Is Immersion Better Than Language Study?

If you've been slaving over grammar books and vocabulary lists but still sound like a walking textbook, it's time for a real talk.
Join me, Michael Campbell, founder of Glossika, as I peel back the layers on what it really takes to speak a language with the fluidity of a local. Here’s what you’ll uncover:
• Immersion vs. Academic Study: Understand the pros and cons to develop fluency and cultural finesse.
• Language and Identity: Discover how the language you choose reflects personal and professional identity.
• Deliberate Training: Learn the importance of dedication and consistency in mastering any new language.
Remember, language doesn't just connect us with the world; it shapes the way we see it. Are you ready to expand your horizons?
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💻 Website - ai.glossika.com/
👥 Linkedin - / michael-campbell-66069...
📩 Glossika Mailing List - mailchi.mp/glossika/mailinglist

[@runningriot7963]

I get hesitant when I hear absolutes like never do this, or always do this. I feel like some people have an affinity to learn in certain ways. For example some people can get good from just school classes, and some do better through having conversations with natives. I think at the end of the day some methods are better than others, but the best method is the one that gets you to spend the most amount of time in the language.

[@user-oc2bv5br5e]

Couldn’t agree more 👌

[@pianotationsystem]

Exactly my first thought, Immersion can take many shapes and forms, for example for me it was through tv shows and music, it wasn't until recently that I had the opportunity to live in an English speaking country (Australia) for 3 consecutive years. In Australia I met a girl from Spain who claimed to have learnt Portuguese in about a year just by speaking to her boyfriend at the time.

[@user-ThaylorSwift]

So, do I

[@michelleonardo4389]

Exactly what I think. I studied language learning methodologies as an English major and I can surely state that both immersion and formal study complement each other. All methods have their own benefits and limitations, but all of them can be beneficial when they're combined to enable language learning. Listening to so-called language coaches on the internet is not exactly a very intelligent thing to do, cause most of them are just selling a product. 🤷🏻

[@runningriot7963]

@@michelleonardo4389 I see your point, there are plently of "gurus" out there that barely know what they are doing, the simply found something that worked for them and they either parrot what they hear from others or simply stitch together things that they think helped them learn a language in 3 months into a product to sell (not a diss at Benny, he's an OG) without the due study into how or why the method works...etc. Having said that there are also plently of good people out there with real experience and meticulous study into the actual process of language learning and aquisition, trying to help other people reach thier goals, and they created a product to make money from; Not just to bake a quick buck, but to support themselves while they teach what they actually care about. a few examples are Steve Kaufmann, Luca Lamparielo, Olly Richards, old school MattvsJapan, Laoshu55000 (RIP)... etc. There are plently more that I know that talk more specifically about one language but these are examples of people that teach principles about how to learn languages in general. I've learned so much from these guys that has saved me from countless hours of bad practices and speed up my language learning to a considerable amount. I have alot of gratiude for them. I don't like calling myself a polyglot simply beauce of the recent infamous title on YT but I do have a passion for learning languages and have spent the past 10 years learning multiple languages, and soaking up new scools of thought along the way.

[@thuhuong8172]

You really inspired and gave me the power to keep moving on in this language learning journey. I used to get so insecure about my language ability, especially mandarin, you know, the fear of saying something wrong, which actually slow down my process. But when I saw you being able to speak fluent Mandarin and listened to your journeys of learning languages, you really made me believe in myself, to keep working on. So thank you so much! ❤

[@Phylaetra]

I just spoke with my wife - she was a language arts teacher and her district has a large number of immigrants. No child in her experience becomes fluent in three months without significant targeted teaching support, which is regularly cut under the assumption that it is not needed and immersion will magically take care of the problem.

[@TenTenJ]

I’m the Armenian kid in the example. And in fact, I am Armenian. Yes, I learned English in about three months when we came to America. I was going to school, but my family didn’t speak English.

[@Phylaetra]

@@TenTenJ you were going to school, and receiving instruction? For 8 hour a day? And you were _fluent_ in three months? Do you have any test scores to demonstrate this fluency?

