This paper reports an empirical study on the application of the immersion approach to English teaching in North China Institute of Science and Technology (NCIST) in line with the basic principles of the Canadian immersion teaching mode. The experiment result and survey shows that the students involved in the immersion course improve faster in productive skills (i.e. writing and speaking) than those in conventional education programs. The study reveals that, apart from gains of social and cultural knowledge, the immersion students seem to have developed a more positive attitude towards English study. It also suggests that the immersion approach to English teaching in colleges could be a feasible alternative to the traditional mode.