Get conversational in 12 weeks

OMG! It worked for us and now we can share it with you!

We researched. And experimented. And built. And talked to experts. And tried it. And traveled. For 8 years. Now it is finally good enough to advertise it.

Join our email course now, the weekly content is below.


Learn through memorising personalised phrases from native speakers.

To be clear: You won’t be fluent. But it is designed for you to enjoy having conversation as soon as possible.

Three proven methods multiply their effectiveness in a step-by-step schedule:

  • Find a teacher to help you as a language parent,
  • Train with Listening-Reading for when people speak fast,
  • Memorise 300-500 personalised phrases with our unique app.

The approach for learning a language really matters. Some people study for years and are still unable to speak normally. They would love to speak their local or their partner’s language. But they can’t…

But sometimes people succeed in just six months! And they enjoy a completely new life or traveling experience. Language opens doors and even AI can’t replace this personal connection.

We spent years finding out what is needed to succeed! So that now we can bring it together in a unique and simple structure.

Let us introduce ourselves and explain how the journey works.

You pay at the end!

Join our 12-week email-based programme for free now, and get access to our WhatsApp group. Our emails will guide you through the full program below week-by-week. You can cancel and restart at any time. And you only pay if it was valuable to you.

Your commitment per week:

  • 20 minutes memorising phrases on the app, daily.
  • Minimum 30 minutes listening-reading.
  • One 45-minute private lesson with a teacher. (paid for by yourself)

This combination is enough to learn to speak in a very personalised way.



👉 Q&A’s (Click to expand)

Do I have to download your app to participate?

Yes, we need you to memorise language content fast. We don’t think there’s a faster and more reliable way. After downloading, the app is empty, and the links above will allow you to unlock the phraseset. We explain it step by step. It’s available on the App Store and the Play Store.

Each week, you will learn 30+ basic phrases, with a correct pronunciation.

How do I ask you a question?

You will get weekly emails and you can reply to them to leave a message for us. In your first email there is also a WhatsApp community where you can ask questions. Let us know if you need help or something could be improved.

Does Lingophant work for every language?

Pretty much. Speech recognition works for 39 languages on Android and 38 languages on iOS. Check the App Store for a complete list.

There is a lot of grammar to learn, how will I do that?

Instead of teaching grammar directly, you learn by deduction. We start by memorising personalised phrases. Soon, you will start recognising patterns. You can then add notes to phrases in the app. Ask these questions to your teacher during the lesson. They can help you understand the rules once you need them. You should also do some basic research by yourself, and there are many introductions on YouTube.

Do I need a real-life teacher?

Yes, although a friend can also help you. Our method is very personalised and about efficiency. A personal connection helps you remember things better, because you had a real experience.

What if I am a beginner or if I already have experience?

Our magic is full personalisation. You speak with a teacher, and they record the words and phrases you need. That way, you automatically learn the words you need most to express yourself. It is fully adapted to your level experience.

Week 1 – Worm

Dig.

Welcome! As a worm, you must learn how to dig. Build a habit of regular digging practicing for peanuts 🥜.

✅ First, explore the language on YouTube or Google for 45 minutes. For German, we have resources below.

✅ Secondly, start with useful phrases such as “Speak slower please”, or “Can you repeat that”, or “How do I say …”, so you can stay in the target language.

Practice these phrases on our app. It helps you also with pronunciation and active memory recall. Watch this video below about how Lingophant works:

✅ To get started, download our app. Below, you can find the first phrasesets. Create an account to unlock and download the phrases from a 2+ sets. The more the better.

👉 View first phrasesets and pronunciation guides

German Pronunciation Guides

Pronunciation (Please rewatch them in the future, we’ll remind you):

Look, if you get these right from the beginning you will not have to unlearn mistakes in the future. Unlearning mistakes is much harder than learning things the correct way.

One final tip with an AMAZING mnemonic technique to help you remember the gender of a word in German.

Pick three words that you know the gender:

  • Der Mann – the man
  • Die Frau – the woman
  • Das Auto – the car

Whenever you learn a new word, imagine a silly picture combining both. Let’s say you learned “Das Eis (the ice cream).

Imagine an ice cream melting on the roof of the car. (Das Eis + Das Auto).

Somehow your brain remembers this! Credits to Muryel.

Your German Phrasesets
English for Georgians

Coming soon…

Russian for English Speakers

Coming soon…

Sponsor a new language!

