Reading for immersion in a foreign language

How can you have an immersion experience in a foreign language if you are not living in the country or do not even have access to native speakers? This is my recommendation to students: read. I have some students that read in their target foreign language and they make huge progress. Once you can read even basic books in a foreign language then you will be able to see grammar patters and pick up new words and vocabulary. You can read for 5 hours a day if you like. Reading is a pleasure. And reading in a foreign language, even though it might be frustrating at first, it feels different and the pleasure will outweigh the frustration, if and only if,  you have the right attitude.

You do not need to be perfect if you are reading for immersion in a foreign language

Pronunciation when reading in a foreign language

In order to read well you will need a basic understanding of how words are pronounced or put together. And even if you know all the rules and have listened to audio CDs in foreign languages you will still make mistakes. Do not let this dissuade you. Reading will give you a great immersion experience in a foreign language. With pronunciation, you do not have to be perfect, because you are reading for comprehension and are looking at a sentence at a time, rather than reading like a child, every word out loud. Adults read silently and in groups of words.

Comprehension when reading in a foreign language

When reading in a foreign language some of my students give up, those are the ones that want to know every word. I recommend that you try not to learn every word. The reason most people do not read a lot is they pick text they think they should read, or too hard, rather than a text that is fun and simple. Further people try to understand every word. I would recommend not looking up every word. If you do you will get frustrated and give up. When reading in a foreign language just read for general comprehension rather than for details. The point is to try to enjoy it. If you enjoy it you will learn your language.

Tags: foreign-language, immersion, reading