research
What Five Years Did to a List of 1700 Free Language Resources
A reader told us one of our links led to a Polish casino. He was right, and there were 29 more. What we found when we checked a five-year-old resource list link by link.
research7 min read
Who Funded the Study That Says Your Language App Works?
We build a language app, so treat this accordingly. Most research showing apps work was paid for by app companies. Here is how to read those studies, and what the independent evidence says instead.
research4 min read
Does Immersion Actually Work? Reading the Research Honestly
"Just get input" is the most confidently repeated advice in language learning. The research behind it is real, and considerably more contested than its fans let on. The argument is the useful part.
research4 min read
Which Languages Are Hardest for English Speakers? A Look at the Evidence
Every difficulty ranking on the internet is copied from one source. Here’s what it actually measured, what makes a language hard, and why "hardest" depends entirely on what you already speak.
research5 min read
What the Research Actually Says About Spaced Repetition
Everyone repeats that spaced repetition works. Far fewer can name a study, say what it measured, or admit where the evidence runs out. Here’s the actual research, in plain English.
research5 min read
Where the “600 Hours to Fluency” Number Actually Comes From
You have seen the figure quoted a hundred times. It comes from a US government training programme for diplomats, it measures something quite specific, and it was never about you.
research5 min read
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