With just 40€ we can find a freelancer to record the basic phrases for you. Or maybe you can help us by recording them in your native language and send us the links through WhatsApp? We have this list with recommended phrases for beginners.

Week 2 – Seastar

Start Floating.

Listening + Practicing

Don’t be afraid of the waves. In the beginning it may feel cold and scary. But with the sun and experience, the floating slowly becomes enjoyable. 🌊

Listening is one of the most effective ways to learn. You get so much more input than with any other method. It is why teenagers suddenly speak English 👼 by watching TV with subtitles. Somehow, the brain does this magical *ping *thing, when we understand both the meaning and sounds.

✅ Watch the video below about how the Listening-Reading method works.

In the beginning it feels like it’s not working. But imagine doing this for 10 weeks! You may have understood 10 videos! 👍

Already after the first weeks, you will likely start recognising words you’ve practiced before with the app. Both activities support each other, thereby multiplying each others’ effects!

And once you speak with a native speaker, you will be prepared. You’ll understand their words and some meaning. You will not be completely deaf👂. It really works! Be prepared to be amazed!

So what to do this week?

✅ Do your first Listening-Reading. We’ve prepared resources for a few languages. Below are some examples so you get an idea, but the real sources are under the link above.

✅ Create a note that you can open on both your phone and computer. Copy-paste video links and words from videos for later review.

✅ And each week from now on, practice all your available phrases on the app. Go add some new ones from last week’s phrasesets. By now you should have 1000-2000 peanuts 🥜!

Teaser: Next week you will book and have your first lessons with a real native speaker!

German Listening-Reading example

Check out this channel on YouTube with many double subtitles!

Georgian for English speakers

Soon, here are three videos with subtitles of two friends that introducing themselves.

German for Georgian speakers

Spanish

Week 3 – Rat

Start Looking

A teacher can help you learn phrases during your first conversation.

✅ Book five lessons on iTalki this week!

With this friend referral link above, we get 10€ credits and you get 5€ worth of extra credits if you spend more than 20€.

The video below shows how to find and work with a teacher:

ADD VIDEO HERE

Yeah, so you have basically three options: Pay for a teacher, join one of our weekly German lessons, or convince a friend to help you once a week in the coming 4 weeks (or even the full 10 weeks)

By using our app, each lesson can be 3-5x more effective because you can practice the phrases afterwards.

So go ahead and book your first 5 lessons on iTalki. With the link below, we refer you as a friend and get 10€ in credits.

You can use the first lesson for getting to know each other. After introductions you can say that you’d like to work with a special method because you’ve heard a lot of good about it. Then send them our teacher page (with a 4-minute video), and ask if they want to try it today, and just record 5-10 phrases. Here’s an example message you can send in advance:

Hey TEACHER NAME, here’s a page that shows something I’d like to use in our lessons. Do you think we can try recording some phrases together? Here’s a page for teachers on how to use it: https://lingophant.com/teaching-with-lingophant/ We can try if it works in class 🙂

What to do this week:

✅ Book or agree with a friend on 5 lessons, one in each upcoming week.

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading.

✅ Have your first lesson and ask for a few trial phrase recordings.

That’s basically your weekly schedule for the remaining 9 weeks 🙂

Week 4 – Chicken

Be social

You know the methods. Now it’s about doing it!

By now, you should’ve booked five lessons. If you didn’t yet, here is the link to send to you teacher about how to use the app: https://lingophant.com/teaching-with-lingophant/

In your second lesson, tell your teacher that your main goal is having around 30 phrase recordings.

Use simple language, make mistakes, and ask for all phrases you need. You will know them by heart if you practice.

Also, feel free to cheat by using Google Translate on the side. And then ask your teacher to record them. You can even use your own phone to record phrases sometimes. It’s ok to have a few phrases without perfect pronunciation.

Here’s also a message from the future: If you keep it up, I’ll show you how to make the best eggs Benedict with spinach cream!

For a worm to survive, it still needs to dig. But also chickens need to dig. For worms. Who was first, the chicken or the worm? In our case, the worm. Because you’re at the chicken now.

Reviewing Listening-Reading content

Vitor in this older video makes a good case for why and how to review content. Remember the note that you can open on phone and computer? Well, here’s why reviewing content is actually quite rewarding.

Review the L-R videos you’ve already listened to before.

What to do this week:

✅ Book or agree with a friend on 5 lessons, one in each upcoming week (if not done yet)

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading.

✅ Have your second lesson and ask for 20-30 recordings.

