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Some things are best left unspoken, but with learning a language that could not be further from the truth. Indeed, the more you practise, the more confident a budding language learner can become. But for many, the practise of 'tough love' - an unconventional 'sink-or-swim' approach - has proved exceptionally successful.

This type of learning, akin to what can only be described as being 'thrown in the deep end', is aptly called immersion learning (more info), and argues that if a student wants to gain fluency as well as a natural consolidation to speech, they must be plunged entirely into an environment where the target language is spoken as the native language. So, if the pupil for example wants to learn French, they should go and learn French in France.

Naturally, this can be very intimidating, and to a shy person can be very off-putting. However the pros far outweigh the cons: the difficult process allows pupils to learn a natural usage of language from the very beginning, rather than awkward textbook speech that is rarely adopted in reality. Moreover, it will give students a truer understanding of accent, speed, and emotional emphasis that even the finest language audio tapes cannot offer; accelerating the final stages of fluency - that is, speaking your chosen language unconsciously, as second nature.

As common practise goes, students of languages tend to head to the big cities of their target language's nation, and many language schools have set up in these locations to accommodate this. So, for example, if you wanted to learn English, you would look for a language school London-side. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, in terms of activity, these cities offer a greater scope of entertainment, of employment, and culture; so that a student learns not only the language but the lifestyle alongside it. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, these locations offer diversity. So, if you wanted to learn English London as an example would be the primary choice. London is the after all the UK's premier tourist and employment spot. Consequently, not only will provide students with a taste of all the different accents and regions of the country, it will also provide students with an international community to provide a comfort zone outside of the language school walls.

Of course, the language school itself cannot be underestimated in importance. With the right school, immersion learning can be an entirely painfree experience, particularly if the student involved is not left entirely to their own devices and has the guidance they need to channel their experiences and the vocabulary they have heard into constructed language learning. Schools provide security, community, and can turn a somewhat intimidating experience into the best one of your young life. With this in mind, it is no wonder immersion learning is considered the hot ticket in language learning right now.