Week 13a: Monday, 1 December 2014

Posted by Zakumi on November 28, 2014

(1) Video lesson continue: Encounters in the UK

We'll complete Activities 3, 4 and 5 of this lesson. In Activity 5, three questions will be discussed. Students can answer questions 2 and 3 in their comment to this lesson. I repeat the questions here:

1. What is "complete immersion"?

2. Why is it seen as such a good way to learn a language?

3. Is it possible to get some of the benefits of "complete immersion" without going to an English-speaking country? If so, how? If not, why not?

(2) Activity 6: Role plays:Role plays in pairs: Student A is planning to study abroad in the UK and stay with a host family. Student B works for the company that organizes homestays. B will interview A in order to get all the information needed to place the applicant with a suitable host family. A answers the questions and explains what their requirements for their ideal host family would be like.

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Replies

  • Xu Heyun November 30, 2014 14:37
    （1）In fact, I am not very clear what is the true meaning of complete immersion. I think,it should mean we are totally devoted to learning and tried our best. If so, I think this is a good way to learn a language. Because serious attitude is a necessary endeavor. Moreover, as long as we are able to bacome "complete immersion", we will get a lot of benefits, although not in an English-speaking country.
    (2)If I am a homestay, I will choose a suitable host family whose owners are friendly, and other factors are not important. Because I think, personality it could be quite easier to get along with.
    • Zakumi > Xu Heyun December 1, 2014 2:27

      No Xu Heyun, that is not completely what it is! If what you say, is correct, it would mean that one doesn't have to go abroad to an English-speaking country to experience "complete immersion". Then one can stay in one's own country and get the same benefits! However, it can only work when all people around you speak the target language (the one you want to learn). ;-)

  • Wang Xiaoxu November 30, 2014 14:35
    I Helen! Teacher i can't use my account.So i need use the account of Wang xiaoxu.Now i have paid moer offre to study my english. I need listen English listneing.And speak English to others.You know that it is so hard for Chinese to study English.They have pienty of obstacles to do it.Then they need to beat them so that they can success.And there is still have a lot of people want to go aboard.So studing English is so important for them.And i also never give up.
    • Zakumi > Wang Xiaoxu December 1, 2014 2:24

      "I am Helen"! Is that what you mean' Helen?! But it is not necessary to enter through Wang Xiaoxu's username even if you use her computer! You should be able to still enter the website through your own username. The website is not linked to an individual computer, but to the individual accounts (usernames). If I am wrong, then how is it that your username can't work here any longer?! Yes, going abroad to study the language is probably the best alternative, but as you know, it is so expensive that most students can't do that. So, watching and learning from this video may only be starting a dream in one student's heart whose parents are affluent enough to send them abroad; a sad inference (assumption), but probably true. But, as you said, even if you can't go yourself, never give up trying to study English here!

  • Hou Jialei November 30, 2014 14:33
    According to the vedio,we can know the 'complete immersion ' means learners are surrounded by pepole whose native language is English and the whole environment is about english. If learners are complete immersion,they will be influenced unconsciously.Besides i think it is impossible to get some benefits of "complete immersion" without going to an English-speaking country.Because there are no pure english environment except in an English-speaking country.
    • Zakumi > Hou Jialei December 1, 2014 2:13

      You are correct and I can see you understand the concept of "complete immersion", Hou Jialei.

  • Zhang Tianjiao November 30, 2014 14:29
    As for me, "complete immersion"is a realm that a man who work,study or do anything seriously so that he there is nothing can disturb him. In my opinion ,If we can do it ,we can succeed in any field.So if we can learn English with complete immersion,that means we concentrate all the energy to study English.Our English progress must improve rapidly.Even if we don't live in an English-speaking country and don't have a good condition to study English,we also can try our bestto study very well.That isn't a problem to study.Many people's English is good,but they don't go to abroad.Last week,we saw the film about the life on homestays,we known a little about it,so role play may be benefit for us to study this style of life.
    • Zakumi > Zhang Tianjiao December 1, 2014 2:11

      Zhang Tianjiao, I think your opinion here is complete correct! You said, "if we can do it, we can succeed in any field". So, if my understanding is correct, you mean one can do anything if you can succeed in learning English through "complete immersion". I think that is so true. Because "complete immersion" is not easy and it'll take a lot of sacrifice and giving of oneself. But the student who can succeed, would be a much maturer and wiser person after that experience. If I were to be a boss of an International company, I would choose to only appoint such students in my company, because they would be the real overcomers!

  • lu wen jun November 30, 2014 14:28
    In my opinion,complete immersion may not be a good way to learn English in China.After all,Chinese is our native language,our mother teach us Chinese when we are kids.And Chinese culture is so deep-rooted in our heart that we don not have energy to learn English in a comblete immersion way.

    I hold the opinion that it is impossible to get some of the benefits of complete immersion without going to an English-speaking country.If we want to learn English well,we should go to an English-speaking country.In that case,we can know the English very well.And we will have the chance to say English in our daily life.
    • Zakumi > lu wen jun December 1, 2014 2:04

      Lu Wenjun, I think you have touched on the reason why Chinese students find "complete immersion" so difficult. Many still do it by studying in the English countries, but it is more difficult to them. It is the culture that is so deeply rooted in them that makes it so difficult. Another reason is China's isolation to the outside world for so long. In countries that have always been open to the world, it is easier to learn English. So, learning through "complete immersion" in an English-speaking country would be much easier to students from Europe.

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