[@TenTenJ]

@@Phylaetra 🤷🏻‍♀️ not 8 hours. Maybe 4 in kindergarten? And watching tv with things like Sesame Street, Mr Roger’s, ElectricCo, those help too. What degree of fluency are you referring to? Being able to speak to my classmates and teacher, understanding what people are saying around me, etc. But I didn’t understand hard words, meaning uncommon words, which any child has trouble with. Kids are like sponges. But now as an adult, I think if I lived somewhere new for 3 months, it might take me longer.

[@Phylaetra]

@@TenTenJ so... you think kindergarten kids are fluent? I will agree that you could catch up to five years olds in three months- at least enough that you couldn't tell the difference (because you were also five). My wife was working with 12-15 year olds, which makes an enormous difference. And 'fluency' is a bit of a slippery word. I prefer to use tested skill levels - like CEFR B2 (which is generally high enough to attend university or get citizenship, though no-one will mistake you for a native speaker). No five year old is 'fluent' in their native language, which becomes obvious when you have a conversation with one.

[@TenTenJ]

I agree with all those points you made about age and degree of fluency. And I don’t think he was using the word fluent in relation to some sophisticated test score. Did he? I don’t remember. I think he’s just talking about being able to get around in your daily life.

[@user-lu8cw5iv1r]

Absolutely love how this vlog integrates language learning into everyday life. It's not just about studying textbooks; it's about experiencing the language authentically. And with the help of Immersive Translate, I can imagine myself confidently navigating through target language conversations in no time!

[@Mehmet-rw9bu]

There is really no shortcut, especially if you actually want to reach native speaker level.

[@Marina_9994]

I know more languages thank to Michael Campbell. His tips are crucial for any learners and don't matter which language you're learning.

[@octaviovirginio72]

I love your tips guys, keep giving these advices.

[@jaredcriswell8889]

I'll comment on the Arabic discussion -- Arabic is my life-long passion and I've been learning it for many years. Arabs will always SAY you should learn fuS-Ha (MSA) but if you actually speak to them in fuS-Ha they always react as though you were speaking like a robot or unnaturally (assuming they understand you, which depending on their education level, they very well may not). But if you are talking to an Egyptian and you say something in natural idiomatic Egyptian, you're instantly their new brother/sister. I would always encourage someone to learn MSA because it's part of Arabic as a whole, but it's not the main focus as many Arabs will tell you. The local variants get you so much more bang for your buck in terms of relationships and usability.

[@LostUryan]

I am the exact opposite of this guy, haha I would WAY rather have total casual talk in all work environments, than have friends speak in formal stiff academic ways.

[@dabeast5352]

Everything this guy said i took the opposite way hahah. Definitely different views on languages

[@SimplyChinese]

ALG, Automatic Language Growth, in AUA Thai School. Also there’s a similar KZbin based program for Spanish named Dreaming Spanish.

[@Englishcomprendsive_input]

THE TRUTH! If you want to achieve that goal ,just practice for it over and over again untill you can do it inconsciously .It seems hard ,but actually it is "shorcut". However everyone just want to find other way to do it effortlessly , but the truth is that's a hard work.

[@hcm9999]

It depends on your goals. Your goal may be to simply be able to talk to native speakers. Or you goal may be to understand any kind of native media like books, films, music, etc. You can talk to native speakers using "baby language", meaning very simple vocabulary and very simple grammar. Most native speakers will be able to understand you, and as long they also use baby language with you, you will be to understand them. So to become conversational is not that difficult. But if you want to understand any kind of media like book, films, etc, then baby language is not enough. Then you have to spend a lot of time reading books, watching films, etc. Talking to native speakers is not that important or even necessary. People in this category may spend very little time talking to native speakers, so they may be very poor at conversation, sounding robotic, or unnatural. But these are the people who have a much larger vocabulary and grammar knowledge.

[@ienjoyapples]

Children's brains are much more plastic than adults'. They can absorb information and form new neural connections much more rapidly. We can't expect the same means of language acquisition to be equally effective for children and adults. Immersion is great, but it's often not enough.

[@kenyup7936]

that's a interesting and fascinating conversation , that inspired me. thank you so much

[@JosephSolisAlcaydeAlberici]

Marrying with a native speaker of the foreign language you learn is the best way to immerse yourself with the learned foreign language.

[@travel2166]

I’d like to learn at least four languages 😅

[@wolfthequarrelsome504]

Yeah... You'll learn to fight efficiently in the target language.

