Language Immersion

By Ma

There are various language immersion programs all around the world. The most popular one is Spanish immersion, followed by French immersion and then Chinese immersion. Consequently, there are numerous immersion schools globally. Today, we are going to discuss and review if language immersion truly works.

What is Immersion?

Considering the etymology of the word ‘immersion’, it bears a Latin origin of immersionem signifying ‘to dip, plunge and to sink’. If we look at the prefix in- and the stem mergere of the same word, they carry respectively the meaning of ‘into, in’ and ‘plunge, dip’. The meaning later evolves in the 17th century to express one’s absorption in something s/he likes. In 1965, immersion refers to a method of learning a language[1].

In the present day, immersion refers to learning a foreign language by completely ‘immersing’ himself into the environment of that language. The aim is to raise the opportunity for a learner to learn that language and to prevent him/her from using his/her mother tongue.

Recently there is a trend called ‘dual language immersion’, in the program of which children are taught literacy and content in any two languages for at least half of the school day in the elementary school years. Some programs last until the end of the middle or high school. Many parents are attracted to this sort of program as it claims to enable students to master two languages concurrently.

Does Immersion Learning Method Work?

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I think the answer to whether immersion learning method works is YES and NO. The success lies in the learner’s attitude as well as a number of factors listed below.

1. Level of Your Target Language

If you are a complete beginner in that language, you will stand a higher chance of failure. Imagine that you have not even recognized the 26 English alphabets before travelling to the UK to learn English. Do you think you would be successful? Perhaps your listening and speaking skill may be enhanced, but I doubt whether you can develop a good reading and writing ability. It is therefore the best to start immersion when your foreign language is at elementary level. If you know some basics (A1 equivalent or lower), you will benefit most from the method.

2. Duration of Immersion

You need to think about questions like: How long will the immersion program last? Are you going to organize your own immersion program/plan? All these determine the success. A two day immersion program in a foreign country is certainly not effective. From my personal experience, a minimum of three months is needed to acquire the greatest effect. I have been to Seoul, South Korea, for around ten days, during which I was very enthusiastic about learning Korean. I talked to the locals even though I could utter fragmentary phrases such as ‘깎아주세요’ ( Please give me a cut in price). It was fun, but if you aimed to master a more advanced level, you will need to immerse yourself for a longer time.

3. Attitude to Learning

If you try immersion method simply because you are not willing to put in effort in learning languages, you will probably be doomed to fail. Indeed, many have lived in a foreign country for many years without being able to speak one fluent sentence. Just as non-English natives are derided for speaking pidgin English, we got many pidgin Japanese, pidgin Korean or pidgin Chinese speakers despite their long residence. The reason for this is that they have their own community where only their native language is spoken. Metaphorically speaking, they are sheltered by a bubble of their mother tongue which insulate themselves from using the foreign language. What is thus important is to burst the bubble surrounding you and go out and make new native friends instead of hiding yourself in a small social circle. Now that there have been diverse ways to make native friends, it is fairly easy to get along with some and talk more in the language you want to learn.

4. Way of Thinking

If you always think in your own language, you will not successfully be a master in your target language too. At the very beginning of the program, you can use a google translation app or a dictionary to help you express yourself. However, as you progress, you should find the right time to give up thinking in your own language and learn to think in that target language. In an immersion program, your mother tongue resembles soft drugs – the more you rely on it, the more difficult it will be to master the target language. Many colloquial expressions are unique in that language, and thus by no means can you translate it into another equivalent perfectly. Also, it will take a longer time for you to think of a response in your own language and translating every sentence into the foreign language before speaking up.

Do You Suggest Any Immersion Program?

These factors play a pivotal role in the success after joining an immersion program. At this moment, however, I personally do not suggest any immersion program. There are two main reasons for this suggestion.

1. Coronavirus/ COVID-19

Whatever the name of the virus, we can not deny the fact that it becomes a pandemic. It will not be a good idea to travel to other countries right now and that you know very little about the language. You cannot express what daily necessity you need. And in case you fall sick, you do not know where to get medical attention, expressing your own symptoms or even getting the necessary medication. In fact, a lot of countries are now closing their borders or even locking down a lot of cities to avoid further spread of the virus. Even if you wish to join an immersion program, you will not be able to do so.

2. Cost of Immersion Program

As a language learner with limited budget, I always enjoy free language learning class. Many free online language materials are available for beginners. If you want to progress, you would need to pay a little bit extra. However, if you want to join a immersion program, probably it will cost you quite a large sum of money.

Indeed, you can learn any languages by creating immersion environment of your own.

Actually You could all learn language by creating your own immersion environment.

Comment below on what you think about language immersion program(s)! Do you have any ideas on an DIY immersion program?

[1] Online Etymology Dictionary. [https://www.etymonline.com/]