The Total Immersion Myth

You’ve heard it a hundred times: "If you really want to learn a foreign language, you have to start with a total immersion course in the target language’s country." And every time you heard it, it was wrong.

In a total immersion Spanish class, the only language spoken is Spanish. No other language is allowed. All teaching and explanations are in Spanish.

Now imagine the scene. You don’t speak a word of Spanish, but you’ve been told to start with a Total Immersion program in Mexico. By living in the culture, immersing yourself in the language all day, you’re sure you’ll go home in a few weeks speaking fluent Spanish.

At the school, they give you a placement test and tell you you’re a beginner. (Well, you knew that.) Your new teacher greets you. Or you assume that’s what it was but since it was in Spanish, you’re not sure. You smile back. Then he starts talking at you in Spanish and you have no idea what he’s saying. He talks louder, gestures, holds up objects and points, pouring this stream of foreign sounds over you.

It’s only the first day and already you’re lost.

If you’ve studied any foreign language in a classroom anywhere, you know how difficult it can be to grasp critical concepts even when the explanation is in your own language. Now imagine trying to do all that when it’s delivered in a language you don’t understand. When you think it through, it’s a crazy idea.

But there is a place for total immersion in language learning and I want to explain where it fits into the way adults learn.

What Comes First?

Research has taught us that adults are left-brain dominant learners. We like to know how to put sentences together structurally before we start speaking them. The problem with total immersion teaching for adults has always been the critical question: How do you clearly explain grammar and language constructs and develop fluent speaking skills at the same time.

My life’s work has been to develop a method that does just that. It’s based on the premise that you have to begin at the beginning and build in a logical pattern. My foundation course teaches the tenses and grammar of Spanish by using a paired learning method. Students work with partners in timed exercises called games while being facilitated by native Spanish speakers. They use flashcards and workbooks to interact in Spanish while learning correct sentence structure. This "cross-training" teaches language structure and develops speaking skills at the same time.

And it’s fun. You understand what you’re doing. Everyone has a chance to develop. And no one ever has to "perform" for the class.

After you’ve gone through all four levels of the Foundation Course (96 hours), you’ve learned all the tenses of Spanish and developed an ability to use them. And that’s when your speaking skills will advance at lightning speed by interacting with native speakers.

After each level of the Foundation Course there is a Skill Development Course using the structure you just learned. In Warren Hardy’s conversation classes you practice Spanish in specific contexts with native speakers in class and in the streets of San Miguel. Because you have a solid foundation in the language, you know how to self-correct and understand when corrected. Progress is smooth and fun. There are four levels of Intermediate Conversation Spanish at Warren Hardy which coincide with the Foundation Courses.

After this Intermediate Conversation level, you’re ready for advanced training. This is called total immersion! This experience takes you into Spanish mind. You move from Spanish Learner to Spanish Practitioner. You speak and hear Spanish only for days at a time. This is when you break through and become fluid in Spanish.

Many Warren Hardy students graduate to total immersion schools. When they report back they all say the same thing. “I am by far the oldest person in my class, but I’m the only one who knows what’s going on. Everyone comes to me for help.” 

You see, there is a place in adult language learning for total immersion. The myth is that immersion is the place to start.