[@ivanchoblues4492]

Those advice are helping a lot to earn!! Amazing!!

[@milanhrvat]

Good interview.

[@whimzycloud]

Going to prison in the country is the best way to learn through immersion.

[@michaelcampbellglossika]

please share your experiences

[@phonedr.1013]

好厲害，真是了不起。學習了❤️

[@Entertainmentchannel-sf8lr]

Please help me i could not speak English

[@MsTranthihai71]

Thanks

[@anywhereimmersion]

好久不見！One small bit of clarification is that I am not "anti-translation" per se, and I don't advocate 100% immersion and zero language study. I think it's a matter of balance. In my experience, most language learners have an unhealthy mix weighted too far toward language study at the expense of the contextual, immersive exposure and practice that build fluency. We need BOTH, but we need to be careful not to spend too much time learning _ABOUT_ our target language and not enough time immersed _IN_ the language. Adults certainly can benefit from a BIT of language study, translation, and looking things up in dictionaries to get a clear sense of meaning and usage, but I think this should be the seasoning on top of the immersion steak. The ultimate goal is to create an instantaneous connection between sound and meaning (or between sign and meaning while reading), and getting stuck in the translation trap creates and extra step that increases cognitive load and slows down communication. Hope all is well in Taipei and that Glossika is doing well. I miss Taiwan like crazy, including our 冰咖啡-fueled chats on 忠孝東路!

[@michaelcampbellglossika]

Hey thanks for reaching out -- glad to hear your thoughts and I agree with you on a lot of points, like sound and meaning. I'm fully in the immersion camp as well.

[@Nativlo]

This comment section shows why adults struggle more than children.. beacuase you think you know best, you are thinking too much.. acquisition is the answer to acquiring any language, you literally did it in your native language. Period end of - why would it change as you become an adult? All that's changed is your beliefs around it cose you're an adult now.. children don't overthink and analyse the way you all do.. I mean seriously look at the debates going on here. If you spent less time bickering in the comments section and just bloody get immersed acquiring the language you could be fluent by now! Ha grammar study is dangerous to your progress. I've had hundreds of students tell me this plus my own anecdotal experiences, yet half of you still argue it's the answer.. to learn grammar rules and memorize lists of words.. yeah GOOD LUCK with that.

[@user-hn6wn6tp1r]

🌈🌈🌈I am learning languages as a hobby and I learned these languages in that order on my first comment.🌈🌈🌈 I have taught myself all these languages.

[@NicolyKarenSilva-kv7uo]

Leaving b1 level it's hardee than the a1

[@eduardoarce2255]

I'm hungry!😅

[@TheBaritonoAssoluto]

This guy has ADHD im sure (as someone with it) and is very self involved. His way of thinking is not open, but at least he can share what works for him

[@RogerRamos1993]

When it comes to learning thousands of words, you'll need translation at some point. When I don't know a word in my native language, I look it up. Looking up a meaning is a sort of translation. So, if I do that in my own language. Why wouldn't I do that in a foreign language. Also, there were idioms I thought I had learned by context and when I actually looked up their meanings, there were instances when I had learned them wrong. Phrasal verbs are a good example. You'll save time and energy by researching what they mean in your native language.

[@w1z4rd9]

Not translating it is stupid. Abusing it is BEYOND stupid.

[@hblighttrader]

My mother tongue is Arabic. I speak English and French and I want to learn Russian Anyone who wants to learn Arabic learn MSA

[@maefouad]

