Last Updated: November 27, 2023
Immerse insights:
- Oftentimes language immersion is understood as traveling abroad or perhaps listening to Youtube without subtitles all by yourself - Immerse is different.
- In Immerse’s live Spanish, French, and English VR lessons, real people teach you exactly what you need to know in order to say the things you want to say.
- You don’t need to feel comfortable speaking Spanish, French, or English before starting Immerse - your friendly teachers and fellow learners will get you there!
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, French, or English is spoken from the start is not like turning on a TV show or movie in that language 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, French, or English 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, you’re immersed in more than just language.
Everything you do in Immerse - live classes and social events, AI-powered conversation practice, and language games - takes place in realistic scenes filled with objects and fully interactive 3D environments 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 basketball or a beach umbrella, they can physically interact with those things, whether they’re using a Quest headset or joining Immerse through their computer browser.
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 learners 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 learners are able to understand 90% of the language being spoken, and then be challenged to go beyond what they know.
This puts you into a safe stretching zone where you can reinforce learning of what you already know, but also get the opportunity to practice the content that you 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 teachers will gladly help you. In fact, we call our teachers Language Guides, because they are trained to gently guide you into saying whatever it is you want to say.
Even at the lowest level, Guides aim to use as much Spanish, French, or English as possible.
But if it turns out you need to use a little of your first language to get your point across, that’s no big deal - the Guide will listen and help you find the right words and phrases in your new language.
They even have the ability to add the words to a speech bubble over their head and to a clipboard on your watch so they can give you a hint without breaking your flow.
That’s something you probably never saw your high school language 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, French, or English. That’s part of what’s so great about Immerse’s Emergent Language Teaching.
Our lessons are designed for Guides to teach you what you need to know in order to say the things you want to say.
Spanish, French, or English that’s just your speed
Immerse is designed to help you develop fluency, so some prior experience with learning Spanish, French, or English 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.
Not sure which Immerse level is right for you? Answer a couple of questions in our self-assessment questionnaire, and a level will be recommended to you!
Taking lessons at your level will give you the right balance of challenge and support, but you’re welcome to sign up for a class at another level too. In fact, we encourage our learners to register for a lower-level lesson when they want a refresher on a particular topic, or a higher one if they’re in the mood for a challenge.
Our lowest level is designed for those 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 doesn’t cost you a thing because you can take an unlimited number of classes, 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 count yourself out just because you think your Spanish, French, or English 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 community, 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.
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, French, or English!!
Miranda Novash
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