Phase 3 of 5 · 300 phrases · 300 minutes
Having fun
In the app
Start working with native speakers and record funny expressions. Enjoy the language and you’ll enjoy learning.
From now on, most of your new phrases come from people: what they say, how they react, what makes them laugh.
What you can do after this phase
You play with expressions for real situations: you react, you joke a little, you keep up small talk. Enjoying the language is what keeps you going, and it’s the base for phase 4, where you can have conversations about your topics.
On the way to 1000
300 is almost a third. In my experience this is when learners start to notice their abilities: in Kyiv, with my Russian, I could keep someone company for more than an hour, and even make people laugh with unexpected expressions.
What helps now
- Your first conversations. About 45 minutes a week with a teacher or a friend, and 30 to 40 quick recordings from each. Send your teacher the page for teachers.
- Record what people really say. Reactions, slang, jokes, the phrases no textbook has.
- Train the hard sounds. The pronunciation trainer in the app plays the original and your version back to back, until you hear the difference.
- Try starting a series in the language, with subtitles, and see how much you recognise. Plenty on YouTube.
What gets in the way
- Stuck in the middle. The routine isn’t new any more, and fluency isn’t there yet. This is where most people stop. Even with little time, keep the session short rather than skip it.
- Asking people to record. It feels awkward the first few times. Teachers expect it, and most friends like being asked “how would you say that?”. Tell your teacher to record proactively.
- Too much at once. Forty new phrases a week is plenty. You must have a daily routine. Practise what’s due first.