Long Term Benefit of Immersion Programs

I, personally, have not been able to find any real data as to the benefits of immersion programs, though I do think there is some. Possibly I just am unaware on the proper search term to use in Google. Specifically, what is the language ability after one month, six months, a year? Has the level of the second language been maintained, improved, or is the student back to square one? Once the immersion program is over, how does a student keep the momentum going?

Attending a language immersion program can be lots of fun and very beneficial to the language learning process. Many, many schools exist all over the world for those wishing to learn a second (or sometimes third and fourth) language. Have you noticed that almost every school, at least those listed on the internet, claim that their school is different? I did a quick check on Google (1,380,000 hits) using the term, “Spanish Immersion Programs”. Out of the few selections that I actually clicked, the sales pitch was about the same.

I find it just as interesting that out of so many immersion programs for those wanting to learn Spanish, there is very little, if any, feedback from students other than the initial “I had a great time” story.

When a student initially returns from their immersion program they still have the excitement flowing through them. The exposure to a different culture, a different way of living is definitely a benefit of immersion programs. And, I think most do actually learn a great deal of language from immersion programs. What, however, are the long term benefits?

Choosing The Right Program

Trying to decide which Spanish learning program is best can be a real challenge. A quick check of Google shows more than 1,380,000 possibilities when using the search term, “Spanish Immersion Programs.” Likewise, “Learning Spanish” results in 90,100,000 hits; “On Line Spanish Courses” has 75,400,000 hits. This is, as they saying goes, just the top of the iceberg. In other words, the selection of options is overwhelming.

So, how does one decide which program, school, book, etc. is the best? I wish that I had the magic answer. I would certainly be very rich if I had the magical answer. The truth, though, is I don’t, and it appears that neither does anyone else. Basically, it is a stab in the dark. However, there are some preliminary things you can do before spending your money.

Ask yourself what type of learner are you. Are you a visual learner? Do you learn better in groups or one on one? Do you learn better in a class room setting or by yourself? These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself before committing to a Spanish learning program. Once you know which type of program will match to your learning style you then need to be realistic as to the amount of time you are able to devote to your studies.

There are many debates as to the best method of learning Spanish, or any foreign language. We have the grammar approach, the conversation approach, the immersion approach. Which is the right way to learn? My answer – who knows? I think a combination approach is probably the best, but I think really it depends on what you, as the learner, want to accomplish.