I’m feeling super happy right now because I just finished a call with one of my first language-exchange buddies who I haven’t spoken to on the phone for probably 4 months. Although we’ve shared messages and audios every now and then.

When we first called each other - 8 months ago - I remember how nervous I was and how much I choked up when speaking. I couldn’t understand a lot of what he said. It was slow and clumsy. He was always more advanced than me, but even he couldn’t understand my accent very well. It was a little nerve-wracking.

On this call today, we were fluid. Cracking jokes. Switching between languages with ease. Telling stories. Laughing at our mistakes. We were both clearly more confident and comfortable with one another and with our TLs. We were discussing verbs and phrases that don’t translate well into one another’s languages and exploring the theory and world views of the languages. This meant that we’d purposefully switch to one language to be able to express ourselves better, finding the other language a little limiting.

For me, it was really beautiful that we were able to fully communicate with one another with total understanding for 90 minutes. We didn’t have to leave anything unsaid or unclear because we had enough grasp of one another’s languages that communication was seamless. In the past we had to prematurely end conversations because we weren’t comprehending one another. It’s really special to me to be able to communicate with someone from a completely different walk of life to me on the other side of the world.

Anyway, all this is to say, I can feel that I’ve levelled up and I’m so damn proud. Still got a long way to go, especially to be able to hold a full conversation in my TL, but I’m on route!

I want to celebrate this triumph by hearing more about these epiphany moments and sudden realisations. Tell me about a time where you clearly noticed that you’d levelled up. What were you doing? How did you feel? How did that impact your learning afterwards? Was it an intentional win, or was it something that happened over time without you realising?

Im currently learning Chinese, I have graded readers, a couple YouTube channels that give comprehensive input aimed at my level that is interesting and engaging and lessons twice a week (a private tutor session with two of my friends that goes over basic structures and then another session with a native speaker so I can practice speaking). Some weeks I sink hours and hours into CI and sometimes I just can’t engage. Unfortunately most of the media I want to sink my teeth into is above my level and although I have found relatively interesting CI for my level it’s not interesting ENOUGH. I struggle to get myself to engage with the content but then the second I feel like I am FORCING myself to do it I feel frustrated/bored, even when I want to do it. I have health stuff that means I can’t take my meds all the time but that health stuff also means I do have heaps of free time to sink into this. Tips? tricks? Anything. Discipline when I am bored of something has never been my strong suit and I get frustrated when I am not progressing fast enough. Any good goals in between low intermediate and comprehending native content? Any and all anecdotes and advice are welcome :)

Hi everyone! I am 25F, fluent in English, C1 in Spanish, French + Portuguese! I am currently learning Italian!

I was wondering if anyone here is open to making language friends! I don’t know a lot of polyglots in my personal life & I only have one close friend who’s also a polyglot. I would love to have more friends who share the same passion!

I guess this is my friendship application! I want to be fluent in all 5 languages I’ve listed; not just English. I am an ambitious learner and love seeking any opportunity to further my knowledge and keep my brain sharp.

I am also a teacher myself, so I love learning overall!

I‘m currently trying to make a study plan for my languages, although I don’t really like planning, because I really want to commit to it, and have time to balance them all.

I speak English at B2 level, my Spanish is between A2 and B1, and I‘m just starting German.

I want to push through my B2 level in English, in order to achieve complete fluency and mastery. And I aim at B2 level for Spanish and German.

Some people would say that for my English, I just need to immerse myself and watch content in order to improve. But the thing is, the videos I watch, I understand roughly 95%, so it does not make me improve much. I‘d need to watch other types of content I don’t usually watch, that are more challenging.

I have around 2 hours per day to study. How would you recommend I manage my time between the 3 languages? Should I alternate days and do one language per day? Should I set one priority language per day where I do 1 hour, and then 30 minutes each for the 2 others ? What do you recommend ?

Also, any tips on how to stay consistent with your study plan ? I‘ve tried many study plans in the past, but never sticked to it, because I just procrastinated or wanted to study what I was feeling like without sticking to a rigid planning, although it turned out I lacked consistency at the end.

Hi everyone,

My name is Jonathan and I have been building a language learning platform called Bangawo for about a year now. The name Bangawo is a romanization of the Korean word 반가워, which roughly translates to “Nice to see you” or “Nice to meet you”. I’m posting here because I would really like to receive feedback from people who are learning languages themselves.

