Learning a Language by Immersion: Tips for Teachers

Discover the World Education Product Executive, former MFL teacher and linguist, Dewi explores what immersive language learning is, its advantages, potential pitfalls, and how teachers can optimise both classroom and travel-based immersion environments for students.

In today’s world, being multilingual gives you more than a competitive edge- it’s a gateway to understanding the world, accessing global opportunities, and building cross-cultural relationships.

Language learning has evolved beyond memorising grammar rules and vocabulary lists. Today, immersion-based learning is recognised as a powerful approach to mastering a new language.

As the English language continues its global dominance, it’s important for native speakers to avoid falling behind and compete on the world stage by boosting their own linguistic credentials.

But what’s the best way to learn a second language?

Studies show that immersion language learning is more effective than traditional methods of school language learning, like grammar-translation and audiolingual.

These methods are not only less effective but are also less fun, and are inclined to act as a negative impulse for those wishing to learn a new language.

What is immersion language learning?  

Immersive language learning is where students are surrounded by their target language in a way that simulates how we acquire our native language.

In a true immersive learning environment, classroom instruction, media, peer interaction, and social settings take place in the new language. This promotes active language acquisition through spoken and written communication in different contexts.

The immersion method of language learning aligns with the principles of applied linguistics, which emphasise context, communication, and authentic engagement over rote learning.

In the classroom, immersive language learning often includes:

• Role-playing everyday situations, such as ordering food at a restaurant or booking travel, entirely in the target language
• A “language-only” zone
• Visual aids
• Activities like storytelling or debates to simulate real-life use
• Using technology to enhance immersion by watching films, listening to music, or interacting with AI chatbots in the new language

These experiences push students to interact, adapt, and apply their language skills daily, as every encounter becomes part of an immersive language learning experience, reinforcing fluency, confidence, and deeper language acquisition.

Tips for encouraging immersive language learning

Immersive language learning differs from traditional classroom methods because language use is primarily in the target language, making use of contextual, authentic exposure.

Overseas language immersion trips offer ideal conditions for immersive language learning experiences. However, the teacher must structure the trip around intentional, supported, and measurable learning goals.

You can do this by:

Pre-Trip preparation

Introduce students to the local language, culture, etiquette, and history through simulations or online immersion programmes. You can do this by role-playing a trip to the market or ordering food from a restaurant, re-enacting a historical moment or a virtual Q&A with a native speaker to build foundational knowledge.

On-site immersion activities

Plan immersive activities like language-based scavenger hunts, interviews with locals, and cultural projects that require students to use their foreign language skills in context.

Collaboration with local teachers

Coordinate lessons with the language school teachers before your trip and allow them to adapt your lesson content to your students’ abilities and local dialect to enhance authenticity and depth.

Use technology

Post-trip consolidation

After your trip, facilitate group presentations, write-ups, or debates where students reflect on their experiences using the target language. This reinforces language acquisition and builds confidence.

The benefits of language immersion

Language immersion offers students a powerful way to gain fluency by surrounding them with real-life contexts and authentic communication.

Immersive learning strengthens language skills and deepens cultural understanding and global awareness to build confidence, adaptability, and critical thinking- benefits that extend beyond the classroom.

Here’s why you should incorporate immersive learning into your MFL lessons:

Accelerated language acquisition:

Immersion language learning accelerates acquisition by surrounding learners with constant, meaningful input in authentic settings.

Continuous exposure helps students develop listening and speaking skills naturally, as they pick up patterns, vocabulary, and pronunciation through context.

Immersion encourages active use of the language in real-time situations, reinforcing memory and understanding.

As a result, learners internalise the language quickly and effectively than through traditional classroom methods because they’re continuously exposed to phrases, grammar, and cultural expressions that deepen understanding.

Better Cultural integration

Immersive language learning improves cultural integration through direct engagement with native speakers and authentic cultural contexts.

Improved language retention

Immersion learning improves retention by providing constant, meaningful exposure to the new language in real-life contexts.

Repeated interaction reinforces vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation through practical use rather than memorisation.

Engaging multiple senses at once through listening, speaking, reading, and writing helps embed the language in long-term memory.

Immersive learning also increases emotional connections to the language, making the vocabulary more memorable. As learners use the language to solve problems and express themselves, retention becomes more natural and lasting.

Through reading street signs, watching films, or communicating with native speakers, learners begin to use the new language intuitively.

Higher academic achievement

Evidence suggests that learning a second language contributes to long-term academic achievement, especially when taught from an early age.

Additionally, immersion fosters cultural awareness and empathy, enriching subjects like history and social studies.

Students who are learning a language often show greater focus and mental discipline, contributing to higher achievement across all subjects.

Promotes Independent learning

Navigating daily life in a different country can seem like a scary concept to students. However, immersing your students in the culture can be a great way to promote independent learning.

During immersive school trips, students actively use their target language to barter with stall holders, order their meal in a restaurant or speak to locals. This constant need to communicate encourages self-motivation, problem-solving, and adaptive thinking.

