Language Learning

Wondering your language level? The CEFR shows where you are — from A1 (beginner) to C2 (fluent) — and what skills you can build next.

What happens after you finally break through A2—and why your language will never leave you the same way again.

Discover how every “How do you say…” and “What does that mean?” shapes your journey to fluency.

Learn 50 sentences to get by in a French speaking country.

These 50 fundamental sentences are a great starting point on your European Portuguese Learning Journey.

These 50 fundamental sentences are a great starting point on your Brazilian Portuguese Learning Journey.

These 50 fundamental sentences are a great starting point on your Spanish Learning Journey.

Traveling to a new country can feel like stepping into a movie. Everything is unfamiliar, exciting, maybe even a little confusing. You fumble for directions, point at menus, and hope your smile bridges the gap between “bonjour” and “please don’t charge me double.” But something magical happens when you say more than just “hello” in the local language. You see a spark in someone’s eyes. A smile forms—maybe even a laugh. The waiter, who seemed disinterested, suddenly becomes ch

And what can you do to stop your hard-earned words from fleeing your brain like tourists catching the last bus? Imagine this: you’ve spent months—maybe even years—learning Spanish. You can hold conversations, understand Netflix without subtitles, and even dream en Español.  Then life happens. Work picks up, kids need chauffeuring, or maybe Korean dramas take over your free time. Six months later, you try to say something in Spanish and suddenly... nada. Zilch. Your tongue fre

Effortful retrieval makes for stronger learning and retention. - Peter C. Brown Is It Easy to Retrieve a Language You Once Knew? You studied French for six years in school. You could conjugate avoir  in your sleep. You gave presentations on le climat . And now… quoi ? If the idea of ordering a croissant in Paris fills you with more dread than delight, you’re not alone. The good news? That long-lost language isn’t lost forever. It’s just… sleeping. And the brain, thankfully, h

Fluency avoids hard thoughts. - Mason Cooley In the world of language learning, two words get tossed around a lot— fluency  and proficiency . They’re often used interchangeably, especially in casual conversation, but in reality, they describe two very different things. Misunderstanding the distinction can lead to frustration, unrealistic expectations, or even giving up on learning a language altogether. So let’s dig into what these terms really mean, how they overlap, and how

"One who speaks only one language is one person, but one who speaks two languages is two people." - Turkish proverb Are you considering learning a language that’s closely related to one you already know?  If yes, we strongly encourage  you to.  However, there are certain important things you must know— the pros , the cons , and the most common misconceptions . We will strive to answer your interrogations and provide a simple checklist to help you avoid certain pitfalls and ma

”Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess.” - Dorothy Draper Is It Possible to Learn 2 Languages at The Same Time? Yes, it most certainly is. Should you do it? Is it worth it? Probably not.  There are a couple of reasons for that.  In this article, we’ll explore why it isn’t the best use of your mental resources and time.   We will also provide some tips in case you are a goal-oriented masochistic person who still wants to try. Why It’s Probably Not In Your Best Intere

”One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”- Frank Smith But what if we know three, four, or even five? The world is yours. How Many Languages Can a Motivated Learner Acquire and Maintain?   Whatever your motivations are for striving to learn more than one additional language, it is possible to do so. A variety of factors come into play, but we will try our best to demystify it for you. How Many Languages Can You Realistically

”Learn by doing. Theory is nice, but nothing replaces actual experience.” Tony Hsieh Misconceptions Have you ever heard phrases like:  ”The only way to learn a language is to live in a country where it it spoken,” or ”You have to immerse yourself in the language, otherwise you might as well not try to learn it at all. ” That is 100% false .  It might have been true before technology, but it sure isn’t today.  It helps tremendously, without a doubt. It just isn’t mandatory any

”The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” - Mark Twain Ever felt like you were speaking clearly, but still failed to be understood? Have you ever talked to someone in a language they understand but failed to capture their full attention?  As if they didn’t understand you fully, even though you used perfectly crafted sentences with the right words.  Just ask a French Canadian how his last di

Do you know what is one of the most common pitfalls of language learners, or of any skill for that matter? STARTING TOO FAST. More precisely, starting too intensely without: establishing a proper learning habit having a clear roadmap having an established schedule knowing your limits It doesn’t apply to me. Yeah, we feel you. We like to think that we are different. That we have that little edge that means we don’t need to start at square 1. More often than not, when we finall

Have you ever wondered how you could improve your speaking skills without: 1- Living in the country where the language is spoken. 2- Having a spouse or friends that speak it 3- Finding a teacher or school close by? Well, you are not alone.  Every problem has a solution, and luckily for you, someone already solved that one.  We call it italki . Before we dive right into it, let us take a step back first. Language Teaching & Learning Revolution Over the past centuries, there ha

If you ever learned a language in school, I can guess that before the 5th class you were already learning about grammar. I can also take an educated bet and say that it is at THIS EXACT MOMENT  that you hated learning a new language.  Chances are that you even said to yourself:     ” I am so bad at learning a new language, maybe I should just try to get the passing grade right now. I can always learn it later if I really need it ”. This awful and discouraging moment happened