Hi, I’m John Fotheringham, a linguist, teacher, author, and the creator of the Anywhere Immersion Method™ (or A.I.M. for short). You can read more about the method below.👇
I’ve been learning and teaching languages for over two decades, including studying Linguistics at Western Washington University, teaching adults in the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, presenting at multinational companies, working as a translator and interpreter for the Japanese government, and now creating immersion resources to support independent language learners.
Like most language learners, I really struggled to learn through formal classes. But once I realized that I could learn faster and have more fun using authentic content and creating my own immersion environment, my progress took off.
As much as I loved living in Japan and Taiwan, I have been able to maintain my Japanese and Mandarin—and start acquiring additional languages—from the comfort of home.
I now help other learners do the same through my newsletter, books, and courses, providing the expert guidance and step-by-step support you need to learn any language, anywhere, anytime.
Whether you are dipping your toes into the linguistics waters for the first time or are ready to dive into the deep end of full language immersion, I will give you the tips and tools you need to succeed (and not feel like you’re drowning along the way).
Happy diving!
At the most basic level, you need just two things to learn a language:
Exposure ("input")
Practice ("output")
First, you need to flood your brain with gallons and gallons of interesting, meaningful exposure throughout your day.
Second, you must then apply the words and structures you hear and read by practicing with real humans. Or sometimes robots! 🤖
The good news is that you can get all the exposure and practice you need wherever you are using what I call "Anywhere Immersion."
This powerful system gives your brain all the input it needs to make sense of your target language in the natural way we evolved to learn languages. And it leverages modern technology to let you practice speaking even if there aren't any native speakers within thousands of miles.
Most language learning approaches are either frustratingly archaic or naively modernist. Laborious repetition, rote memory, and textbook learning have been the norm for centuries, but these methods are extremely boring and rather ineffective for most people. Modern language-learning apps, on the other hand, can be fun and addictive, but offer little reward for all the hours spent tapping away on a screen.
To get fluent in a language, you need to simultaneously:
Honor your innate language acquisition instincts.
Leverage the latest technology and learning science.
It's not an either-or choice between the two, but a wise combination of the old and new.
Anywhere Immersion gives your brain the wholesome ingredients it needs to learn, but spices up the recipe with useful modern technology, time-saving techniques, and tons of fun.
The method isn't magic, but it certainly feels magical once you experience its fruits firsthand. You do inherently enjoyable things you would do anyway like reading manga, watching anime, and having conversations with friends, and your brain uses these activities to automatically and effortlessly internalize the words and patterns that make up your target language. No boring textbooks, expensive classes, or conjugation tables required!
“Immersion” usually refers to living where a language is spoken, in an environment that surrounds you with the sights and sounds of the target language and culture 24/7. So if one wants to learn Japanese, for example, the assumption has long been that you have to spend years living in Japan. Living abroad certainly can be a major advantage, but changing your address is no longer a requirement to get fluent.
My Anywhere Immersion Method™ (or A.I.M. for short) shows you creative ways to get language exposure and practice no matter where you happen to live. In today’s world, immersion only requires an internet connection, not a plane ticket.
By listening to foreign-language podcasts, watching shows online, reading blogs and ebooks, changing the display language on your devices, and talking and texting with native speakers on your smartphone, you can truly immerse yourself in any language, anywhere, anytime.
Though I hold a degree in Linguistics and have been teaching languages for decades, I don’t think that academic credentials and professional experience are what matters most when it comes to trusting someone.
As Ryan Holiday puts it in The Daily Stoic: “A degree on a wall means you’re educated as much as shoes on your feet mean you’re walking. It’s a start, but hardly sufficient.”
Or as Tim Ferriss argues in The 4-Hour Chef: “The top 1% often succeed despite how they train, not because of it. Superior genetics, or a luxurious full-time schedule, make up for a lot. Career specialists can’t externalize what they’ve internalized. Second nature is hard to teach.”
What really matters is whether someone has walked in your shoes and encountered (and hopefully overcome) the same struggles as you.
You never want to learn from a “natural” who picks up new skills easily. They will not know how to explain what they did and how they did it. Nor will they be able to empathize with people who are struggling along in the dark.
Fortunately (at least for the sake of becoming a better language teacher and coach), foreign languages were far from easy or automatic for me. I made just about every possible mistake, utilized terribly inefficient methods in the beginning, slogged through boring materials for far too long, and almost gave up more than a few times.
So I know your pain because I’ve felt it, too. I struggled along in languages just like most folks until I figured out that the traditional “tried and true” methods and materials used in most schools are anything but true.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do know what works and what doesn't. I’ve created this website and my immersion courses to show you the way.
I currently offer guides for Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. Subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to know when new guides and courses are launched.
2009 - Present: Founder, Writer & Teacher | Anywhere Immersion (Formerly Language Mastery) | Online
2023: Head of Podcast (How I Write) | Write of Passage | Austin, Texas
2020 - 2023: YouTube Producer & Outreach Manager | StoryLearning | London, England
2015 - 2018: Director of Education & Curriculum Manager | Nutritional Therapy Association | Olympia, Washington
2009 - 2011: Director of Communications | CTB Networks | Seattle, Washington
2008 - 2009: Corporate Trainer | Gram Consultants (格蘭顧問) | Taipei, Taiwan
2006 - 2008: Senior Instructor and English + Japanese Trainer | Berlitz Taiwan | Taipei, Taiwan
2005 - 2006: Learning Specialist | Innovative Learning Solutions | Woodinville, Washington
2004 - 2005: Coordinator of International Relations (CIR) | Hyogo Prefectural Government | Kobe, Japan
2003 - 2004: Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) | Hikami Nishi High School | Tanba, Japan
2003: B.A. Linguistics + T.E.S.O.L. Certification | Western Washington University | Bellingham, Washington
Language learning
Applied Linguistics
Japanese language, culture & history
Taiwanese culture & history
Books & reading
Mountain biking
Bicycle polo
Martial arts (especially Wing Chun & Aikido)
Camping & backpacking
Anthropology
Evolutionary psychology
Nutrition
Improvisational comedy