Immerse insights:
- Oftentimes immersion is understood as traveling abroad or perhaps listening to Youtube with subtitles all by yourself - Immerse is different.
- Immerse lessons are designed for Guides to teach you the language you need to know in order to say the things you want to say.
- Before learning with Immerse, you don't already need to feel comfortable chatting away in Spanish or French; our expert Guides are here to teach you that part.
Diving all-in on your immersion adventure
Does the thought of immersion language lessons make you feel a little nervous?
After all, you wouldn’t be taking lessons in the first place if you were already great at using the language, so why would the teachers expect you to be able to communicate in it right away?
Well, we’re here to tell you not to worry.
Taking a class where Spanish or French is spoken from the start is not like turning on a Spanish TV channel or watching a French movie and trying to figure out what everyone’s talking about all by yourself.
And immersion learning is definitely not asking Google, Siri, or Alexa to translate vocabulary for you either.
Immerse’s lessons are carefully designed to present language in a way that you will be able to understand.
Not only that, but our expert Language Guides integrate cultural insights into every lesson so you can tap into an even deeper level of fluency.
Plus, research shows that VR language learning is an incredibly effective way to learn to speak Spanish or French fluently, even for adult learners.
Gentle immersion
At Immerse, you won’t just be thrown in over your head.
We know how to create interactions that you’ll understand, and we’re there to assist you!
For one thing, it’s not just the language you’re immersed in.
You’ll find yourself in an entire scene filled with objects and an interactive 3D environment that provide context for everything that’s going on.
When someone holds out a plate of cake for you, for example, you’ll see what they’re talking about.
When someone is talking about a cat or a beach umbrella, they will be able to physically interact with those things in VR.
This eliminates the need for your brain to go through multiple steps of translating a word and then associating it to a real-world object.
That happens all at once when learning in the Immerse virtual world.
Language learning isn't meant to be a solo sport
We aren't just throwing Members into a virtual Spain and hoping that they survive!
Our classes are designed to keep the language at the right level for you.
Our classes are leveled so that Members are able to understand 90% of the language being spoken, and then be challenged to go beyond what they know.
This puts Members into a safe stretching zone where they can reinforce learning of what they already know, but also get the opportunity to fail forward with the content that they may not be confident with yet.
And you do not have to worry about making mistakes.
Failure is celebrated in the Immerse community.
And when you struggle to understand or express yourself, our expert Language Guides will gladly help you.
Even at the lowest level, Guides aim to use as much Spanish or French as possible.
But if it turns out you need a little English to get your point across, that’s no big deal - the Guide will listen and help you find the right Spanish words and phrases.
They even have the ability to add the words in a bubble over their head so they can give you a hint without breaking your flow.
That’s something you probably never saw your high school Spanish or French teacher do!
There’s a reason we call our teachers Guides - they’ll gently guide you to communicate your own personal ideas and thoughts in Spanish or French. That’s part of what’s so great about Immerse’s Emergent Language Teaching.
Our lessons are designed for Guides to teach you the language you need to know in order to say the things you want to say.
Spanish or French that’s just your speed
Immerse is designed to help Members develop fluency, so some prior experience with learning Spanish or French will help you get the true Immerse experience.
However, that doesn’t mean you already need to feel comfortable chatting away in the language you are learning - we’re here to teach you that part. And if you are a complete beginner, you can take some Foundation and Beginner level classes first.
Just have a look at our handy level descriptions to figure out what Immerse level is the best fit for you.
- Foundations: To take classes at this level, Members maybe able to understand familiar words when supported by visuals, answer a few simple questions on familiar topics, and introduce themselves. They use mostly practiced or memorized words and phrases with the help of gestures.
- Beginner: To take classes at this level, Members should be able to request and provide information by asking and answering a few simple questions on familiar topics, express basic needs related to familiar and everyday activities, express their own preferences or feelings and react to those of others. They use a mixture of practiced or memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions.
- Intermediate: To take classes at this level, Members should be able to interact with others to meet their basic needs related to routine everyday activities. They can express, ask about, and react to preferences, feelings, or opinions on familiar topics and present personal information about their life and activities. They use simple sentences most of the time and are able to ask questions to keep the conversation on topic.
When you take a lesson at your level, you’ll get the right balance of challenge and support, but you can sign up for lessons at any level you want.
In fact, we encourage our Members to register for a lower-level lesson when they want a refresher on a particular topic, or a higher one if they want a challenge.
Our lowest level is designed for Members who already have a few simple skills like responding to greetings and answering basic questions about themselves, but we encourage even total beginners to give it a try and see what they get out of it.
Trying out different fluency levels is free to start, so you’ve got nothing to lose!
Fun, friendly, and effective!
If you’ve never learned in a language immersion setting before and the thought makes you nervous, rest assured there’s nothing to fear.
Don’t disqualify yourself just because you think your Spanish or French communication skills aren’t strong enough.
Our Guides are friendly, experienced professionals who know how to lead you to fluency.
Not only that, but Immerse has the best Members, who go out of their way to encourage each other.
It may feel awkward for the first few seconds, but you’ll see right away that you’ve become part of a supportive community and immersion learning is actually a really fun way to learn a language.
And it works!
In some ways, starting your language immersion learning adventure is like jumping into a swimming pool.
You might stand at the edge of the pool wondering if the water will be cold and second-guessing whether you really feel like getting wet right now.
But once you’re in, it turns out to be wonderful, refreshing, and exactly what you needed.
Further reading
Language immersion is recognized as one of the most effective ways to learn to speak a language. Follow these links to learn more about the benefits:
- higher levels of fluency
- faster learning
- native-like language processing
- increased exposure to language in context
And if the thought of speaking a foreign language makes you anxious, check out our blog post on How to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking Spanish or French!
Miranda Novash
