different language and try to do the same.

In my case, I tend to do that in both languages that I speak. I think I got over it to a certain extent by simulating. I would sort of prepare the sentences I want to say, and structure them so that it would work when I start speaking in front of a real person. Kind of like preparing a speech beforehand, except that you have to prepare to get comments and questions in between.

It's also great to have role models. Listen to interviews of people who are good at talking. See how they make themselves clear within a minute or two in between questions and catch their rhythm. And if you want to speak Japanese, you need a role model who is good at making themselves clear in Japanese.

Ah!! I see!
I'll try to do as you suggested.
Thank you for wasting your time to reply!