How does immersion influence Chinese language acquisition

Immersion significantly influences Chinese language acquisition by providing a rich, contextual environment that enhances language learning performance, vocabulary retention, pronunciation, and cultural understanding. Immersion teaching methods, which involve using Chinese in real-life or simulated contexts, empower learners to actively use and practice the language, thereby accelerating fluency and improving comprehension skills. These methods help learners to engage more deeply with Chinese phonology, vocabulary, grammar, and cultural nuances, leading to more effective and meaningful language acquisition.

How Immersion Aids Chinese Language Acquisition

• Immersion creates a situated learning environment where learners interact with the language in practical settings, which improves problem-solving using language knowledge and increases motivation and engagement. ^{1, 2}
• Studies show immersion enhances receptive vocabulary size and reading comprehension more than traditional bilingual or single-language instructional methods. ^{3, 4}
• Immersion facilitates better pronunciation and fluency by encouraging students to use the language actively in real-life contexts, fostering positive attitudes and learning engagement. ^{2, 5}
• The integration of cultural immersion within language learning helps learners recognize and appreciate cultural differences, enriching their communicative competence and intercultural skills. ^{6, 7}

Other Immersion-related Factors

• Exposure to an immersive environment in international or culturally-rich contexts supports the acquisition of complex Chinese language features despite limited formal instruction. ⁸
• Using immersion, learners experience meaningful social interaction, which reinforces language retention and practical usage. ^{9, 10}
• Immersion complements technologies such as AI language tools and mobile apps by embedding cultural and contextual cues that deepen learning. ^{11, 1}

In conclusion, immersion in Chinese language learning contexts transforms passive learning into active, contextualized experiences, providing the essential cultural and linguistic environment that accelerates acquisition and increases learners’ proficiency and confidence in using Chinese effectively. ^{1, 2, 3}

References

• Déjà Vu: Leveraging Environmental Cues for Enhanced Chinese Language Acquisition through a Situated Learning Mobile App

• Case Analysis of the Application of Immersion Teaching Method in International Comprehensive Chinese Elementary Courses: Taking Food Culture Teaching as an Example

• The Evidence of Different Learning Environment Learning Effects on Vocabulary Size and Reading Comprehension

• The Evidence of Different Learning Environment Learning Effects on Vocabulary Size and Reading Comprehension

• Combining instruction and immersion to improve pronunciation: The case of Chinese students learning bahasa Indonesia

• Assessing the Effects of Short-Term Culture and Language Immersion Program: A Hong Kong Case

• The Value of Cultural Immersions in Teaching Mandarin as a Second Language

• Comprehension of Subject and Object Relative Clauses in a Trilingual Acquisition Context

• Factors Affecting Online Chinese as a Foreign Language Learning Stickiness: A Study on International Students in China

• The implications of internet-based Chinese language courses on online classes

• The Impact of AI-Driven Tools on Foreign Students’ Chinese Language Acquisition: A Case Study at Southwest University

• How Dialects of Chinese Language Influence L1-Speakers Phonological and Phonetic Acquisition of English

• Under the Vision of Situated Learning: Analysing the Influence of Educational Video Games on English Vocabulary Retention in Chinese Childrens Second Language Acquisition

• Second Language Acquisition Strategies in Chinese Language Teaching Internationally

• Exploring the Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Chinese Language Acquisition in Tanzania

• Positive Transfer of Native Culture on Chinese English Learners’ Language Acquisition

• Markedness Theory and Universal Grammar in Chinese Language Acquisition

• Code-mixing of Chinese Language Learners in Second Language Acquisition

• Seamless Experience of Learning across Contexts for Chinese Vocabulary Learning: A Pilot Study

• Editorial: Teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign or second language: the educational psychology perspective

• The implications of internet-based Chinese language courses on online classes

• Heritage language socialization in Chinese American immigrant families: prospective links to children’s heritage language proficiency

• Comparative Analysis of the Effect of Immersive English Teaching

• Editorial: Teaching and learning Chinese as a foreign or second language: the educational psychology perspective

• Factors Affecting Online Chinese as a Foreign Language Learning Stickiness: A Study on International Students in China

• A Positive Psychology Perspective on Positive Emotion and Foreign Language Enjoyment Among Chinese as a Second Language Learners Attending Virtual Online Classes in the Emergency Remote Teaching Context Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic