A Daily Language Learning Routine That Sticks
A daily language learning routine built on review, input, and output, with 10, 30, and 60-minute versions and a plan for the days you inevitably miss.
8 min read
Levels, Timelines & Study Plans
What each level really means, how long it takes, and the plans that get you there.
CEFR levels are descriptions of what you can do, not scores on a test, and that distinction causes a lot of confusion. B1 is not a vocabulary count. It is a claim about handling ordinary situations in the language, and two people at B1 can have very different-looking knowledge.
The articles here translate the level descriptors into concrete terms: what you can read at each stage, roughly how much vocabulary tends to come with it, and what the jump to the next level actually requires. They also give honest timelines, including why published hour estimates vary so widely and why the intermediate plateau is a structural problem rather than a motivational one.
The study plans are deliberately modest. A plan you can run on a bad week is worth more than a plan that assumes every week is a good one.
13 articles
How to Measure Vocabulary Size (and What It Means)
How to measure vocabulary size honestly: word families vs lemmas, how the Vocabulary Size Test works, why self-rating inflates, and what your total can read.
8 min read
The Intermediate Plateau, Explained
The intermediate plateau in language learning is arithmetic, not a motivation problem. Why progress slows after B1, how to diagnose it, and the three ways out.
8 min read
A1 to A2: A Realistic First 90 Days
A 90-day plan from A1 to A2: the first 500 to 1,000 high-frequency words, why frequency order matters most at the start, and the first text you can read.
7 min read
B1 to B2: A 12-Week Reading Plan
A week-by-week reading plan from B1 to B2: weekly word targets, text types, register range, and why this stage takes considerably longer than A2 to B1.
8 min read
How Long Does It Take to Learn German?
German takes roughly 900 class hours for English speakers, per FSI. What that figure really measures, hours per CEFR level, and why grammar sets the pace.
7 min read
How Long Does It Take to Learn French?
How long does it take to learn French? The FSI says 600–750 class hours, but reading comes fast and listening lags badly. Here is the honest timeline.
7 min read
How Long Does It Take to Learn Japanese?
How long does it take to learn Japanese? The FSI puts it in its hardest group at roughly 2,200 hours. Why, and how the writing and speaking timelines differ.
7 min read
How Long Does It Take to Learn Spanish?
How long does it take to learn Spanish? The FSI puts it at 600–750 class hours, but that figure describes full-time diplomats. Here is the honest math.
7 min read
What Is A2 Level? The CEFR Basic User Stage
What is A2 level in practice: the CEFR can-do descriptors, the vocabulary range, what you can actually read, and why so many learners quit right here.
7 min read
What Is B2 Level? The Independent User Threshold
What B2 level means in practice: the CEFR descriptors, why universities and employers ask for it, approximate vocabulary, and the honest gap between B2 and C1.
7 min read
CEFR Levels Explained: A1 to C2, and What They Mean
CEFR levels explained in plain terms: what A1 to C2 actually claim, the three bands, what reading looks like at each level, and why the labels mislead.
7 min read
Learn a Language by Reading: A2 to B1 Plan
A realistic, week-by-week reading-first framework to go from A2 to B1: daily minutes, text selection, blend % progression, and spaced-repetition review.
6 min read
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