Spanish immersion is a type of Spanish language instruction in which students are only allowed to communicate in Spanish and the teacher does not allow them to use their native or third language. Students may travel to Spanish-speaking countries for Spanish immersion classes, where they will spend the entire day in class and then be required to apply their knowledge in the community. This method of language instruction is used in classrooms around the world for students ranging from Peace Corps volunteers preparing for deployment to high school students looking to improve their language skills.
In Spanish immersion, the teacher begins class speaking to the students in Spanish and using tools such as visual demonstrations to communicate with them. Students are encouraged to try building sentences in order to communicate, expand their vocabulary, and learn grammar. The teacher corrects the students as they speak, modeling proper grammar and pronunciation and providing vocabulary lessons along the way.
Translation, spelling and grammar exercises, voice exercises with other students, and reading Spanish-language media are all examples of homework in a Spanish immersion class. Students can also tune in to Spanish-language television and radio programs. Students gain a better understanding of regional variations in Spanish as well as the various ways in which Spanish speakers can communicate information being exposed to a variety of writers and speakers. Different words, sentence structures, and habits may be more popular in different regions.
With Spanish immersion, the learning curve can be quite steep. As they struggle to understand the teacher and figure out how to communicate, students often feel disoriented and frustrated at first. Once students have mastered the fundamentals, they can begin to acquire Spanish language skills at a rapid pace.
Immersion and regular practice, as opposed to other language-learning techniques such as endlessly repeating drills and worksheets, benefit some students. One of the benefits of Spanish immersion is that students are constantly forced to adapt and practice real-world language skills such as asking to use the restroom or requesting clarification on an assignment. This may be more valuable to some students than completing exercises based on hypothetical scenarios such as needing to order a warm bath at 3:00 p.m.
There are many varieties of Spanish, including versions spoken in Spain and Latin America, as well as versions such as Judaeo-Spanish or Ladino, an archaic form of the language based on the Spanish once spoken Spain’s Jewish community. Each of these forms has its own vocabulary, as well as rules and trends for spelling, grammar, and pronunciation. While speakers of one form can often understand and communicate in another, students in communication and translation activities should be aware of the differences in Spanish.