How to "Win" at an immersion programme - Luis Rodriguez

1 September 2020|immersion, travel

Hello Languesol Army,

Hip Hip Hooray! It's the start of an academic semester and even though for some it will be virtual, it will give you ample time to plan for your future immersion programme! In today’s blog I intend to boost your confidence into finally deciding on taking that language immersion programme, as soon as it's safe to do so. 

One of the main factors that keeps us from living the experience of our lives is whether or not we’re ready for it. What if they can’t understand me? What if I can’t understand them? Well that’s the first of some advice I wanted to share with you, based off my own experiences.

Mistakes are actually your best friends

Of course we fear mistakes, because we don’t want to embarrass ourselves or we don’t want to look silly in front of other people. However, those mistakes will serve us as lessons for the rest of our lives. Take my word for it. It’s rather a funny way to learn but at the same time effective. That way I learnt that to say “finally”in French you’d say “enfin” instead of “à la fin” and trust me I haven`t confused those since it happened. At the end of the day, it is just one embarrassing situation of thousands we have, so what’s better than to take advantage of it?

Take notes

Before, I didn’t really find the notes app on my phone useful to be honest. However, during my exchange in France, I made sure every new phrase or word I heard I wrote it down. I felt like I was finally out of the classroom and into the real deal, so it was my responsibility to keep learning. There are so many things to learn from your friends, classmates, that lady from the bakery shop you frequently go to, from anyone really. It’s also a cool way to check your progress, because at the end of weeks or months you’ll see those words and phrases you used to not know are what you now use loosely like a local. This way I actually learned how to incorporate words like “grave” which is used very frequently [the French expression "c'est pas grave" is equivalent to "it's not a big deal" in English].

Listen, Listen, Listen

This tip is very connected to the previous one. In order to learn from people around you, you have to listen to them, not only to what they’re saying but rather to how they’re saying it. This way, you’re going to learn from every situation you find yourself into. I still remember how surprised my French friends were about how an Ecuadorian could speak French so fluently. I’m not at all an expert and I still have a lot to learn, however I listen and learn, so that makes me able to communicate with them in the way they normally do among themselves, and that’s what I’m aiming for. Not all the answers are in texts books, so you need to pay closely attention in your surroundings to always keep learning.

Luis Rodriguez

There are so good practices you can adopt to win at an immersion programme. If you'd like to add a few which worked for you, don't hesitate to comment on this post. 

If you're interested in taking language lessons online or pre-register for an immersion programme,  book a free information session with us! we'll be happy to discuss your plans.

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About the Author: 

Luis Rodriguez is a business student from Ecuador who participated in Languesol International's 2020 Summer Internship Programme. He's lived in Europe and is a polyglot, speaking Spanish, French and English fluently. See his linkedin profile here.