The Immersion Method: How to Learn Any Language to Fluency the Fun and Easy Way by Eric Bodnar

Author:Eric Bodnar [Bodnar, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: spanish immersion, how to learn a language, language learning, learning a new language, language learners, french immersion, learn a language
Published: 2016-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

FOREIGN LANGUAGE VIDEO TAPE

This infant stage of language learning can become the most exciting and lively part of the whole journey. Everything is new. Our ears take in a whole range of new sounds and utterrings that we were previously unaware of.

It can also be a little uncomfortable. Learning a new language requires pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone. Producing those new sounds and words can be a challenge. Attempts at reading are more mumbles than actual words.

We will learn so darn fast as we race forward in our first 100 days. It is somewhat like lifting weights for the first time and something called "beginner gains." It is a strange phenomenon that happens during the first few months of lifting where the body calls for the muscles to rapidly grow and potentially double in size. Our minds can undergo a similar process where the novelty and unfamiliarity of a new language allows for a massive amount of information to easily stick to our brains. Our Anki exercises will make sure that we are capitalizing on this process the entire way through.

Some folks dislike this early period because we have to learn things that aren't terribly exciting like “on, in, under, by” and “the cow says moo!” It can be humiliating especially when foreign language learning materials targeted at adults treat you otherwise. Single words are repeated three times with this awkward, unnatural pause in between. Native speakers slow down their speech to robotic levels. Textbooks contain workbook exercises that can seem like homework.

When starting from zero in Japanese, I decided that I would rather learn like a Japanese kid than an American adult. I sang “Head Shoulders Knees Toes” while standing up and touching each body part in turn. I let myself be a kid again singing simple things like “Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree.” I cast aside my manly and muscly persona temporarily to “Let It Go” in Japanese. There was some slight embarrassment, but at least I was excited for the first time in a long time. So let's not be so serious.

This next technique may be worth your time if you are having trouble focusing on reading, listening to, or watching foreign material for at least 20 minutes without any English. In the beginning, our language ability is so low that it becomes really difficult to focus when we don't understand what's going on. Reading material at this stage may not be the best idea, and it may be better to stick with video and audio materials. Of course, it makes sense to try a variety of material that you are interested in, and if you are looking for something new, try this Foreign Language Video Tape technique for 20-45 minutes at a time.

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