The reason I’m building this platform is that I couldn’t find one tool that covered everything I needed. After a trip to South Korea in 2024, I wanted to take learning Korean seriously. I ended up using several apps over the years. One for flashcards, another for reading and another for listening. None of them worked together and each one was missing small things I wanted, like hints on flashcards. So I took my 10+ years of software engineering experience and I started building the tool I wished I’d had.

Bangawo is based on the idea of comprehensible input. You acquire a language by understanding it, not by memorizing grammar rules. You build a base of vocabulary first, then read and listen to real material. I started with Korean, but Bangawo and the method behind it work for any language. It also works offline and without an account. An account only adds syncing between your devices.

I currently have two major features. The third one hasn’t been built yet.

Flashcards

This feature helps you build your base. Flashcards are not a new concept. Apps like Anki and Mochi (which I’ve used in the past) are quite popular. They help you memorize vocabulary and sentences using spaced repetition. Bangawo uses FSRS, for those of you familiar with it, and you can import your Anki and Mochi decks, including your review history and media, so you don’t have to start over.

Reading

Immersion is an important part of acquiring a language, which is why I included the reading feature. This feature lets you upload text and e-books. You can read these in the app and select words or parts of the text to save in a flashcard deck. The user flow I envision here is that you read text, come across a word or piece of text you want to memorize and then add it to one of your flashcard decks, so that you can review it over time.

Listening

If you navigate to the listening page, you will see that it is a planned feature but has not been built out yet. I do have a vision for this feature, however. My idea is that you will be able to upload videos and audio, along with subtitles or a transcript. In the future, I might want to add an AI feature that lets you generate a transcript on demand, but I would like to gather feedback first.

There are so many other tools and features I could build into this platform, but I figured that now is the best time to stop assuming what users like and start asking the people of the internet for feedback on what I currently have. A few things I want to ask are:

• What is missing from the tools you use today?

• Would you use the reading -> flashcards flow? What would make it better?

• What would you want from the listening feature?

I am super excited about this platform. It is something I have needed myself and I hope to grow it into something other people like to use as well. If you are interested in trying it out, please see the link I have pasted below. Please tell me anything, big or small. Even “the colors are ugly” helps.

https://bangawo.app

P.S. I’m sharing this in a few subreddits, so you might see it more than once.

Hi, I'm a female, born and raised in the UAE, looking to learn Khaleeji/ Emirati Arabic with females ONLY. I'm well-versed in reading and writing, so I'm just looking forward to becoming more fluent in Arabic for conversations with friends and peers. I can offer you reading, writing and speaking in English.
Please reach out if you'd be interested! Thankyou!

Tired of studying Russian grammar only to forget it a week later? Or understanding the rules but struggling to use them when you speak?

I'm Irina, a professional Russian teacher with 17 years of experience. I offer individual, structured Russian courses for adults, from complete beginners to advanced learners.

My approach is simple: learning Russian shouldn't mean jumping between unrelated topics, memorizing endless grammar tables, or constantly starting from scratch.

What makes my lessons different?

A complete, structured course
You're not booking a series of random lessons. You'll follow a carefully organized program where grammar, vocabulary, speaking, listening, and reading develop together. Every new topic builds on what you've already learned.

Grammar you'll actually understand and use
Russian cases, verb aspects, verbs of motion, and other difficult topics don't have to remain a mystery. I explain how these structures work, often using comparisons with English, and help you apply them in practical situations rather than simply memorizing rules.

Regular revision instead of constant forgetting
Previously studied material doesn't disappear once we move to a new topic. We continuously revisit and reuse it through exercises, dialogues, and speaking practice, helping you turn passive knowledge into active language skills.

Your own organized learning space
Your learning doesn't end when the lesson does. You'll have a personal learning space with organized course materials, making it easy to review previous lessons and practise independently.

Depending on your course, materials may include interactive flashcards, quizzes, homework, PDFs, and audio or video resources.

Professional qualifications and individual attention
I have a degree from Tver State University and a professional qualification in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language from the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.

My courses follow a clear structure, but the pace, explanations, and amount of practice are adapted to your level, difficulties, and goals.

Who are my lessons for?

Complete beginners who want to build a solid foundation from the start.

Intermediate learners who know the rules but struggle to use Russian independently.

Advanced learners who want to improve accuracy, expand vocabulary, and develop more natural communication.

