Language immersion programs are now very popular in different parts of the world and there seems to be endless possibilities to go through it. If you were given the opportunity or the choice to be enrolled in a language immersion program, would you?

First and foremost, a language immersion program is a program where students are placed in a classroom or setting in which only the target language is used. Different versions of language immersion include partial immersion or dual or bilingual immersion.

The origins of language immersion are said to be from Canada more than forty years ago and are today used as “a language educational program model used for a variety of purposes and across a wide range of social, cultural, and political contexts” according to Walker and Tedick (2000). Language immersion has been used since then not only to teach foreign languages but also to preserve almost extinct languages and to teach the language of a colonizer.

Language immersion education has developed from the Direct Method which is also known as the Natural Method of teaching additional languages which was developed in the late 19th century. The standard method of teaching languages at that time focused on grammar and translation but the Direct Method revolved around conversations between teachers and students. The method is based on the idea that a language learner learns his or her native language without being formally taught and can therefore learn his or her target language in the same way.

Aside from the Direct Method, the main reasons why language immersion programs have gained popularity include that many people go overseas to teach in countries where they don’t speak the local language; and students in the same class may have different linguistic and cultural backgrounds therefore there is an eclectic mix of native languages within the same classroom.

• The pros of language immersion include that since only the target language is spoken, language learners are forced to make communication attempts in the language; through language immersion, students see the different ways in which similar concepts can be expressed thus allowing exposure to different cultures. Another thing is, through language immersion, language learners learn languages in the most natural way possible.
• The cons of language immersion include that students may not understand instructions in the target language and it is also quite difficult to tell whether the lack of understanding is due to not understanding the target language or whether the concept would be beyond them even if it is in their native tongue. Another disadvantage is that the emphasis on speaking the target language comes at the expense of language rules such as grammar; total language development may be stalled if the other language skills are not developed.

Language immersion programs are effective means to learn a new language and culture since language learners will be in an environment where they can absorb language and the culture from where the language generated from. Immersion programs may happen in classrooms within the country where there is a concentrated population of people who speak the target language, or the programs can be availed abroad in the country where the language originated from.

Language immersion may not be for everyone since each person has unique learning styles. What may be effective for some may not be effective for everyone. If you were given the chance to be part of a language immersion program, would you enroll? Why or why not? Share your insights with us.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 11:33 am and is filed under Language Schools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.