Language learners are confused about "immersion"
Summary
TLDRLanguage enthusiast Lamont discusses the ambiguous term 'immersion' in language learning, highlighting the confusion between living in a country where the language is spoken and the actual process of learning it. He proposes two distinct concepts: 'lifestyle language immersion' for living in a language's native environment and 'cognitive language immersion' for mental engagement with the language through various media. Lamont emphasizes the importance of clear definitions to improve language learning strategies and suggests that both methods are crucial for fluency, with cognitive immersion being more accessible for most learners.
Takeaways
- 😀 The term 'immersion' in language learning is ambiguous and can lead to confusion.
- 🌍 Many people equate 'immersion' with living in a country where the target language is spoken.
- 🤔 The speaker suggests that 'immersion' should be clarified to prevent misunderstandings in language learning.
- 📱 The speaker's brother's text message highlights the confusion about what level of language proficiency is needed before immersion becomes effective.
- 🏠 'Lifestyle language immersion' refers to living in a place where the language is spoken and actively using it.
- 🧠 'Cognitive language immersion' involves exposing oneself to the language through various means, regardless of location.
- 🌐 Surfshark VPN is recommended for accessing content in the target language, simulating immersion.
- 🔗 The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between lifestyle and cognitive immersion for effective language learning.
- 🏡 Lifestyle immersion is not just about being in a foreign country but actively engaging with the local language.
- 📚 Cognitive immersion can be achieved through various methods like listening to audiobooks, even when not in the target language's country.
- 🌟 Both lifestyle and cognitive immersion have their benefits, and the speaker argues for their combined use for optimal language learning.
Q & A
What does the term 'immersion' commonly refer to in language learning?
-In language learning, 'immersion' commonly refers to living in a place where the target language is spoken, thus being exposed to it constantly and having to use it.
Why does the speaker believe the term 'immersion' is ambiguous?
-The speaker believes 'immersion' is ambiguous because it can mean different things to different people, leading to confusion and unclear instructions on how to learn a language effectively.
What alternative terms does the speaker propose to replace 'immersion'?
-The speaker proposes two alternative terms: 'lifestyle language immersion' and 'cognitive language immersion' to clarify the different ways one can be immersed in a language.
What is the difference between 'lifestyle language immersion' and 'cognitive language immersion'?
-Lifestyle language immersion involves living in a place where the language is spoken and attempting to use it in daily life. Cognitive language immersion, on the other hand, is about exposing your brain to the language through various means, regardless of physical location.
Why is it important to distinguish between lifestyle and cognitive language immersion?
-Distinguishing between the two helps clarify expectations and methods of language learning, and it prevents misconceptions about what is required to become proficient in a language.
What is the speaker's opinion on the effectiveness of cognitive language immersion?
-The speaker believes cognitive language immersion can be very effective, as demonstrated by their own experience learning Swedish and using it in Sweden after cognitive immersion.
What is the role of Surfshark VPN in the context of language learning as mentioned in the script?
-Surfshark VPN is mentioned as a tool that allows access to content from regions where the target language is spoken, simulating a form of cognitive language immersion by providing exposure to native content.
How does the speaker's brother's text message from Japan contribute to the discussion on immersion?
-The brother's text message highlights the confusion around the term 'immersion' and prompts a deeper discussion on the need for clear definitions and alternative terms for different types of language exposure.
What does the speaker suggest for someone who wants to improve their language skills before moving to a country where the language is spoken?
-The speaker suggests that one should engage in cognitive language immersion to reach a level where lifestyle language immersion, such as living in the country, can be more effective.
Why does the speaker emphasize the need for both lifestyle and cognitive language immersion?
-The speaker emphasizes the need for both because each type of immersion offers unique benefits that complement each other, potentially leading to more comprehensive language acquisition.
Outlines
🌐 The Ambiguity of 'Immersion' in Language Learning
The speaker, Lamont, discusses the confusion surrounding the term 'immersion' in language learning. He shares his realization that many people misunderstand what immersion truly means, after having conversations in Sweden and Japan. Lamont clarifies that while some define immersion as living in a place where the target language is spoken, others have a different interpretation. He emphasizes the importance of defining terms clearly in language learning to avoid confusion and ensure effective learning strategies. Lamont suggests that the term 'immersion' is ambiguous and proposes the need for a more precise term to describe the act of being surrounded by and actively using a language.
📚 Distinguishing Between Lifestyle and Cognitive Language Immersion
Lamont introduces two new terms to clarify the concept of immersion: 'lifestyle language immersion' and 'cognitive language immersion.' Lifestyle language immersion refers to living in an environment where the target language is spoken and making an effort to use it, which is what most casual learners believe immersion to be. Cognitive language immersion, on the other hand, involves exposing oneself to the target language through various means, regardless of physical location. Lamont argues that both methods are crucial for language fluency and that they should not be confused with each other. He also mentions the benefits of using Surfshark VPN to access content in the target language, which can enhance cognitive immersion.
