Online Language Immersion Classes Bring the World to You
by Sonja Albrecht
Email this articleOnline Degrees Columnist
Total immersion: by all accounts, it's the best way to learn a language. If you can't fit a move to Denmark or China into your busy schedule, however, consider e-learning. Online language classes allow you to live vicariously among the locals, experiencing the culture in the context of a virtual classroom.
Old-school Language Class
Once upon a time, students learned language by rote, through verbal drills and written exercises. Classes chanted "Je m'appelle Pierre. Comment vous appellez-vous?," or conjugated "Yo soy, tu eres, usted es, nosotros" Perhaps you memorized enough for the exam, but it all evaporated as soon as you tried to impress your date at the local French bistro.Virtual Immersion
E-learning changes all that. Thanks to advances in multimedia and online interaction, students learn the language by using it. Today's online language classes mimic the experience of foreign travel--the encounters with locals and exposure to unfamiliar places. Here are some features of language immersion online:- Multimedia allows you to associate a spoken word with the corresponding image.
- Streaming video puts you face to face with native speakers. Besides absorbing vocabulary and grammar, you pick up the mannerisms and pronunciation.
- Virtual tours of the native country transport you out of your living room, into the thick of it.
- An interactive forum allows native speakers and students to meet online and chat regularly.
The World is Your Classroom
The virtual language classroom customizes your world for learning. When you're in Thailand, Thailand isn't there to teach you Thai. Locals insist on practicing English; road signs remain a mystery until you get out the dictionary. E-learning offers cultural immersion with a clue: every encounter is designed to help you learn, with onscreen definitions and native guides. If you're all set to learn a foreign language, an online language class may be the best way to bring the world home.About the Author
Sonja Albrecht works as a writer and editor for an online media company. She has also taught college writing and completed a Ph.D. in English.
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