What does it mean to “know a language?”

As a polyglot (that is, someone who knows multiple languages) I often get asked: “How many languages do you know?” It’s a fair question, but honestly it’s hard to answer. It depends on what “knowing a language” means. Does it mean being able to say enough phrases to get by as a tourist? Does it mean being able to read literary works with a dictionary in hand? Does it mean being able to carry on a conversation about everyday topics? 

See my article here on all the different parts of knowing a language. And see my article here on how you can measure your fluency in a language.

The truth is we all learn languages with different goals and motivations, which makes everyone’s personal language learning journey unique. Nevertheless, there are patterns that emerge when you study how people learn languages. And what is common to all language learning journeys (and even learning in general) is this:

Acquiring a language only comes through “repeated, meaningful, use” 

This is to say, knowing a language comes through “repetition”, which has been called the mother of learning, so not just one or two exposures.

Knowing a language comes through “meaningful” experiences, because it is these that our brain is wired to remember.

And knowing a language comes through active “use”, whether this happens as we listen and read to receive it, or as we speak and write to produce it.

Making use of Immersive, Multimodal, Comprehensible Input (IMCI™)

Every aspect of the Immersio experience is razor focused on providing learners with repeated, meaningful, use of any language. This is why Immersio courses get you to digitally immerse yourself in a cultural environment where the language is used. This is why all Immersio lessons are based on contextual conversations about topics that are relevant to your goals. This is why Immersio connects learners with qualified tutors and co-learners so that you can start speaking from day one and use language as a way to understand and communicate. 

Whereas other solutions might focus on “quick hacks” or “ninja techniques” (which may have special uses for certain people) at Immersio we focus on fostering true, lasting fluency. We call the method behind the madness of this digital “all-in-one solution” to language learning immersive, multimodal, comprehensible input, or “IMCI” for short. 

It’s immersive because every course is embedded in a cultural environment with characters who reflect some mindset or worldview. 

It’s multimodal because every course addresses the different modes of language use from reception, production, interaction, or mediation. 

It’s comprehensible because every lesson’s dialog is designed to be both meaningful and compelling as it builds on your previous knowledge and expands it.

And we use meaningful inputs as every piece of vocabulary, phrases, or grammar is explained in context.

A High Level Walkthrough of Experiencing IMCI [polyglot tested, and scientifically based]

Based on applying insights from studies in Second Language Acquisition and best practices in Blended Learning, at Immersio we make it simple to learn and speak any language to the level you want to acquire and learn about the topics you are interested in mastering. 

From a high-level here’s a walk-through of what the IMCI experience is like from any of our Immersio sites or partners.

Step 1: Enroll in a site’s language and learning path based on your unique goals

Part of what makes Immersio different is our platform has the razor focus of providing language instructors and organizations with the tools they need to easily expand their language instruction online. What this means is that 

1. all of the language content you are going to learn comes directly from the people you are going to learn from and interact with, and not some corporate committee. This brings a personal connection and motivation for everyone to see you succeed; and
2. as a learner you have access to an array of courses that are relevant to what you specifically want to achieve your unique goals. This means no generic content, and a variety of learning sites, languages, and learning paths to choose from.

Step 2: Determine your goal and commitment level with your personal tutor

Different learners have different timelines to work with to achieve their goals. A key factor to succeeding in achieving any goal is to establish a routine until it becomes a habit. This is why after you know what you want to achieve, it’s important to be realistic about your timeline and how much time you are going to commit. 

The first key factor is how much time you can dedicate to learning. Perhaps you will be a casual learner as you work full-time and have family to take care of, and so you can commit around 15-30 minutes a day. Perhaps you are doing professional development or are very passionate about what you want to learn and so can commit around 2 hours a day. Or perhaps you have a deadline coming up and want to dedicate yourself to mastering language skills and so can commit around 4 hours a day. 

The second key factor is how far you want to go, meaning how many courses you are going to take. Your goal may be to simply have a casual conversation in the language within 2 months so you can travel and experience the culture (A2 level). Your goal may be to become an independent speaker who can read literature in the language and discuss ideas with others without the need to have a dictionary in hand (B2 level). Or your goal may be to function professionally in the language and have access to new work opportunities (C2 level).

Immersio can connect you with a tutor who can keep you motivated and adapt your goals to a realistic learning plan and tailored schedule so you have the highest chance of success.

Step 3: Experience the conversations, master the inputs, and practicing speaking with Immy at your own pace

With your goals and plan in place, Immersio gets you listening and speaking right away. Every lesson of every course follows a similar flow where you first experience a conversation, then master the “inputs” of each piece of that conversation, and finally practice speaking about what you learned with our AI-powered chatbot Immy in our Open Speak™ experience.

One of the amazing parts of this “all-in-one” language learning experience is whether you have a few minutes while waiting for a bus, or an hour in a cozy corner, you can pick up your device and instantly resume learning at your own pace without needing to manage multiple different apps or techniques. 

Step 4: Personalize your learning with 121 or group sessions

At Immersio we recognize the reality that proper language learning has been too expensive, that learning a language 100% by yourself is not effective, and that the tools available today are not designed to give the right blend of human interaction and self-study. 

This is why we have built into the platform the ability to learn “121” or in groups with instructors and qualified tutors to personalize your learning. Who knows, you might find yourself making new friends and connections from around the world.

And what’s so beautiful about learning with qualified Immersio tutors is not only the flexible scheduling and ability to choose a tutor who best aligns with your needs, but also that every session is based directly on the specific lessons and courses you are learning and feedback on assignments can easily be given and reviewed anytime. This means less time for you and your tutor figuring out what you want to do, and more time answering your questions and applying the content to your situation. 

Start Speaking Today

If you have language learning goals, become a member today and enroll at an Immersio site. Make the decision to achieve your specific learning goals right now. Who knows what you can truly do?