How to Create an Immersive Language Learning Experience
When you don’t live where it is spoken
Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in a country where the language they are learning is spoken. Nor do they have the luxury of travelling there often. So when teachers and linguists talk about immersing oneself in a foreign language, how is that achievable in these circumstances? In this article I share some tips to creative an immersive atmosphere in the comfort of your home and city. Before that, let’s look at what immersion means.
When you are in a pool or a lake or the sea and you take a breath and plunge your head into the water, you are submerged, surrounded by water on all sides. Immersing yourself in a language is similar but you keep your eyes, ears and mouth open in order to absorb everything around you and reproduce what you hear.
Listen
Thanks to technology, there are a number of ways of doing this. To improve your listening skills, play podcasts in the target language when you commute or go for a walk. Listen to the radio or interviews while cooking or doing chores. Even if you are a beginner and don’t understand everything, your brain subconsciously imbibes sounds and repetitive words and phrases.
Listening to songs in a foreign language is also a great way to learn. Remember that annoying catchy tune that gets stuck in your head and you can’t get rid of? Why not turn this into something positive and productive where what sticks in your head is actually words of a language you want to learn? The advantage of songs is that they have a chorus that keeps repeating so you eventually start singing along.
Films are another good way to pick up words and expressions but many of my students have also experienced frustration and disappointment when they hardly understand anything.
It’s important to note that cinema is made for a local audience and not as a language learning tool so dialogues are quick and full of slang and this could easily discourage a language learner.
If you are a beginner, use subtitles and try to understand the gist of what is going on. The visuals will help you as well. On the other hand, if you are at a more advanced level, avoid subtitles and try to focus and pick up as much as you can in order to increase your repertoire of vocabulary by adding colloquial expressions and even slang.
Remember, it’s active listening that helps you learn. This means you have to pay attention to everything that is playing and you can note down words you don’t know and look up their meaning in a dictionary. Last but not least, it is crucial to reuse what you learn in order to gauge the reaction of the person you are speaking to and this feedback will tell you whether you’re on the right track.
Read
Reading is another useful skill when it comes to learning a new language. To ensure that you are completely immersed, read the news and if you have reached a sufficiently advanced level, novels in your target language. Once again, it is important to do it actively so write down new words that you think you can place in a conversation, find out what they mean and look for examples of how they are used in context and slide them into a conversation to get feedback.
If you don’t have access to a library where you can borrow books and newspapers, use the internet to find topics that interest you. Make it as fun as possible for yourself as this should not feel like boring homework. You should want to feel like doing it.
Speak
One of the most important ways to learn a language is by using it with a native speaker or someone who is proficient in it. Look for your local language exchange Meetup group, language cafe, expatriate community or cultural centre. If you don’t find any groups, make one and create an opportunity for others who might want to join in the experience.
The idea of immersion is to surround yourself with sounds, words and native speakers of the language you are learning to the extent that this is possible. Over time, you will notice words and expressions automatically flowing out of your subconscious.
Do all the things you always do and which give you pleasure in the target language, so watch films, listen to music, read and just enjoy the process.
If you can, it’s always good to visit or spend some time in a place where the language is spoken so see if you can find a teaching assistant position, house sitting or au pair work. These are affordable ways to immerse oneself in a language.
Hi, I am Prajwal Madhav. I hope you enjoy my posts. If you want to learn French with me, feel free to contact me.
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