[gomes33]

For those interested in this topic i recommend reading about the Montessori method.

The basic idea of the Montessori philosophy of education is that every child carries within him/her the man/woman he/she will become. In order to develop the physical, intellectual, and spiritual powers required for this task to the fullest, there must be freedom—freedom to interact with a prepared environment.

[andrekandre]

along those lines, seymour papert talked about imersion being necessary for students to learn in thier own way, and for teachers to be not just instructors but guides who also share and learn with the students

i guess said more simply, its learning by doing (go to france if you wanna learn french, or at least make a mini-france in your classroom)