Language Learning8 Virtual Immersion Strategies to Empower Language Learners
Virtual immersion

8 Virtual Immersion Strategies to Empower Language Learners

Want to get fluent in a new language this year? Well, you don’t actually need a passport to travel abroad to immerse yourself in the language as you might have in years past. Immersion is possible now from wherever you want! AI has opened up new possibilities, making it easier than ever to create an authentic and complete virtual immersion environment for yourself. In this post, we’ll review eight simple strategies you can use to create an immersive language learning setup. Let’s get to it.

1. Speak with your AI Language Partner!

AI language tutors can simulate real conversations in the language you’re trying to learn. AI language learning apps like Borne use speech-to-text and text-to-speech technology to create a true auditory exchange. This makes it feels like you’re having an interaction with a native speaker. Practicing daily with AI language partners not only improves your fluency, pronunciation and confidence, but it also allows you to learn at your own pace. It’s a virtual immersion technique that makes it easier to consistently practice speaking the language you’re trying to learn, and this consistent practice is what’s needed to get fluent!

2. Change your Phone Language.

Changing your phone’s language settings to the language you’re trying to learn forces you to engage with the language throughout the day. You’ll need to use when you’re navigating between apps, calling a friend, or setting up a push notification. This simple tweak integrates the language into your day-to-day. Given the amount of time most of us spend on our phone each day and how much we do with it, this is a surefire way to get some time in with the language without having to dedicate extra time each day. It’s kind of effortless. This is effective virtual immersion that’s useful for beginners, intermediate or advanced language learners.

3. Get a Social Media Handle for Language Learning

Social media has algorithms designed to keep us scrolling. Part of how they keep us engaged is they’re good at suggesting similar content. Why not use it to your advantage for language learning? We’ve found it effective to start social media accounts for helping us learn a language. If you’re learning French, start following a couple of accounts in French. Maybe you start with @lemondefr to follow news from Le Monde, and then find a French content creator or influencer to follow. 

Eventually, you’ll start getting similar French accounts suggested to you, making those social media algorithms working for you! This is a neat form of virtual immersion, as it keeps you updated on trends.  It also lets you see what most people in that country consume in terms of media and entertainment. Interacting with posts, comments and messages on these platforms are also a great way to engage in a low pressure way in the language you’re trying to learn.

4. Head to YouTube!

YouTube is an incredible resource for language learners. There’s so much content in so many different languages, and it’s free. You’re seeing more and more international news channels pushing content to YouTube for distribution, which is a great way to stay up on the latest in a country. Then, there’s the content from real people, which lets you hear different accents and learn slang in the language you’re learning. A lot of the shows from these content creators have subtitles, making it easier to follow along and understand. It’s all a perfect blend of entertainment and education.

5. Keep up with the News in your Target Language.

Every country has local or regional news. Odds are that if you’re interested in a country’s language, you’re probably also interested in what’s going on in that country. Following the news in a country is a great way to stay up on what’s happening, while also practicing your listening comprehension. As discussed in the previous section, YouTube is a fantastic tool for video news broadcasts. Every country also has text publications to help you work on reading comprehension. Keeping up with the news is a great approach to virtual immersion, while ensuring you’re staying up on current events in the country or region of interest!

6. Watch yourself some Netflix!

What if your homework assignment was to just watch a Netflix show? It actually should be part of your homework, if you’re trying to learn a language. Netflix has thousands of shows and movies available in over 50 languages. You can watch original content, or dubbed content. You can watch with subtitles if you want. Netflix can be a powerful and entertaining education tool for language learners! Watching Netflix, alongside YouTube, can help you in making big strides in your listening skills, learning conversational phrases and picking up on cultural nuances. Here’s to your next homework assignment!

7. Start Participating in an Online Community.

Digital communities can be a great way to engage with native speakers in a low-pressure environment. It might be a social media group, an online forum or a gaming community. Find an online group that’s active in an area you find interesting. If it’s about a topic you enjoy, then you’ll be more engaged and get to learn a language while learning about something of interest. It’s a great combination!

The other terrific thing about such forums is people are using the language in a less formal way that more closely resembles how they communicate in real life. Oh, doing all this is free! Use translation tools to help navigate these forums early on, and gradually transition to independent interactions as you get better.

8. Block Off Time Each Day.

It’s best if you can set aside specific times of the day for you to engage solely in the language you’re trying to learn. You can call them your language immersion blocks. During these windows, you should be committed to thinking in the language you’re trying to learn. You should be consuming content in the language, and speaking it with a language partner or your AI language tutor.

Mix it up across the ideas floated in this article, in a way that makes it feel fun and not like work. If you have 30 minutes, you might spend 15 minutes speaking with your AI language partner, 5 minutes scrolling Instagram in your language learning account and 10 minutes watching the news. Some blend of active and passive learning that keeps you in the zone!

Virtual Immersion, Do It Right!

Let’s recap how to set yourself up for success with virtual immersion. First is you should have a clear goal in mind. It might be that you want to be able to have a business meeting in the language you’re learning, or you want to order food when you’re traveling in a foreign country. So, start with the end goal in mind and work backwards. If it’s conversational skills in a business setting, you might prioritize speaking with an AI language partner and finding business content on YouTube in the language you’re trying to learn.

You’d probably want to read the business section of the newspaper online. This will help you boost your conversational skills, improve your listening and expand your vocabulary. Whatever detailed path makes sense for you, remember that consistency is key and that learning a language takes time, even with advanced technology. Celebrate small milestones along the way, and be sure to enjoy the process!

Get started speaking with your on-demand AI language partner Borne today.

Contributor

Co-founder of Borne. Lifelong language learner.

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