Week 5 – Opossum

Act smart

Have another lesson this week, and do 30 minutes of Listening-Reading as well.

We also recommend doing another round of research about grammar and pronunciation. It can help you recognise patterns. And we can remind you of the “add note function” on each card. Add your questions there while practicing, and during your class you can filter those cards and ask your teacher.

Also, here are some tips for memorising phrases (you’ve probably already thought of that, but here it is):

  • Imagine a situation where you say it. The stronger the emotional situation, the easier to remember. Think drama 🔥 🎭 🔪 ! And walk around saying it loud.
  • Understand the roots! 🌳 Especially in latin languages, most words are somehow connected to words you already know. Or similar words you will learn in the future. Look for these connections. Hint: go to wiktionary.org and enter the word. For most words, there is an etymology where you can learn about the history or roots of the word. Learn the root once, and you can remember all future words with the same root much faster!
  • Make up mnemonics (German = donkey bridges). You may need something so try to connect the sounds to something related. For example, in Georgian Utsnauri means strange. It sounds a bit like unnatural. After a few times walking over the bridge, I can jump directly to the other side.

An example of roots: сложить is russian for to lay down. Wiktionary says it comes from c + ложить. If we navigate to the root ложить, we see that there’s 30+ verbs that have the same root. For example, предложить means to offer or propose. Easypeasy lemonsqueezy.

What to do this week:

✅ Review some grammar and pronunciation.

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading.

✅ Have your third lesson and ask for around 30 recordings.

Good luck 🌻

Week 6 – Kitten

Be cute, be fierce

Cats learn from imitation mainly (here’s a ridiculously long article about how cats learn, which I sent to my uncle who absolutely loves cats and I think he read all of it!).

You can also learn from imitation. Of sounds. With our “pronunciation training” feature. Somehow, we can recognise differences between the correct pronunciation and our attempt. But we cannot place it. We need to train our listening to hear the difference, and no, AI cannot help us here. How to know something is wrong if we don’t hear it? How can we practice without recognising the differences ourselves?

Give it a try. I always get compliments for pronunciation and I think this is the best way to practice it.

Soon you’ll book 5 more lessons!

The second half of this journey starts next week. Enjoy your weekly progress! Did you teacher already compliment you as having a much faster progress than the other students?

Commit to finishing the journey.

Talking about cute and fierce,

Here are the ways you should be fierce this week:

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading, either review old content or listen to new content.

✅ Have your fourth lesson and ask for around 30 recordings

You can do it!

Week 7 – Doggo

Who’s a good doggo learner?
You are!
You’ve gotten this far, half way already!

Did you notice how animals can feel sadness. My two cats used to fight all the time, but when I would cry as a kid… They would have peace and sit with me to give me comfort. The same is probably true with dogs, they have strong empathy.

I strongly believe that language learning can also teach us empathy.

Why?

Because it requires us to try to understand others, with limited information. We also depend on someone else, our language parent, to understand. We feel lost, and want to understand.

It’s all part of the natural process, and it requires empathy.

I wonder what the world would look like if everyone would learn another language. It’s teaching us humility and being fine not having control.

And in a few weeks, you will feel powerful again! Damn you can talk to people! Damn you are in control, even more than before!

You went through hell, and now you came out with more empathy, understanding, and communicative capability. Soon…

For now, let’s be grateful of the people that help us learn.

Language Reactor

I also want to share an amazing tool for Listening-Reading: The Language Reactor Chrome Extension. It can help you turn any YouTube or Netflix video with subtitles into a Listening-Reading video! It has the following functionality:

  • Read two subtitles.
  • Hover over a word to pause the sentence and see the translation.
  • Use your keys ASDF to move between sentences.

As a Google Chrome Extension, it only works on this computer browser. But when you try it, you may love it. And the free version has everything you need.

It’s mind-blowing and I should have told you waaaaay earlier but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with something that doesn’t work on mobile.

Anyway, try it out and I hope you’ll love it as much as we do.

And do the following work this week:

✅ Book 5 more lessons for the coming weeks.

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading (try Language Reactor ?)

✅ Have your fifth lesson and get around 30 recordings.

Week 8 – Horse

Are you horsing around?
Are you having fun?

When I was in Kyiv for New Years eve, I couldn’t imagine that two months later the war would break out. Back then, I was happy to sometimes understand the topics people were talking about. I was able to keep someone company in Russian language for 2 hours. And I was able to make jokes and make people laugh.

