Top 7 Benefits of Taking a Language Immersion Program in High School
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More and more high schoolers are taking advantage of study abroad in order to become immersed in a new language. But why is immersion the best way to learn a language, and what are the benefits?
Well, language immersion is one of the best ways to learn a language for a few reasons!
If you’ve been wondering if high school summer abroad language immersion programs are worth it, here are the top 7 benefits of taking a language immersion program in high school.
1. Learn a Language Faster
Experiencing daily life abroad is the best way to learn a language because it provides constant practical and contextual exposure. Hearing the language and being encouraged to actively read, listen, and speak it every day helps learners quickly and naturally internalize all aspects of it.
Language immersion is so effective at promoting learning that it’s been shown that one month of living abroad is equal to one year of studying a language in a classroom. Read more about our high school summer abroad program outcomes here.
2. Speak Like a Native
Learning how to speak a language properly from a textbook is one thing and learning to talk like a local is another. When you’re surrounded by native speakers, you’re exposed to the accent, the cultural context of different words and phrases and even slang words.
These are all essential parts of becoming an authentic and proficient speaker. It helps push language learners from basic knowledge to fluency!
3. See Higher Academic Achievement
There are more benefits of a high school summer abroad program than simply learning a language. Many language learning studies show that students learning a second language often outperform their peers in other areas. That’s because learning a language is one of the best ways to exercise your brain, activating different parts and creating new neural pathways.
This can improve literacy and comprehension, which ultimately helps students excel in other subjects like math and science. Learning a second language has also been shown to improve a student’s concentration, creativity and memory recall.
4. Get a Head Start and Earn College Credit
High school students proficient in a foreign language may earn college credit by testing their ability via special proficiency exams. Depending on the language, the exam you take and your chosen college, you may earn several credits before starting your studies!
Participants of CIEE high school summer abroad Language & Culture programs can also choose to earn college credit while abroad. The 4 college credits are awarded by Tulane University, CIEE’s School of Record.
5. Enjoy Professional Advantages
Those who can speak another language have access to increased professional opportunities at home and abroad, too! Speaking another language helps boost your resume and can offer a competitive edge when it comes time to apply for jobs after school.
Speaking a second language is a desirable skill in many fields of our globalized economy. It allows you to contribute to diverse teams and handle international assignments. Additionally, speaking another language demonstrates the possession of other abilities, such as communication, critical problem-solving, and cultural competence.
6. Experience Personal Growth
Immersing yourself in a different language is undeniably an intimidating and challenging experience! You’ll be pushed to use a second language daily all while contending with new situations and unfamiliar customs. It can be frustrating, confusing and mentally exhausting.
However, it’s through these experiences that push the boundaries of your comfort zone that you develop self-reliance, adaptability, independence, and self-confidence. Additionally, encountering new ways of thinking and different social norms will help you return home a more empathetic and open-minded person.
7. Gain Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
When you’re immersed in a new culture, you come to understand and accept that different communities share their own set of social norms—and that’s okay! Cultural awareness and sensitivity, the understanding and respectful acknowledgment of the differences and similarities between cultures, are invaluable skills in our ever-connected world.
Explore Our Summer Abroad Language Programs or Consider a Gap Year Abroad
CIEE offers a variety of language and cultural immersion programs that can help you take your language skills to the next level while providing you with the many benefits above.
Learn more about our four-week-long Language & Culture high school summer abroad programs and our semester or year-long language immersion Gap programs.