Blog + language = Language bling.

One of the toughest parts of learning a language can be having enough exposure to it to feel comfortable with it. Sure, there are whatever materials you are using to actively study the language, whether it be TV, radio, books, a self-study course, friends, or whatever. What do you do, though, outside of those situations? How can you keep (and maybe improve) what you’ve learned while not actively studying?

OK, OK, you read the title: YOU IMMERSE YOURSELF.

But what is immersion?

Immersion has a particular connotation these days; most people immediately picture themselves traveling to the country to live for a while with the assumption that fluency will somehow follow cuz, you know, you’re like, THERE. And while this certainly does hold some ground, the travel part isn’t necessary.

Think for a moment: what do “native speakers” actually do in their daily lives? They’re not speaking their language for the heck of it; they speak it because everyone else does, and they know how to speak it because of the way everyone else (parents, friends, etc.) speak it. Therefore, you should do this too. It’s easier than ever in the Internet Age.

So! Here’s your Immersification Checklist – built on what I actually do. Replace “French” with “your target language.”

1. If your operating system and household allow it, change the language to French. Windows Vista Ultimate and (probably) most distributions of Linux let you do this. I use both the former and the latter (Ubuntu).
2. Change the language of as many programs and Web sites as possible to French. Use Facebook in French. Cherchez avec Google en français (search with Google in French). Heck, you’d better be using French Firefox. And don’t forget to change your primary browser language to French first. You can still have your native language second, if you want.
3. Actively prefer French in your daily activities. Those books you’re reading – can you get them in French? Can you read the news in French? Those stamps you’re collecting…can you get them in French?
4. Make sure it’s interesting. If it’s boring or frustrating, take a break and try again later. Eventually, it’ll be wicked awesome to be going about your day in another language (and it will confuse and amuse your friends!).
5. Even when the English resource might be a bit better or more up-to-date, if the difference isn’t too great, prefer the French version. If that doesn’t yield many results, though, English is OK; after all, lots of people do look for certain things in English these days. (On a side note, though, sometimes I find better results in French! Depends on the topic.)
6. Use French for communication wherever possible. If contacting technical support, and French is available, use it! Speak it with friends who can. Write notes in it.

OK, the stamps thing may not be so feasible. But the point is to get into the habit of asking yourself that question. You should also note that doing this should follow some language study, preferably using fun methods. I don’t have the time for the trial-and-error using Finnish, for example, but I could get by in German, if I wanted. There are still select items on this list that you’ll be able to try – if not the entire operating systems, certainly changing the language of certain programs will work.

In any case, you’ll benefit immediately – you’ll retain the language better and get more comfortable seeing it on-the-fly. You’ll bring it a little closer to you, and, as a result, stop thinking of it as being so foreign. This is good; getting comfortable and familiar with your target language is one of the most important things to do. You wouldn’t voluntarily hang out with a person you didn’t like, right? You won’t do it with languages, either.

So take a dip!

Please give me some feedback on these tips! And include your thoughts and even your own tips in the comments. Remember, if you send me a tip, and I use it, you can also request that I include a link to wherever you want with whatever text you like (within reason, obviously).