SUBJECT IMMERSION

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” (Ludwig Wittgenstein)

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The immersion training method is frequently used in foreign service training and diplomatic schools to expedite the language-learning process. On average, a diplomat acquires basic fluency in a Romance language with 3 months of “language immersion” (daily intensive study and related experiences).

In our programs, this type of instruction combines face-to-face lessons with online coaching sent by email. 

We focus on grammatical shortcuts, personalized vocabulary, role-playing, media and book texts, as well as visual-audio learning via original and often entertaining Internet sources. 

Our immersion programs are personalized, and can offer interdisciplinary study options. Our language immersion training is also more analytical than traditional methods; for example, in traditional training you would be told by your regular French teacher “typically, French people say X, do Y, think Z” without any in-depth explanations about the reasons of such French mannerisms. In our immersion programs, the necessary explanations (etymological, historical, literary, etc) are provided along with cultural evidence whenever the student asks “why”; this interdisciplinary coaching is consistent with philological language training — because approaching a language on a comprehensive basis helps with memorization. 

American and foreign students are taught and tested according to the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) guidelines on a scale of 1/basic knowledge to 5/college-level native fluency. This assessment is comparable to AP scoring.

Subject-immersion education differs significantly from traditional education, and the results are highly satisfactory for those students who adhere to the intensive study requirements. Thus, students who enrol in Italian, French, or English immersion instruction and follow the teacher’s instructions daily can become fluent and culturally-versed within 3 months; for other subjects, such as a European History immersion curriculum, or SAT/ACT immersion, students can expect top scores on their tests with only 2 months of instruction.

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“Here, meanings of the words must come from the heart, from direct experience – dictionary meanings or static meanings have not much value. Meanings of the words vary depending on mind-set, time, location and culture. The words are made to expand the possibilities of the mind.” (Amit Ray)