IMMERSE insights:

  • Actively immersing yourself in spoken communication accelerates language learning and leads to fluency sooner.
  • IMMERSE lessons maximize immersion and speaking opportunities.
  • IMMERSE offers several premium language programs, including IMMERSE COACH for corporate learners seeking one-on-one language training focused on fluency development.

Unlocking Language Learning: The Power of Speaking and Immersion 

When learning a new language, speaking practice and immersion in the target language are key. The more we immerse ourselves in the language and actively use it, the faster we make progress. Having a language training option that provides immersion and practice speaking with real people is particularly crucial for learners of Business English, who:

  • need to develop speaking confidence and nuanced communication skills
  • require the quickest possible route to fluency
  • have very specific language needs related to their jobs

At IMMERSE, we’ve designed our instructor-led live lessons to maximize both speaking time and target language exposure, creating an environment where learners not only develop language skills but actually thrive.

How much time do learners in IMMERSE actually spend speaking in our live lessons? And how much are they exposed to the target language? The IMMERSE Research Team analyzed our internal data to answer these questions. 

The Power of Immersive Language Learning

A spacious room where learner avatars converse in groups while a live language trainer's avatar visits a group and helps out.
IMMERSE provides extensive live communication practice

One of the most important factors in language acquisition is consistent exposure to the target language, especially in corporate language training where mastery of communication skills is paramount.

At IMMERSE, live lessons are designed to ensure that learners are extensively immersed in the target language. Our highly experienced language trainers ensure the language that learners hear is at a level they can comprehend while also providing the right amount of challenge for optimal learning growth. In addition, the lessons are scaffolded so that learners have all the support they need to understand and learn to use the language they are exposed to in any particular class.

IMMERSE language trainers use the optimal amount of the target language for each lesson, providing as much language exposure as possible while still ensuring comfort and comprehensibility.

 In each lesson, the immersive experience is personalized to meet the exact needs of the learners and simulate the types of interactions they need to master.

Even complete beginners spend 31%-100% of their lesson completely immersed in the target language in IMMERSE lessons, with the immersive experience carefully structured in such a way that learners remain confident and do not feel overwhelmed.

A slide with the title Pedagogy-backed classes above a timeline with points labeled Meet and greet, vocabulary warm-up, grammar introduction, comprehension building, supported communicative practice, pronunciation and review, productive speaking task, and wrap up and independent practice.
IMMERSE lessons are carefully scaffolded

Our more advanced learners spend 97%-100% of their lesson completely immersed in the language. This near-total use of the target language helps push fluency and speaking confidence to new heights. 

Learners benefit from listening to their trainer and peers use the language, which also builds comprehension and fosters cultural awareness. For learners of Business English, this provides critical opportunities for learning to negotiate professional interactions skillfully and appropriately.

Speaking Time: The Value of Small Classes and Interactive Environments

Speaking time is another critical component of language learning. It’s not enough to passively listen; in order to improve, learners must engage, speak, and make mistakes so they can receive feedback from skilled language trainers. This is why IMMERSE’s live lessons prioritize active participation.

The amount of speaking practice in IMMERSE lessons far surpasses the speaking time found in traditional language training settings. We achieve this through our focus on communicative tasks and the interactive role play possibilities of virtual environments.

At every level, learners in our VR classes speak significantly more than their counterparts in conventional learning environments. Indeed, our findings showed that in IMMERSE: 

  • Level 1 students speak 53% more on average than in traditional classroom lessons.
  • Level 2 students speak 66.5% more.
  • Level 3 students speak 75% more.
  • Level 4 students speak 81% more.
  • Level 5 students speak 88% more.

Since increased speaking opportunities lead to faster language learning, IMMERSE is the perfect choice for learners at all stages who want to reach fluency quickly. Even complete beginners, who might feel apprehensive about speaking, engage in a lot of speaking thanks to the carefully designed activities in our live lessons and the contextualization made possible by learning in a virtual environment. The more these learners speak, the faster they gain confidence and the more quickly they progress.

Premium language learning

In addition to our drop-in classes, corporate partners can also take advantage of our private group and 1:1 coaching services.

PRIVATE GROUP

An avatar wearing a white shirt and tie is seated behind a computer at a reception desk, looking at another avatar who is speaking to him.
One-on-one classes maximize individualized speaking practice

For executives or other employees who need individualized coaching for maximized speaking practice, the IMMERSE COACH program is an excellent option. Learners in this program have access to one-on-one classes, which offer 95.8% more personal speaking time than group sessions, increasing the learner’s confidence and fluency at an accelerated pace. In addition, the personalized lessons allow the learner to focus on their specific workplace language needs.

The IMMERSE COACH program also includes unlimited access to our regular live drop-in classes, conversation meetups, and practice activities, and IMMERSE COACH members are encouraged to take advantage of them all.

IMMERSE PRIVATE

IMMERSE PRIVATE lessons are only open to employees of your organization. Cohorts of learners at the same level progress through a structured series of lessons together, meeting with the same teacher at the same time every week. These lessons provide a closed space where our expert language trainers can incorporate company-specific requirements and other teaching requests into their instruction.

Like all of IMMERSE’s lessons, these are CEFR-aligned, fully scaffold, and focused on communication. IMMERSE PRIVATE cohorts are typically limited to groups of up to six learners. In addition to the their private lessons, IMMERSE PRIVATE members have access to all of our other features as well.

Confidence Gained Through Active Participation

In traditional learning environments, group sizes and lesson design often limit how much time each student has to speak. IMMERSE lessons ensure that all learners get plenty of time to practice speaking in order to build their confidence.

How do we know it’s working? Each of our lessons ends with a poll where learners report whether they feel confident performing the communication task the lesson focused on. 

Data from these polls show that 91% of students overall report reaching their learning goals by the end of each lesson.

Confidence in completing tasks in the target language is also high across all levels. Across levels, an overwhelming majority of learners report feeling confident by the end of the lesson.

This demonstrates that IMMERSE’s live lessons not only build skills but also the self-assurance necessary to use the target language in real-world situations.

How IMMERSE Stands Out Compared to Competitors

On the left, a picture of a woman in front of a computer screen displaying a zoom meeting, and above the picture the words Traditional, awkward, passive dull, not immersion, and on the right side an image of a group of avatars gathered in a virtual living room around a whiteboard with illustrations and Spanish phrases showing various daily activities, and above the image are the words Immerse, immersive, active, engaging, immersion.
IMMERSE vs other providers: Like comparing apples to oranges

The combination of immersive environments and extensive speaking practice is one of the advantages that sets IMMERSE apart from corporate language learning programs. Many conventional classrooms or online platforms offer limited speaking opportunities, which stifles progress.

In the end, language learning is all about practice and exposure. At IMMERSE, we’ve created an environment where students can speak more, immerse themselves in the language, and build the confidence they need to succeed. Whether students are participating in one-on-one lessons or small group classes, the focus is always on maximizing speaking time and ensuring high levels of target language immersion.

A banner that says Immerse Start your free 14-day trial today and shows a thumbs up in front of a shelf filled with books, flags, a globe, and a Quest 3 VR headset. Immerse leverages the power of AI and virtual reality to offer unparalleled, scalable and cost-effective immersive language learning experiences for learners across the globe.