Without relying solely on structured lessons, students take ownership of their progress, discovering language through meaningful interactions that make learning more personal, relevant, and effective.

Research also suggests that when students engage independently, they’re more likely to sustain linguistic and cultural interest beyond school.

Prepare for the world of work

Language immersion equips students with skills that are highly valued in the workplace, such as multitasking, cultural awareness, and adaptability.

Key Mistakes in Immersion Language Learning

Despite its many advantages, immersion language learning can fall short if not implemented correctly.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid as a language teacher:

• Lack of support for learners: Without scaffolding or a support system, especially for beginners, students may feel overwhelmed. This can lead to disengagement or anxiety, especially if their language level is significantly lower than their peers’. Avoid this by using visual aids, simplified language, modelling tasks, pre-teaching key vocabulary, offering sentence starters, and encouraging peer collaboration. Gradually increase language demands to keep learners engaged without overwhelming them.
• Over-reliance on passive exposure: Watching TV or listening to songs in a foreign language is helpful, but immersive learning requires active participation. Learners must also be encouraged to speak, write, and interact regularly to develop their skills.
• Confusing submersion with immersion: Submersion places students in a new country or school without guidance or support. In contrast, language immersion is structured, intentional, and designed to help learners build basic skills progressively.
• Ignoring cultural context: Ignoring culture and social norms can hinder full language acquisition. Words and phrases carry different meanings in different societies, and failing to understand these nuances leads to misunderstandings.
• Ignoring students’ existing interests: When language immersion overlooks students’ existing interests, motivation and engagement decline. Learners struggle to connect personally with the material, making it harder to retain vocabulary and concepts. Tailoring immersion to their passions fosters deeper involvement, meaningful practice, and lasting language growth.
• Lack of genuine, spoken target language: Language immersion loses effectiveness in tourist-heavy areas or when relying on non-native speakers, as learners encounter limited authentic language use. This reduces exposure to natural speech patterns, cultural nuances, and everyday communication, hindering fluency and the development of genuine linguistic and intercultural competence.

Immersion learning tips for teachers

An immersive language learning experience isn’t exclusive to school trips. Here’s how you can create an immersive experience in the classroom:

• Create a language-only zone: Dedicate parts of the classroom where only the target language is spoken. Include visual aids, vocabulary posters, and prompts that reinforce language use.
• Incorporate practical, everyday tasks: Use contextual activities like cooking, role-playing, or debate to encourage the use of the language in real-life situations.
• Encourage peer interaction: Pair students for dialogues or group work to promote conversation with native speakers or advanced learners.
• Build language confidence: Reinforce fluency through games, stories, and group presentations that let learners use the language without fear of mistakes.
• Track progress regularly: Monitor progress using assessment-for-learning techniques and feedback that reflects both accuracy and communication.

In the destination country:

• Eat local food: experiencing local cuisine connects learners to cultural traditions, providing authentic conversational opportunities around meals and customs.
• Chat to the locals: speaking with locals exposes learners to natural language use, slang, and cultural nuances not found in textbooks.
• Copy gestures and body language of local people: adopting nonverbal communication builds rapport and helps learners express themselves more naturally.
• Be aware: Observing surroundings sharpens cultural awareness and reinforces contextual vocabulary.
• Identify differences: Recognising cultural contrasts broadens perspective and deepens understanding of social context.
• Embrace diversity: Accepting and valuing differences fosters open-mindedness and confidence in intercultural communication.
• Reflective journaling: Task your students to maintain journals in the foreign language, capturing what they observe, feel, and learn.

How to enhance immersive language learning during a trip

Immersive language learning during a trip can be strengthened by moving learning beyond the traditional classroom.

Outdoor activities such as interviewing locals or helping in a patisserie kitchen create authentic opportunities to practise language in meaningful contexts, while small student-to-teacher ratios ensure personalised support.

Peer presentations at the end of the trip also provide a rewarding way for students to reflect, requiring them to retell experiences creatively in the target language while developing all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Finally, paying attention to local behaviour like their gestures and tone allows students to connect more naturally with native speakers. By mimicking these cultural patterns, learners reduce inhibitions, build confidence, and communicate more effectively.

When combined, these approaches- hands-on activities, cultural immersion, practical challenges, peer-led reflection, and behavioural adoption- create a dynamic learning environment that maximises the benefits of language immersion abroad.

To conclude…

Immersion is not just a method- it’s a mindset.

When implemented intentionally, with attention to context, support, and culture, immersion language learning becomes one of the most effective paths toward full language fluency. From the classroom to the streets of France, Spain or Morocco, learners thrive when they’re given the opportunity to immerse, explore, and connect through language.

Teachers play a critical role in shaping these experiences. Whether leading a trip, guiding a lesson, or hosting a cultural exchange, your insight and structure transform immersive learning into lifelong success.

For anyone looking to gain foreign language fluency, there’s no substitute for diving in, making mistakes, and finding your voice in a new language- one word, one phrase, and one experience at a time.