Computer-based language immersion teaching for young learners

Non-transitory computer readable media encoded with a computer program including instructions executable by the operating system of a digital processing device, wherein the instructions create a language immersion teaching environment, wherein the environment comprises a plurality of learning activities associated with a target language;

• wherein the language immersion teaching environment and the plurality of learning activities are suitable for a learner aged about 3 to about 10 years;
• wherein the plurality of activities comprises:
• (a) at least one learning activity based on a taxonomy of phonemes;
• (b) at least one learning activity selected from:
• songs, chants, books, poems, puzzles, games, art activities, and printable activities;
• (c) voiceover audio in the target language;
• and
• (d) a software module for recording the learner's pronunciation and comparing it to one or more model pronunciations.

A computer-implemented language immersion teaching method comprising the step of providing executable instructions to a digital processing device comprising a memory and an operating system configured to perform executable instructions, to create a language immersion teaching environment, wherein the environment comprises:

• (a) a plurality of learning activities associated with a target language, wherein at least one learning activity is based on a taxonomy of phonemes, wherein at least one learning activity selected from:
• songs, chants, books, poems, puzzles, games, art activities, and printable activities;
• (b) an instructional plan organizing the activities, wherein the organization creates a progression of educational objectives comprising teaching phoneme sounds, phonemes in the context of the beginning, middle, and end of words, word families, vocabulary in the context of environments or themes, sentence structures, and common conversational patterns;
• (c) voiceover audio in the target language;
• and
• (d) a software module for recording a learner's pronunciation and comparing it to one or more model pronunciations;
• provided that the language immersion teaching environment, the plurality of learning activities, and the educational objectives are suitable for the learner, the learner aged about 3 to about 10 years.