What is English Immersion? Does it Work?

English immersion is widely considered to be the best method of learning English. Indeed, immersion is a method of learning language used by people across the world, learning a large number of languages. English is amongst many languages that prove to be particularly difficult to learn, largely due to the fact that grammatical rules are inconsistent in the language. Individuals learning English might one minute think they are getting to know the language well, and then will suddenly begin to stumble across tens of exceptions to the alleged rule. Hence, immersion becomes particularly effective in providing the necessary practice on a daily basis.

You might have the best English teacher in the world, you might have attended the best course, and you might have spent the most amount of hours studying - but in the end, this doesn't provide you with the communication and practice that you need to be able to understand dialect and colloquialisms that are used throughout the language and throughout the country.

Whilst English immersion is a great way of learning the language, and becoming fluent in it (whilst also teaching you about dialect), you must ensure that the people you immerse yourself in actually speak the language well. Whilst accents do vary, if you surround yourself with people who speak the language incorrectly, you will struggle understanding them and you might end up thinking certain linguistic rules exist - when in fact, it's a grammatical or linguistic error made by the people that surround your every day.

If you don't know any people who speak English as a first language, then you will be able to use your English school, teacher, and other students as a way to immerse yourself in the language. Equally, if you cannot go to an English speaking country then you would benefit greatly from listening to English speakers on the Internet, watching English films and even reading English books. This is a great way to get used to correct grammar, and correct use of words, without having to find people who speak English on a daily basis. English immersion works wonders, and you'll find that when you try it.

Another thing you should remember that, even if you immerse yourself in English, you will need to know a wide vocabulary of words in order to sound like a native speaker. If you only have a small vocabulary then you will be prone to stopping during conversation, and thinking of other words to use when you're speaking. You should focus primarily on the traditional vocabulary that you will find during your lessons, but you could also learn vocabulary from native speakers, and through aforementioned methods like watching films and reading books in English.

To be a true speaker of a language, you need to start thinking in that language. When you're a native speaker, you think in your native language. Try your best to start thinking in English, and make an effort to say more things in English throughout your day - even if you're talking to yourself.