8 Online Language Immersion Strategies for Faster Fluency
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. Online language 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 online language 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.
Online Language Immersion Starts with Speaking to your AI Tutor
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 pronunciation and confidence, but it also allows you to learn at your own pace. It’s an online language 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!
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.
Set Up a Social Media Handle for Online Language Immersion
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 online language 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.
Head to YouTube
Yes, language learning with YouTube is a thing!
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.
Follow News in 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, you can learn a language with YouTube. 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 online language immersion, while ensuring you’re staying up on current events in the country of your interest!
Effective Online Language Immersion Starts with Borne
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.
Language learning with Netflix can be powerful and entertaining for faster fluency! Watching Netflix, alongside language learning with 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!
Participate 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.
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. One important point we discuss in Why You Learn a Language 6x Faster with AI is how shorter learning bursts enable you retain information better anyway. 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 online language 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 AI Language Partner Borne
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really get fluent in a new language through online language immersion?
Fluency is a loaded word. You are definitely going to need interactions in the real world to be considered fluent in a language. But, a key point here is that you can make massive strides with online language immersion, in ways that weren't possible even in the recent past. Language learning with Netflix, language learning with YouTube and conversations on your favorite AI language learning app, these just weren't even a thing in the recent past.
One thing we all know us that if you're trying to speak a new language too early in your language learning journey, it can be intimidating and discouraging if you're trying to engage with native speakers in a new country. Online language immersion can soften these awkward early interactions, by giving you the opportunity to practice speaking with judgment-free AI and hone your listening skills in the comfort of your home. Then, you'll be more confident and prepared when you do head out into the real world and engage with native speakers!
How can AI help me learn to speak a language?
AI makes it possible for language learners to have immersive experiences with a simple Internet connection. AI language learning apps like Borne offer on-demand, 24/7 access to conversation. It's like being able to have an interaction with a native speaker who gives you real-time feedback whenever you want. This is needed to get fluent in any language. AI can also introduce you to idioms and slang, making you sound more like a native speaker. It's an efficient and effective tool to learn a language fast and to speak it fluently!
What is Borne, and how does it work?
Borne is an AI-powered language learning app that simulates conversations with an AI language partner to help you improve your speaking and listening skills. You can choose from Spanish, French, English, Italian, German, Portuguese, Dutch and Swedish. The app offers personalized lessons, practice conversations and immersive adventures, while providing feedback in real-time on your pronunciation, grammar and phrasing. Borne leverages advanced AI to deliver an affordable, on-demand and pressure-free language learning experience, offering all the benefits of traditional tutoring at a fraction of the cost.
What level should I be to use the Borne app?
You can use the Borne app at any level, as a complete beginner or as an advanced speaker. If you don’t understand what Borne is saying, click on the text to see the text translated to your native language. You can then also click on individual words to learn more about a word. If you’re unsure how to respond, simply click the help icon at the bottom left and type what you want to say in your native language to have it translated into the language you’re learning. These tools keep you immersed in the language, while providing a safety net whenever you encounter unfamiliar words or need assistance.
Eddie Duszlak
Eddie Duszlak is the co-founder and Chief Language Learner at Borne. Prior to Borne, he spent his career as a global investor, leading investments for some of the world’s leading institutions. He holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago. A lifelong language learner, he is currently working on his Spanish and French in the Borne app daily from his home base in North Carolina.
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