Have you ever been so frustrated with language learning because you feel stuck? Well, that happens to almost everybody and this is not your fault. In this post I am going to provide you a detailed description of why this happens and what can be done to overcome that feeling of being stuck.
The Foundation of Language Learning
Let’s begin by understanding the basics of language learning. It does not matter what language you are learning, there is always a process that is similar for everyone and that is “enrolling in language lessons” or start learning “by ourselves”.
Each process has its ups and downs and makes us feel confident at the beginning, but as time goes by, we start falling into the trap and blame the academy where we are learning, blame our teacher, blame the books, blame the process, even blame ourselves that we are not good at learning a new language.
When it comes to language learning, there is always something that will make us think that we are not good enough. This has happened to many of my students where they approach me and tell me that they will not continue with the lessons because they feel stuck or that they need a break because they feel they are not good enough for it.
The frustration is real, I have been there with French where I had to stop for almost 3 years and then retook it with a different approach. Being a language instructor has given me the chance to understand what is going on on both sides as a teacher and as a student.
The Truth About “Language Immersion” Programs
Learning immersion programs are actually highly effective because people often get higher fluency than traditional classroom learners, develop natural pronunciation and conversational skills and also gain cultural competency which is key to understanding the language more.
The question comes when the student is already on language lessons and wants to know how long it will take for them to have fluent conversations. Let’s use the example of a student who is learning a new language and has classes 5 hours a week on an online “full immersion program”. This may work, but with realistic expectations, this is supplemental learning, not true immersion.
The student will make some progress, but slowly, expect 2-3 years to reach conversational fluency, why? Well, 5 hours a week is around 260 hours a year and basic proficiency usually requires 600-750 hours and the “online” factor reduces the “immersion effect” drastically.
This isn’t real “immersion” because true immersion means living and thinking in the target language most of the day. It doesn’t mean that the one hour daily doesn’t work, because it is more like structured practice, which is valuable, but fundamentally different.
Does this mean that online lessons are a scam? No, they are not. This means that you have to create your own immersion outside class.
Creating Your Own Immersion
To make this actually work, you need a daily exposure to the language of around 2-3 hours where you can watch shows, listen to podcasts or even read in the target language.
Active practice is key because we use the language on things that are for the daily basis. You can use language exchange apps like Tandem or Hello Talk for real conversations.
You can also change your environment by changing your phone, tablet, TV, computer’s language to your target language, even follow social media accounts in the language you want to learn. Now, all of this is worthless if you do not commit to it, so actually do it.
The language lessons provide structure guidance, think of it as 20% of formal instruction plus an 80% of self-directed immersion. If you can commit to surrounding yourself with the language daily outside class, then yes, it works.
Beware the “4-Month Fluency” Guarantee
What happens then with those academies that say that you can learn a language in 4 months or less? Be very skeptical about it because that claim contradicts everything we know about language acquisition.
The math simply doesn’t add up. Let’s say that you are taking 5 hour a week classes for 4 months, that’s a total of 80 hours. And as previously mentioned, a research shows that basic conversational fluency requires 600-750 hours minimum, so this promise is off by a factor of 8-10x.
This is a huge red-flag and people should be careful about what they promise, most of the time they do it to attract people to enroll to their courses and there’s where many people come saying: I’ve been in several academies and I haven’t learned anything.
Why Memorization Fails to Deliver Fluency
There are some academies that promise this by adding that they have a methodology that accomplishes this. When you really see the methodology into action it is just a “Repetition Method”.
What they are really doing is teaching you to memorize phrases, not to understand the language. You’ll basically parrot “Yo voy a comer pizza” without grasping grammar rules and as a result you will repeat sentences but won’t be able to create new ones or understand variations.
Real conversation requires generating language, not reciting scripts. You won’t understand when people respond differently than expected and there will be no foundation for actual fluency, just a party trick.
Then again, this is more a marketing gimmick designed to sell courses because legitimate language programs don’t make 4-month fluency guarantees with 5 hours a week.
Does this mean that is all bad? Not at all. These programs do work for basic purposes. Learning basic sentences does help to create the idea of what the language is about and then we do need to create the real immersion.
The classes are ok because you get to know more people with similar objectives as you or if you are taking private lessons, the teacher can focus more on your actual progress and yes, you can probably establish a basic conversation which will help you keep on learning.
Implicit Learning Vs. Repetition Method
When we were kids, we learned by repetition, so why is the “repetition method” not that effective? Indeed, children learn language naturally through exposure and repetition without formal instruction. This is called Implicit learning, and it’s completely different from what some academies offer.
Let me tell you why they are not the same:
- Children are surrounded by language 24/7, this means that they hear it, see it and use it in real life.
- Adults, on the other hand, require a more intensive and consistent exposure to achieve similar results.
- The academies’ method is not immersion, it’s just memorization of phrases, which doesn’t teach the flexibility required for a real conversation.
Strategies for Self-Directed Immersion
What you do outside class is what will determine your success and here’s how you can do it. As mentioned previously, let’s take the 20% of formal classes (let’s say 5 hours a week or less) and 80% of self directed immersion (minimum 10-15 hours a week)
There are different immersion strategies to apply and some of them I have already discussed in previous posts, but you can do daily listening (podcasts, music, Youtube Videos), try shadowing which is to repeat what you hear in real life. If you hear someone saying: “Necesito ir a hacer unas cosas” (I need to go do some stuff) you repeat that and then look for the meaning.
Reading is another important skill that many people underestimate. By reading normal and out loud simple texts and gradually increasing difficulty will help you boost your pronunciation and speaking skill. You can read news articles, blog posts, children’s books or social media posts.
There’s one excuse that the majority of people use: “I have no one to practice with”. Thanks to technology now we have language exchange apps like Hello Talk or Tandem and if you don’t feel ready for it, you can try chatting with AI chatbots like Google Gemini or ChatGPT. You also need to record yourself to listen to the progress you have and compare your old audios with the new ones.
I know sometimes it is a bit “cringy” but you have to do it, there’s no other way to improve your speaking because to speak a language, you actually have to speak it, I cannot say it in a simpler way.
One of the most impactful things you can do is to change your environment. Set your phone or computer to the target language, follow social media accounts in that language, watch content that you like and enjoy in that language. At the beginning may be difficult because you may feel overwhelmed, but the idea is to keep it that way until you feel comfortable and you don’t have that sensation of “I don’t understand anything”.
Commit to the Daily Effort
All of that takes time, it is not a process that by tomorrow the person will be able to speak the target language. There need to be realistic expectations that language classes are not sufficient for fluency on its own and that is why you must commit to self-directed immersion, at least to 10-15 hours a week of active language use.
With consistent effort, you can build a foundation in the language that you want to learn. Remember to commit to daily practice, it is not just about receiving classes, it’s about putting into practice what you learn in class. Are you ready for it?
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