🌍 The Efficacy of Cognitive Language Immersion
In this paragraph, Lamont challenges the notion that physical presence in a country is the only way to learn a language effectively. He shares his personal experience of achieving a high level of Swedish proficiency through cognitive immersion before even visiting Sweden. Lamont argues that while there are benefits to lifestyle immersion, such as the unique cultural experiences it offers, cognitive immersion is also highly effective and accessible. He suggests that the distinction between the two types of immersion is important for setting realistic expectations and for helping others understand the variety of effective language learning methods available.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Immersion
💡Lifestyle Language Immersion
💡Cognitive Language Immersion
💡Language Learning Community
💡Ambiguous Terms
💡Fluency
💡Surf Shark VPN
💡Casual Language Learners
💡Language Proficiency
💡Accessibility
Highlights
Language learners often misunderstand the term 'immersion', leading to confusion about its meaning.
Immersion is commonly thought of as living in a place where the target language is spoken.
The speaker proposes that 'immersion' is ambiguous and suggests the need for clearer terminology.
The most popular word used by language learners to describe their learning method is 'immersion'.
The speaker's brother questions the level of language proficiency required for immersion to be effective.
The speaker differentiates between 'lifestyle language immersion' and 'cognitive language immersion'.
Lifestyle language immersion involves living in a place where the language is spoken and using it.
Cognitive language immersion refers to any exposure to the language, regardless of physical location.
The speaker argues that both lifestyle and cognitive immersion are essential for language fluency.
Surfshark VPN is recommended as a tool to access content in the target language, simulating immersion.
Cognitive language immersion can be effective even without physically being in the target language's country.
The speaker's experience in Sweden demonstrates that cognitive immersion can lead to high language proficiency.
There is a misconception that living in a country is the only way to become proficient in its language.
The speaker suggests that cognitive immersion is often underrated by casual language learners.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between lifestyle and cognitive immersion for effective language learning.
The speaker plans to release a video discussing the unique benefits of lifestyle language immersion.
The speaker's videos will include insights gained from his recent trip to Sweden, enriching his language learning content.
Transcripts
language Learners don't understand what
immersion means and we need to stop
talking about it as though we do but it
took me to go to Sweden and talk to
someone in Japan for me to realize this
my name's Lamont I've been learning
Swedish for a long time I've learn some
other languages on and off during that
time and I make these videos to tell you
what I learn along the way so if that
sounds good hit the Subscribe button and
let's talk Shana chos what is immersion
in a language well a lot of people would
say it's living in a place where that
language is spoken but others
particularly regulars to this hobby
probably just thought wo wo wo wo that's
not necessarily immersion sure maybe not
for me and you but for a lot of people
that is the correct answer living in a
place where the language is spoken all
the time so that you have to hear it and
particularly use it immersion now are
they wrong or are we wrong or is the
term unclear I believe it's the last one
just saying immers
is ambiguous at best this is a big
problem because when I asked you guys to
give me one word that describes how you
learn a language do you want to guess
what the most popular answer was tears a
couple of people said tears but the most
common answer was immersion so it is a
problem that we don't even agree on what
it means I mean as far as I know the
bicycle Community is not in a
disagreement about what wheel means well
I mean maybe they are but they shouldn't
be they probably have that pretty sorted
defining the word immersion is important
because ambiguous terms lead to
ambiguous definitions and unclear
instructions on how to learn a language
in brief the language learning community
should all mean the same thing when we
use terms that are that prevalent in the
language learning space the first thing
is immersion so I'm going to try to help
using a text message that I got from my
brother while I was in Sweden I got this
message from my brother who was in in
Japan now I don't want to make it sound
like we're always in different parts of
the world because we both have like
private jets or anything we're not
normally overseas it was weird that we
both were at the same time but his text
said I've been thinking about this
immersion that you talk about what level
would a decently natural language
learner need to already be at before the
immersion worked and when I first read
that I was
like what because simplified to me what
that says is how good do you need to be
at the language before you can then
learn the language it's like how much
wood could a woodchuck chuck if a
woodchuck could chuck would bro lay off
the saki so confused I kept reading and
with the context of the rest of the
message I was like oh right you mean how
much of the language would you already
need to know before being in the country
would be an effective way to keep
learning the language which is a much
more sensible question than the one I
thought he was asking but not within the
the scope of a 12-minute video but it
struck me then and there that the nonh
hardcore language learning community the
99% of language interested people out
there like my brother are using the term
immersion very differently to the way
that we language learning enthusiasts
are using it my point being that if my
own brother is misunderstanding what I
mean by immersion then at least half of
what any casual language learner reads
or he is out there is probably being
misconstrued like imagine the bicycle
equivalent it would be pretty difficult
to teach someone about cycling if every
time you said wheel they heard you say
handlebars in my opinion we should not
say immersion so what should we say well
I propose two different terms one
lifestyle language immersion and two
cognitive language emmersion both
lifestyle and cognitive language
emersion are super important if you want
to learn a language to fluency and
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so Link in the description or at the top
of the comments do it cool yeah so we
have lifestyle language immersion and
cognitive language immersion now the
reason the word language is in there is
that I don't want to create further
Confusion by just saying lifestyle
immersion which could be considered to
