Total immersion in a foreign language can be a great way to learn, but it is not always a magical solution.

You hear it all the time: “the only way to learn a foreign language is to go live in a foreign country.”

As a long-time language teacher and as someone who has mastered a foreign language – partly thanks to serious study and partly due to living in the country -- I would put some conditions on this piece of popular wisdom.

Of course, living in a foreign country often enhances language learning. But it is not necessarily a solution for beginners, unless they have a heavy language class component as part of their experience.

Just think: if you were plopped into China, or Poland, or even Mexico, without ever having heard a word of the languages spoken there, how long would it take you to “pick up” the local tongue?

Unless you’re one of those amazing language whizzes, it would probably take a very, very long time.

In fact, some people live in countries for years and never learn the language.

Living abroad is, indeed, a highly recommended way to perfect a language; but for most people, learning the basics of a new language takes time, commitment, and study – whether it be on-site or at home.

Betty Carlson

See Also

• Language Translation, Inc.
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