The Immersion Method

by Eric Bodnar

(originally published as "The Secrets to Memorizing 10,000 Words and Phrases in Any Foreign Language" but now completely re-written and reworked)

This book will teach you how to learn any language from the foreign material you love through a language immersion strategy. Inside you will find a language learning system that can be applied to any source of language that you wish to learn and master quickly. Specific language learning techniques and exercises can show you how to learn any language from fun and entertaining videos, TV shows, movies, music, and books.

Learning any language can be overwhelming when there are thousands of vocabulary words and grammar points to memorize. How do you learn a language when it's so hard to learn all this information and so easy to forget it? If you are also seeking more effective language learning methods to make things more fun and easy, The Immersion Method may be of use to you.

Genres: Language, Nonfiction

106 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, Highly Personalized Way to Learn Any Foreign Language

As both a writer and a freelance editor, I have an interest in my own native language. When I was in high school and college, I also wanted to learn first French, then German. Growing up in California, Spanish was often heard and seen. So when a crop of language books, by this author and others, showed up at my favorite book review site, I was very curious to see what they would be about.

I found this book to be incredibly fascinating. This is both a very personal and very helpful book. The author has taught himself both Korean and Japanese while living in those countries. He took the hard road to learn Korean but chose to find his own way to learn Japanese. What he found most effective is what is in this book. We learn of his story mostly in the introductory section, although he does include personal tips, techniques, and insights throughout all the chapters. I loved that he was super specific about how to learn any foreign language, first with his method and then with particular websites and apps to support your learning. Like the title says, his method is immersive, using a variety of ways to learn. But like the subtitle says, but he means it to be fun, using a variety of resources available on the internet. His method does take some dedication, but if you truly want to learn that language in an enjoyable way using (native materials as well as coursebooks), I think his advice is spot on. Now I just have to pick the language I would like to either refresh or learn!

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Shu Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have made an excellent long form article. But a full book, not so much. There's a lot of repeat discussion and heavy reliance on one particular app for learning. Very good pointers in all but made over and over again, till I was scrolling through the repetition to reach the end. I would rate the first chapter or so five stars and the author's journey is instructive.

Note: I've been a student of Mandarin and Chinese and lived in Korea, China, and Japan for work and school. This would probably be more eye opening to someone who hasn't studied or lived abroad as much and is as frustrated as I also am with the language education system in the U.S.

[Trixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is perfectly describing what I experienced while I was learning a foreign language. Immersing in a foreign country is what my teachers did but my time and finances cannot afford it. The tips in this book does not require you to go to a foreign country, staying home will do. I am already practicing some of the tips here and retained the words even after several months have passed. I just have to be consistent though.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but it sure doesn't outline a quick and easy way to learn a language. But then, learning a language isn't a quick and easy thing to do. This method will take serious dedication. If you are looking for a way to pick up a language in your spare time, use the app Duolingo. If you are serious about learning and willing to take 20 to 25 hours a week to do so, then this may be the method for you.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book on how to improve your ability to learn languages and I really love the personalized way it is set up - people are all different. So some people may find it more useful than others, really in the end, there is in some part, something for everyone. As someone who loves learning different languages and about cultures, this book is extremely helpful.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Catherine Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

People are not the same, so why do we insist on one method to learn a language? Eric Bodnar definitely did not think so and teach us how to mix and match different resources to create a method that works for each of us.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[SEng · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this method for learning language, I’m going to try it. These techniques look very easy and I think will be effective. The steps are laid out so are easy to follow. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, short book on language learning, emphasizing immersion as a learning tool. I feel the cover and tagline look a bit gimmicky, but really the book was a pretty relatable and idea-sparking read.