be independent of the language if we
want to shorten the terms we could say
lifestyle Li and cognitive Li so
lifestyle language emotion is what my
brother was talking about it's where
you're living your life in a place where
the language is spoken and attempting to
do so using that language and for the
record his message went on to describe
how he tried to use Japanese but it
didn't work because his level wasn't
sufficient which is why he was asking me
that so lifestyle Li is not talking
about things like let's say a British
person going on a gap year to Denmark
and just speaking English the whole time
because they can yes they may be getting
exposure to the Danish lifestyle but
since they're making no attempt to learn
or speak Danish it's not language
emotion hence the need for the word
language in the term and you might be
wondering if lifestyle Li can be done
outside of a country or region where
that language is the default well yes
with an asterisk because what separates
lifestyle lii from cognitive lii is that
it must by necessity involve some
language interaction between you and at
least some other people who speak the
language fluently so there are certain
environments where a lowkey lifestyle
language emotion is possible despite not
being where you generally expect to find
that language I'm thinking of things
like the all Swedish Gatherings that
I've been to in Sydney but speaking
generally the strongest and longest form
of Lifestyle Li will involve being in a
country or region of a country where
that language is standard and remember
this is important because that's what
99% of casually language interested
people would think that you meant by
immersion even if it's not actually what
we meant this is why I think there
should be two different terms all right
so what's cognitive language emotion
cognitive Li is exposing your brain in
any way that you can or you want to to
the language in question so you could be
in the desert in Kenya but if you're
listening to an audio book in Icelandic
then you're cognitively immersed in
Icelandic have you ever heard someone
say that this learning a language via
immersion thing must be rubbish because
what about all the people who live in
the country for years and never learn
the language I've heard that argument
and it's flawed because it assumes that
immersion is to do with your physical
location it's very possible to live in a
country but get minimal lifestyle Li to
the language of that country whilst
continuing to be cognitively immersed in
a different language I think it's worth
distinguishing between the two because
yes there is some overlap between
cognitive language emersion and
lifestyle language emersion but by
distinguishing between the two not only
can we be better language Learners
ourselves but we can also be better at
helping others to learn languages
there's a tendency particularly among
the 99% the Casual language Learners to
overrate the importance and the expected
results of Lifestyle Li a lot of people
think that just moving to a place where
the language is spoken is this one
anddone hack for perfect language
acquisition and I've even spoken to
people who know that they're going to be
moving to a particular country and
haven't started learning the language
because they use the excuse that when
they get there they'll just learn it
perfect perfectly anyway and it's just
not true but because most people don't
have that option but would love to have
I think it creates this kind of halo
effect where they just think oh if I
could just live in the country where the
language is spoken then everything would
be great and they can't imagine that any
other learning method is effective
cognitive language immersion is one such
alternative and I got a very good idea
of exactly how far that can get you when
I recently went to Sweden for the very
first time after about 15 to 1800 is
hours of cognitive language immersion
and without wanting to regail you with
Tales of my Swedish prowess or whatever
suffice it to say that it works very
very well and to the lifestyle lii
purists who say that you have to be
there to actually learn the language
properly I would say yes I sort of agree
there are benefits to being there and
certainly to living there that are
practically impossible to obtain any
other way but my experience in Sweden
quashes the idea that you just can't
learn a language sitting in your home on
the other side of the world like
learning a language from a different
country huh never going to happen so
naive that is not true and I am not the
first person to show this cognitive
language immersion Done Right can result
in proficiency that many people in that
country interpret as you at least having
lived there for some time but if you're
lucky even being a native speaker okay
so if that's the case then why even
bother making the distinction for two
reasons one remember that to the 99%
when you say immersion they hear living
in the country which means that when you
say the way to learn a language is
immersion they will hear that as sorry
unless you're going to go and live in
the country you're not going to be able
to learn the language that's not good
because that's not true so instead let's
tell them about cognitive language
immersion and what that is and the other
reason to make the distinction is that
cognitive Li as great as it is is still
not lifestyle lii cognitive is much
better in some ways but they're still
pretty different now in the perfect
language learning world we would all do
both all the time I would move to Sweden
and I would keep getting cognitive Li
and lifestyle Li but as many people do I
have things that prevent that I have
kids who go to school I have a wife with
a career Etc so the big advantage of
cognitive lii is accessibility for most
people in most studied languages it's
ready for you to jump into today my
brother for example would be able to
cognitively immerse in Japanese to get
good enough at Japanese so that the next
time he went there he might be able to
get some lifestyle lii but I said that
in order to get really good at the
language I do think you need both but it
might not be for the the reason that you
think see lifestyle language immersion
does this thing that is one of the
weirdest and most interesting language
learning discoveries I've ever made but
it's very difficult to put words around
so I've been working on a video for a
very long time make sure you check it
out because I think it will resonate and
help you put a name to something that
you've probably felt before if the video
is finished I'll put it here if it's not
finished then check out this video
anyway it's probably really good make
make sure you're subscribed and that
you've hit the Bell so that you don't
miss any videos when they come out now
that I've been to Sweden my videos are
going to be packed with goodness I
learned a lot while I was over there but
I'm still going to say Lo
[Music]
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