I’m a native Arabic speaker and that stuff you said about Arabic…I have no idea where you got that from, Mike. Class system? No, Mike, dialects are associated with cultures and language rhythm, and people choose one over the other based on personal interest, availability of native speakers and media, and any number of things. Not class. And people tell you to learn MSA because it’s the foundation of all these dialects: if you learn it, you will understand every one of them. You will have greater access to media and culture (in terms of comprehensibility, maybe not so much Moroccan and Algerian because of the rabid French occupation of these countries, but even then, because they know their dialect is difficult to understand, they revert to MSA or a known dialect like Egyptian to communicate….in speech). I could be Egyptian but understand Syrian Arabic very well because of that, and because Levantine Arabic draws more from MSA than Egyptian. Btw, even within Levantine, there are difference in dialects between Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, and Jordanians. Also, unlike a lot of well-meaning westerners say, MSA is not Latin; it’s not a dead language. It ceased to be spoken naturally for everything, around 400 years after the Hijra of the Prophet PBUH, as it devolved into dialects, but it’s still a communicative language, a major part of the culture and language, as it is the main language of print (literature, poetry, books, news, articles, magazines, etc), live news like you see on Al-Jazeera and the like, school books, curricula, and exams, historical TV shows, primary texts, lectures, speeches, and press releases (yes, it IS a spoken language), religion (speech again) for those who are Muslims (and religion is a HUGE part of Arabic culture, and you will find that even while speaking Egyptian, for instance, people will quote at you idiomatic expressions in MSA from religion or literature, even as non-Muslims, pertaining to any given situation). If you don’t have that, you’re toast, at least on the speaking level. We speak both, Mike. Sure, you can start with a dialect and get to a fairly good level, and you need one to speak, but you will never have a handle on Arabic without MSA. It needs to be learned at some point for all these other reasons. It’s not an issue of class, but of communication. Arabic is full or root words, and so learning MSA, or fus’ha, makes it easier to learn a dialect, believe it or not. Other dialects will stop feeling like different languages because people recognize the similarities of the common roots. If you don’t have that, the Lebanese dialect will sound like a foreign language to a learner who speaks the Egyptian dialect. This is even more important given how linked we are to each other; we watch each other’s media, communicate with each other, read each other’s book, inter-marry, live in each other’s countries, and have common and binding politics. You lacking this understanding explains why you refer to essentially dialects of the same language as “different languages.” I know what I just said might make it sound that learning Arabic is complicated, but that’s not what I am saying. My intention is to give context and background to the language with this long post. For learners, if you want to speak, pick a dialect, get to a high level, and then pick up Fus’ha. If you do so, you won’t need to learn any other Arabic dialect from scratch; you will pick those up very quickly through simply immersing. If you want to speak and not just immerse, yes you can hire a tutor to practice the pronunciation of said dialect (as a native speaker even I would resort to that), but you will advance insanely quickly and a huge barrier will be removed: that of comprehensibility. Additionally, even if you don’t learn another dialect, you will have access to tons of amazing literature and print sources that unfortunately aren’t well-known on the international stage. You will understand news and public announcements. You will be able to communicate fully in the language. I wish that people who are not knowledgeable about the region stop putting out misleading info on Arabic. It’s extremely off-putting to watch someone speak so ignorantly about it, and with such conviction. And more importantly, it misleads genuinely interested learners who know nothing about the language.

[@stevesmith291]

Latin was used for hundreds of years in Europe as the principal written language even though it was not anybody’s mother tongue. I think this is where the analogy comes from.

[@Phylaetra]

Does the child become 'fluent' in three months? Learning a few phrases, however naturally, is not fluency. Immersion _helps_ , but it is ultimately limited to what you might hear around you unless you also study. And you aren't going to learn to read or write the language from immersion alone. I lived in Belgium for three years, regularly speaking German and French. But I never even really learned the past tense in either language properly. I could get around, but I would not describe myself as 'fluent' in either language. I speak much better French today, after significant study, than I did then. I am just beginning to relearn German, and will surpass my level fairly soon. But - it is study and regular exposure that is driving that, no immersion at all (yet). I would love to go live in Europe (and plan to do so in the future) - and I expect that spending a significant time using those languages in a living environment will polish my skills. And - (I think he points this out too) - how attainable is this for the learner? Can you take three months to go live in another country to immerse yourself in your target language? That takes significantly greater resources than finding an online class or tutor. From my lived experience, I would say that daily classes (about 4 hours a day) plus guided immersion (the rest of the day being shown around in ways that support where you are in your learning) would be the most effective way to learn. Ideally with a small group of other learners, rather than solo - as someone else might think to ask a question that wouldn't occur to you. From research, the amount of time it takes to go from zero to fluent (in terms of hours) does not seem to be much affected by methodology, and varies only a little from individual to individual (though some experience with learning another language seems to marginally shorten the time).