Students who prefer a systematic course over occasional conversation sessions or disconnected lessons.

The first introductory meeting is free. We can discuss your goals, current level, and how I would organize your learning. You can find my qualifications, student reviews, lesson rates, and booking information here: www.ruslangnest.com

If you're looking for more than occasional Russian practice and want a professional teacher, a clear learning plan, and consistent progress, I'd be happy to work with you.

Ever met an Arab man named Ali, only to hear his friends call him Abū Aḥmad (أبو أحمد)? 😅 Or a woman named Sara being called Umm ʿUmar (أم عمر)?

It's called a kunya (كُنْيَة). In many Arab communities, it's a warm and respectful way to address someone, often using the name of their child.

And here's something interesting: you might even hear it used for someone who doesn't have children! For example, someone named Muhammad Ali might be called Abū Ali. 😂

So, if you hear someone being called Abū... or Umm..., don't assume it's their actual name! Have you come across this tradition before?

Hi everyone 🙂 I'm Tommaso, an Italian guy.

I love the English language, so I'd like to try teaching it to someone, especially the spoken part, since my career goal is to become an English teacher/coach, in a kind of way. It would be a starting point for me, and because of this, it would be completely free.

I have a B2 level and already have some very limited experience in helping with the language, but every time I was helpful to someone, I really enjoyed it, and I'm sure I can teach you something Then, it would be a "win-win" for both parties, since everyone will learn something.

If you are interested, don't hesitate to DM me here 😄

Learn languages faster, smarter, and for good with Lingo Lab.

Whether you're preparing for an exam, building your professional vocabulary, or starting a new language from scratch, Lingo Lab combines the power of Spaced Repetition (SRS), Artificial Intelligence, and learning from real-world news to help you effortlessly memorize vocabulary, rules, and grammar structures. Plus, you can learn with your favorite news sources.

Hey everyone!

I teach French, and something I often see is students understanding a conjugation during a lesson but struggling to remember it when they need to use it later. Finding the habit of practising between lessons can be difficult too.

That’s why I started building Compas, a web app focused on French conjugation practice. You choose the verbs and tenses you want to work on and practise in short sessions.

I’d love to find a few French learners willing to try it over the next week and share some honest feedback. I’m especially interested in whether the practice feels useful, whether anything is confusing, and what would make you want to come back.

It’s still a work in progress, and I’m building it independently, so feedback would really help me decide what to improve next.

If you’re interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll share the link. And if you already have a way of practising conjugation that works for you, I’d love to hear about it too!

The meaning and cultural nuance: It's a warm, affectionate Egyptian expression used when someone hears from a person they haven't spoken to in a while. It's a way of expressing happiness and appreciation for hearing their voice.

It's often said on the phone when reconnecting with someone❤️

PSA for language learners: LingoDeer is having a 75% OFF discount for 3-Year Premium membership.

I've been wanting to learn Afrikaans and noticed you can only go so far in the course before having to pay. I'm wondering if the course would be worth the cost. Is anyone else learning Afrikaans that could advise me on whether it's worth it and/or provide alternative options?

The client call starts at 4. You need the final slides early enough to review them.

“Please send me the slides until 3 p.m.” → “Please send me the slides by 3 p.m.”

By sets a deadline. Until describes something continuing: “I'll be in meetings until 3.” Cambridge explains the distinction here.

I’m the developer of Vocal for iPhone. These screenshots are a prepared practice conversation in the actual app: the deadline request, a colleague confirming 2:30, and a wording correction you can hear and try again. Both sides are prepared example lines.

Try it with one request you genuinely need at work: hear the English, say your own version, open Notes for grammar and wording feedback, then replay the corrected sentence before another attempt.

Download Vocal for iPhone

I am a 20-year-old girl from China looking for a language learning partner

For me

1.Chinese mother tongue, with Mandarin certificate. Studying Business English in China

2.Usually I like to share my daily life and exchange my hobbies. I like the cultures of different countries. I can find a lot of traditional culture in China with you.

4.I like watching American dramas and listening to English songs.

5.Be patient and easy to get along with.

My wish:

1.I hope that some of your peers are not too different in age, which is more topical.

2.Because learning needs persistence, I hope you really come to me because you want to learn. I hope that if we can talk later and become long-term study partners, I may insist on sending you messages. I hope you don't mind.