Living in a foreign country presents a unique opportunity for language immersion. And this is why so many people recommend visiting a country that speaks the language you’re learning, to help you improve your abilities.
If you’re travelling specifically for language learning, or you’re just there for a holiday, there are so many ways and places where you can pick up a new language without having to study formally.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some intriguing avenues for language immersion, which I hope will make you go; “I never thought of that”.
Street signs
Even if you didn’t meet or speak to anyone on your travels, you could still find a language teacher on every corner.
Street signs are an unexpected yet ubiquitous and incredibly valuable language immersion tool. Each one you see is trying to convey a specific, and different message. There are so many phrases and words you can pick up just by being more aware of your surroundings as you travel.
These omnipresent markers not only guide you through your daily life but also offer an excellent way to learn essential vocabulary.
You can be get exposed to every day names of place and streets, how to express commands and directives, as well as some common instructions.
Advertisements, learning through the screen
Television and YouTube are likely to be part of your daily routine while living abroad. Whether it’s the local language television in your hotel, or online advertisements, they are just as unavoidable as signs on the street. Why not put that screen time to good use?
It’s also a good way to see what it popular in the country you are living in terms of products, brands, pop culture, and fashion trends.
Advertisements, in particular, can be a goldmine for language learners. They use clear and simple language, with a goal to get you to buy their product. Often, whether it is animation or people acting in skits, the visuals complement the message, which helps to aid in comprehension.
However you may be exposed to colloquial and non-standard ways of speech. It will be good to both note this down but also be wary of.
We can’t forget traditional styles of learning
While this article is all about non-traditional, immersive ways to help you a language in the country you are staying in. We cannot forget just how helpful a textbook, dictionary, or class can be in your language learning journey.
These more formal scenarios will help greatly to make sense of all the information you have collected from television, signboards, and the internet.
If you would like to begin studying online with dedicated teachers; why not try Italki? Studying with teachers online with Italki felt more like I was learning from a friend. It really helped supplement the learning system I already had in place, and you can do it alongside your language immersion.
Follow my link here, to get access to a special account for new Italki users!
Newspapers and local news
What’s one publication that is always pumping out easy to access stories, daily? The news!
Despite how much everyone is online now, it’s still very easy to find one or two newspapers in circulation in the city of your language immersion.
We need to be critical, and acknowledge that the stories in newspapers are tabloid and sensationalist. However they also offer low-cost ways to expose yourself to a wide range of reading topics.
Reading local newspapers helps you understand the current events and cultural nuances of your host country.
My only issue, is that newspapers require some depth and understanding in the language to really make use of it a resource. But for advanced to expert level students, it’s a great way to get reading!
Free resources?
Flyers, free magazines on the metro, little fact sheets on food wrappers? A lot of these things, when we find them in our own language, seem a little pointless. Who is actually reading them?
However, all of a sudden, when you find them in your target language, it becomes like a mini language learning class.
It can be hard to understand just how much material is out there. With the amount of free or very cheap material that you can find, if you get a bit creative, in country immersion can be a treasure trove for language learners.
Start to invest a bit in your kleptomania if you are doing a language immersion program. Any tickets, wrappers, or pages with useful bits of language, just keep them. You can even make a scrapbook out of all the things you collected, not only for revision but for the memories too!
If you happen to be in a multilingual relationship, you might also have a lot of access to small snippets of your partner’s language. Check out my article here, for more stories about multilingual couples.
Small talk with taxi drivers
Taxi drivers are often unsung heroes in your language learning journey. They were doing language learning on the go way before podcasts, audiobooks, and MP3s.
If you ever get into a taxi (Uber, Grab, or otherwise) you will need to interact with your driver. And depending on which country you are doing your language immersion in, you might not always find a driver who speaks your language.
People who are afraid of small talk beware, because this tip may not be for you! But taxi drivers are some of the best people to engage with small talk.
In my experience a taxi ride has brought up all kinds of conversation;
- from simple introductions,
- discussion about where I’m from,
- free tourist information,
- and of course giving and receiving directions,
- all the way to world politics and the media,
You can come across all kinds of topics in the back of a taxi. It’s kind of like your very own conversation partner, that also scales with how fluent you are in the language!
Supermarkets
Even something as, seemingly, mundane as a shopping trip can be turned into an opportunity to learn.
On a trip to the local supermarket you will come across the names of products, fruits, an vegetables. You will have an opportunity to practice your numbers and counting in a foreign language.
And there could even be an opportunity to speak with the people who work there. If it’s a small business, you may even get to know the people who run it.
Of course, let’s not forget the questions we always hate in our own language; do you have a discount card? Would you like to make a donation?
There are many more, further in depth, opportunities for conversation and learning. With each shopping trip you open up another possibility.
Local hangouts and cafes
Finally, one of the most immersive experiences comes from hanging out at local places and cafes.
Here, you’ll not only hear the language in action but also absorb the atmosphere and culture. Try ordering your coffee in the local language and let yourself become a part of the vibrant ecosystem.
It only takes a few times, and a few good interactions, with the people working there for you to become a familiar face at the establishment.
This in itself might not seem like much but is also opens you up to more opportunities in language learning as well as beyond!
If you’re an expat who has any regrets about not learning the language, or just not getting familiar enough with the local scene, start here. Go check out some local hangout places to try and immerse yourself a bit more. If you’d like to read more about common regrets that expats have, check out my article here.
So let’s review. Language learning doesn’t have to be formal, and you don’t need books or any other traditional resources.
Being in the country, is great because you can discover that the streets, screens, papers, and people of your host country are your greatest language teachers.
Of course, this implies a heavy amount of mental awareness and consciousness when walking around. And being hyper alert all the time can also be tiring. So take it slowly, and allow the power of being language immersion subtly work its magic.
Furthermore, once you do feel ready, it’s still a great idea to attend a formal class, work with a textbook, or find a tutor. This way you can transform the raw data you have collected over time, into workable results. If you are still interested in the Italki offer I mentioned earlier, follow my link here, to redeem a small reward for new time learners and accounts.
Venture out there, explore, and let the language immersion experience enrich your life abroad.