[@gaoda1581]

I did something similar to what you described, and I reached fluency in Mandarin in under a year of studying abroad in China. I felt like I found the sweet spot, which was: -4 hours of class each day with a teacher who only spoke Mandarin -having a roommate who only spoke Mandarin -several hours of socializing in Mandarin each week off campus -actively avoiding people eager to practice English with me -consuming content like the Chinese dub/translation of my favorite media from childhood -making posts on WeChat and receiving corrections/feedback from peers I heard many tales of people unsuccessfully being “immersed” when living abroad, but I’d usually find out they had a partner who spoke their language or only used English at work. It seems like a key factor is that you need meaningful and frequent contact with people who *only* speak your target language.

[@Branden-vl9sl]

Well have to checked out matt vs Japan he's used the mass immersion/ajatt approach to aquire Japanese to a high degree in like five years. So immersion works if you can tolerate ambiguity. Take on a child like mindset and let it wash over you.

[@orlandocarrasquillo4481]

@@Branden-vl9sl Matt's has some ability, but he's a con artist that selling more fantasy than reality. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gX6Ze4p8ndeFbKc

[@Phylaetra]

@@Branden-vl9sl what is 'ajatt'?

[@paul-laurienelson4127]

​@@Phylaetra all japanese all the time

[@user-hn6wn6tp1r]

🌈🌈🌈I am acquiring Swahili, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch and Modern Standard Arabic.🌈🌈🌈

[@jonallen7619]

You will not succeed. And stop with the LGBT crap

[@DianaM.-ht8ls]

Wow! What resources are you using to acquire Swahili? I want to live in East Africa for an extended period of time.

[@user-hn6wn6tp1r]

@@DianaM.-ht8ls They just had massive floods in Kenya, the death toll is in the hundreds. I am using a lot of Google Translate and making my own videos Comprehensible.🌈🌈🌈

[@RogerRamos1993]

An Elementary Swahili Newspaper Reader Colloquial Swahili Teach yourself Swahili

[@TheGoatConnor]

I'd recommend to focus on only one at a time. That is if you're serious about acquiring higher levels of proficiency. And if you're doing it only for fun, or you like it, then by all means go for it, mate. Best of luck.

[@plerpplerp5599]

Immersion is not how adults learn languages. Its efficacy compared to other adult language learning methods is not scientifically proven. Passive exposure is not enough - learners must actively engage with the language. A variety of active engagement methods can be more effective.

[@mwenengofero]

I don't understand the question. Why does it have to be immersion or academic study? How about academic study with immersion?

[@liambyrne5285]

Because the study gets in the way it makes you think about the language and leads to translation which is very difficult for unrelated languages, try dreaming Spanish for 600 hours and you will understand

[@user-ic9vg6pw4o]

There are now lots of Westerners learning Chinese also sound so wooden and robotic to my Chinese ears. In my opinion, if you don't have a native language speaking learning community, don't bother yourself to waste most your time to study learn a second or third language, etc. So long as you wish to sound natural as native speakers, it matters. Accordingly, I perceive it not jus Easterners but also Westerners who have the same language barriers globally. 😂

[@maalikserebryakov]

focus on learning english lol. Your ramble gave me brain damage

[@user-rk2gv7ij9q]

just wasted time. useless information

[@norikosato7823]

Thank you for letting me know it before I watch the video to the end.

[@JesusChrist2000BC]

Fluent is such a broad and generic term. No kid is becoming fluent in 3 months. I was in classrooms with kids who were foreigners and they took years to learn. Fluent is the most generic term in language learning.

[@liambyrne5285]

I agree with you ,the child will be in school for 6 hours a day so that is 360 hours

[@liambyrne5285]

This is not correct no child gets fluent in 3 months,where did he hear this maybe invthe local because he did not read it anywhere

[@venkatiyengar7110]

This guy is too stuck up. Probably sleeps in a suit 😅

[@James_zai_dongbei]

Hyperpolyglot entrepreneur lol

[@alanguages]

He had more titles to himself like phonologist and linguist. Plus others, which I can't recall. It seems he removed some of them from his banner. My posts about how he created his own modified IPA over fifteen years ago and did not use the official IPA chart along with he did not publicly state his credentials /educational background in Linguistics seems to have been removed as well. Not by me.

[@tourvideo1970]

Where can non-English people find English speaking people in order to be immersed? That's why grammar driven English is popular in countries where people hardly meet English people.