All You Need Is “Immersion” – Or Do You?
“Immersion” is everywhere these days. If you believe the hype on YouTube and other social media platforms, you just need to listen to enough podcasts and binge-watch enough German Netflix, and—voilà!—fluency will arrive at your doorstep like an Amazon package. But what does immersion actually mean? Does it guarantee you’ll start dreaming in German, or is it just a fancy word for “please don’t make me memorize more grammar tables”?
Here’s my problem with this approach:
Immersion means surrounding yourself with the language as much as possible—listening, reading, seeing, “thinking” in German. It’s about exposure. But if all you do is immerse yourself in German with zero guidance and no practice of all other skills, the only thing guaranteed to soak in is confusion.
What People Think Immersion Means
For some, immersion means moving to Berlin, living with seven roommates, and never speaking English again. For others, it’s switching their phone to German and struggling with basic functionalities just to learn 20 new words (max). And of course there’s immersion courses. When I started my career with Berlitz in 2001, they had a program called “total immersion” where two teachers would force you to speak German for up to 6 hours a day. You could have bought a car for the money that cost. I never had the “pleasure” of being a teacher in that program but it sounded exhausting for everyone already then. Berlitz is also one of the first language teaching companies that promoted and still promote the German-only approach. In science we call that monolingual approach. An approach I disagree with so vehemently on so many levels after having been tortured with it as a teacher for 13 years myself, that I created my own courses that use English to teach you. I’m not saying total immersion or the German-only approach doesn’t work. I’m just saying in my prof. and personal opinion, there’s a better way to learn German IF you have a choice.
What Immersion Really Means
Real immersion is about frequent, meaningful contact with the language. That could be reading street signs, watching German YouTube or Netflix, listening to music, or eavesdropping in the U-Bahn or Café. And it’s about context—getting used to the way Germans actually use their language, not just what’s in your textbook.
But here’s the twist: immersion alone simply isn’t enough. Without some structure, you’re likely to drown in a sea of unknown words, false friends, and awkward silences. You need a lifeguard—a good course, a helpful tutor, or at least a system that makes sense of what you’re hearing and seeing. And that brings me to my approach to teaching German:
Does SmarterGerman Use Immersion?
Absolutely—but my courses do it smartly. In all my courses you will train all skills, reading, listening, writing and speaking and you will always have the possibility to look up words or phrases that you don’ t understand because you can only learn what you understand. At B2 you might be able to “guess” and fill gaps occasionally but until then just exposing yourself to German will rather frustrate you and slow you down. With SG you alwasy get context, not chaos. You learn complex information in simple English to ensure you get it fully and to save precious time for real PRACTICE which of course happens in German.
THAT is what I call proper immersion. Immersion without understanding is just exposure. Not bad and try to get as much of it as you can but if you think that’s the magic sauce to learning proper German you will wake up one day with a bitter taste on your tongue.
FAQ
Q: Can I become fluent just by watching German TV and movies?
A: If done right, you can improve your listening, but without active practice and feedback, you’ll probably plateau sooner or later. Use media as a supplement—not your only tool.
Q: Does immersion mean I shouldn’t use English at all?
A: Not at all. Strategic use of your native language can actually speed up your learning and maintain your motivation. Don’t torture yourself.
Q: What’s the fastest way to benefit from immersion?
A: Mix exposure (like listening/reading) with structured practice and feedback. That’s what we do at SmarterGerman.
© featured image: Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
© featured image: Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay