What’s the best way to learn a new language?
There are thousands of language programs in the world today. How do you choose the best one and how could you even know which program is the best for you personally? If you’ve ever tried to start a new language program, you know just how difficult it can be.
In a data-driven society, one type of language program has risen above the others: immersion. Countless studies have shown the benefits of immersion programs for children in school, and the same benefits can be applied to adults learning a new language.
What Is Language Immersion?
The word immersion is one of the most misunderstood term when it comes to language programs. Many people think that immersion programs are just focused on surrounding students with the language. And while this is a part of immersion programs, it’s not the sole focus.
Traditional language classes focus on teaching the language as the subject. Immersion flips that idea on its head and uses the language as a tool to immerse the student within a certain subject.
Why You Should Pursue an Immersion Program
So, why exactly should you join a cultural language immersion program? What benefits do they provide over traditional language classes?
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits an immersion program offers and how it can propel you forward in ways that you can’t achieve elsewhere:
- Constant Exposure to the Language: One of the biggest (and probably most implied) benefits to immersion programs is the constant exposure you’ll receive to the language you’re learning.
Your teacher will always speak in the language. You’ll only read materials that are written in the language. Literally every minute of your time in the class is spent livingthe language.
When it comes to learning a new language, practice makes perfect couldn’t be truer. Immersion programs take that to the next level.
- Constant Exposure to the Culture: Language is much more than just words the words you speak or write. There is so much cultural context that shapes idioms, colloquialisms and more.
Immersion language programs focus on providing cultural context along with the grammar and vocabulary portions of learning a new dialect. You’ll often have opportunities to put what you’ve learned to the test in real-world situations from locals and other native speakers.
- Learn Faster and More Efficiently: Learning a new language takes a lot of time and work. Learning through traditional methods is effective in its own way, but takes a much longer time than immersion programs.
When you’re constantly surrounded by the language and you truly start to live the language, you’ll find yourself learning much faster and more efficiently. In the end, immersion programs remain the fastest way to learn new tongues.
How We Can Help
Now that you know all about language immersion programs, you must be jumping out of your seat to find one! Here at Arab Academy, we can help.
Check out our Arabic immersion program, located in Cairo, the cultural heart of Egypt. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to bring you to Egypt to learn one of the most beautiful languages in the world.
