The immersion method

What does language immersion mean?

At Honey Monsters, Early Total Immersion begins at the age of three. English becomes a natural part of everyday life through play, songs, stories and daily situations.

How does it work in practice?

In the immersion method, our kindergarten staff consistently speak English with the children, but they understand Finnish. Children are free to use Finnish, and they are gently encouraged to use more and more English over time.

Communication is supported with sounds, facial expressions and gestures. Ordinary kindergarten activities such as songs, rhymes, plays, storytelling and other everyday situations create a natural environment for children to acquire the language.

Teaching is child-centred and full of activity. A wide range of situations for using the language is created through play and activity centres, visitors, outings and theme-based learning.

Staff speak Finnish with the children's parents. Numerous studies in Finland and abroad have shown that immersion pupils' mother tongue develops normally, while their new language develops considerably better than in ordinary school teaching.

The roots of language immersion

Language immersion (Early Total Immersion) originated in Canada in the 1960s. It has become a very popular language teaching method and has spread from Canada to many other countries. In Finland, the method was introduced in 1987 on the initiative of the University of Vaasa.

Over time, different versions of the traditional method have emerged, differing mainly in the starting age and in how much the language is used. The best results have been achieved with Early Total Immersion, the method we use at the Honey Monsters kindergarten.