All after just 12 lessons.

We learn languages for the people we’re with. For a special connection that we could otherwise not make. For little jokes and nice comments. Just trying it out.

So don’t be afraid to fall off your horse sometimes. Know that you and your language will be able to travel together further than you by yourself.

Same sh&t, different week:

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading (try Language Reactor ?)

✅ Have your sixth lesson and get around 30 recordings.

Week 9 – Owl

Do you feel wiser?
Four more weeks until conversational ability!

Do you notice how you’re understanding more and more?

Are you recognising words when listening? Can you say funny things already?

Are you more comfortable with not understanding every word?

Are you looking forward to your next holiday? Do you still enjoy the lessons?

Here’s what to do, as always:

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app.

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading (watch a Netflix series with Language Reactor ?)

✅ Have your seventh lesson and get around 40 recordings.

Week 10 – Lizard

Harry, you’re a lizard.
A what?
A lizard, Harry.

Keep it up, train your magic powers, in three more weeks until you’re conversational. Can you feel it coming already?

I promised you some weeks ago to show you how to make efficient eggs Benedict Florentine (with Spinach). What week would be better than the lizard week.

You can treat yourself for all the work you’ve done. Since you’re already at 3/4 of the journey.

The recipe is easy and effective. Put eggs into cold water. Heat up, and once simmering count 5 minutes (when done, put them into cold water for a minute so they are easy to peel).

Meanwhile fry two onions that you loosely cut in stripes. Add 2-3 pieces of finely cut garlic. Then add 6 pieces of frozen spinach. A lot of Nutmeg powder. 150g of Crème Fraîche. Add 1/2 piece of soup bouillon. Pepper. Toast bread.

Put the spinach cream on the bread. Then add the egg on top. Put pepper on the egg. And add some Sauce Hollandaise if you can. That’s your 10-minute efficient eggs Benedict Florentine. I love efficient and effective stuff, as you may have noticed.

And then study some more this week:

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app. It’s getting more, we know…

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading (review stuff while cooking?)

✅ Have your eighth lesson and get around 40 recordings.

Week 11 – Turtle

Almost there.
You are!
You’ve gotten this far, half way already!

Two more weeks!

Let’s keep it short and simple. You’re doing great if you’ve made it this far.

Did you already have your magic moment like the flying turtle in the picture?

Here it is again, you know the drill by now:

✅ Practice all your available phrases in the app. It’s getting more, we know…

✅ Do at least 30 minutes of Listening-Reading (New stuff? Review? Netflix?)

✅ Have your second-last lesson and get around 40 recordings.

Week 12 – Elephant

That’s it. Congratulations
You have made it through our programme!
We think you’re conversational now

A few things to say:

  • First of all, you have a great foundation to continue from. We think you can get to fluency within a year, even if you focus on the Listening-Reading part. Make it part of your routine to listen and understand, and you brain will do the work.
  • Second of all, please support the project. We are doing this out of love for language learning, but building an app costs a lot of money. We did not want to advertise something that doesn’t work, but you’ve likely seen it and can appreciate it.
  • And third, you can keep your current level when you keep on practicing every now and then. Phrases will enter your long-term memory, and it’s amazing how many words I still know in Russian despite having stopped 1,5 years ago. Once the intervals are long enough, good job!

As we said, you can pay at the end of the course. But please don’t undervalue what we have created here. A usual language app subscription costs $84 for a year, and a university 5-month course already costs $500. And both don’t really get you conversational. We saved you countless of hours, assuming that it worked and you were able to stick to it. So it’s up to you how much you donate, and we’re grateful about any amount of support we get.

Our bank account is FI47 7997 7997 9459 15. Please take into account that we have to subtract 20% of VAT from your amount (yes, it counts as a purchase and not a donation). Lingophant e.U. is the account and HOLVFIHH the BIC.

Also please consider sharing our method with other people, so they can also experience the wonders of personalised and efficient language learning.

Thanks for everything.

And continue your journey.

Your phrases will be in your app, until we release our remade app that is (sorry! The next version will not lose the data, we promise).

After these 12 weeks,

You know how to apply three methods effectively. You’re confident because you have had several conversations where you learned and remember all needed words. You’ve listened to at least 12 short recordings in the original language, and understood the native speakers thanks to double subtitles.

From now on, you can travel differently and have (still basic) conversations.

And you’ll have all the tools to grow further from here (or continue together).

Enjoy your new superpower.