LingQ

05/07/2026

Most language learners think they need to understand everything before they can move forward.

They don't.

Steve Kaufmann breaks down the 3 stages of comprehension every language learner goes through, from the 0-30% understanding of a complete beginner to the 60%+ of an advanced learner, and why moving forward before you fully understand is exactly how you get better.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPiwdoyUeoA

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=mPiwdoyUeo...

05/06/2026

Most language learners know what comprehensible input is. Far fewer know what it actually looks like when you sit down to study.

Reading and listening to content you mostly understand is the theory. But which content? At which level? How do you find it when you are a beginner and almost nothing is comprehensible yet?

Steve Kaufmann has been applying this approach across 20+ languages for decades. This post breaks down the specific examples and strategies that have worked for him, by level and by language.

Read it here: https://blog.thelinguist.com/comprehensible-input-examples

Looking for comprehensible input examples that actually work? Steve Kaufmann shares the strategies he has used to learn 20+ languages.

05/05/2026

Most people who try to learn Greek quit before they start. They see the alphabet and assume it's going to take months just to get to "hello."

The reality: you can read Greek phonetically in 2-3 days. Several letters are identical to English. Others you already know from math class. The alphabet is actually one of the fastest wins in the entire process.

The harder part is what comes after: grammar with cases, verbs that conjugate in ways English never prepared you for, and the gap between knowing rules and actually using them in conversation.

The new LingQ guide to learning Greek covers all of it: the alphabet, the apps worth your time, essential phrases, and the method that takes you from beginner to fluent.

Read it here: https://www.lingq.com/blog/how-to-learn-greek/

Wondering how to learn Greek? Discover the most effective methods and resources in our comprehensive guide.

05/02/2026

Duolingo vs Babbel. Two of the biggest names in language learning. Which one should you use?

The honest answer: both have a ceiling, and it's lower than you think. Duolingo tops out around A2. Babbel gets closer to B1-B2. Neither is built for fluency.

We broke down exactly how they compare on method, price, grammar instruction, and what happens when you outgrow them both.

Read the full comparison: https://www.lingq.com/blog/blog-duolingo-vs-babbel/

Duolingo vs. Babbel: which is actually worth your time? Duolingo builds habits, Babbel has more structure but neither app will get you to fluency. Here's the honest verdict.

05/02/2026

Jonathan Pilieci kept a Duolingo streak for 3,800 consecutive days. More than ten years. Every single day.

After all that, he still couldn't understand real Italian.

It wasn't a lack of effort. It was the method. Duolingo's translation drills build practice. They don't build fluency. Jonathan knew something had to change.

He found LingQ, started reading real Italian content every day, and went from what he describes as A0 after a decade of Duolingo to B1 in a fraction of the time.

His story is worth reading if you've ever felt stuck in the same place: https://www.lingq.com/blog/duolingo-alternative-lingq/

Jonathan kept a Duolingo streak for 10 years and still couldn't speak Italian. Here's the Duolingo alternative that got him to B1.

04/30/2026

Steve is currently learning Arabic and sat down with Hasan Alhamwi, the founder of Arabic All The Time. Hassan left a career in civil engineering to build the largest library of Arabic comprehensible input on the internet.

They talked about why videos beat textbooks for Arabic, when learners should finally start reading, and whether all those dialects are really one language or many.

If you're learning Arabic, what's giving you the most trouble? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0wa6mvTAmE

39 likes, 5 comments. "Answering the most common questions about learning Arabic"

04/29/2026

Most Spanish learners can conjugate the subjunctive. Far fewer can use it without thinking.

That gap between knowing a rule and having it come out naturally is exactly what this guide is about.

We cover the present and imperfect subjunctive, the WEIRDO triggers, and why massive exposure to real Spanish matters more than drilling conjugation tables.

Read it here: https://www.lingq.com/blog/blog-spanish-subjunctive/

A complete guide to the Spanish subjunctive: how to form it, when to use it, the most common triggers, and how to actually make it automatic in real speech.

04/23/2026

Steve asked AI a simple question: what is the most important element in language learning?

The answer wasn't motivation, grammar, or the right app. It was time.

In this video Steve shares 3 practical ways to find more time for your target language, including how to build habits that stick and how to make the time you already have count.

Watch here: youtu.be/axEzGC20RhE

04/22/2026

Duolingo is one of the most successful habit-building products ever made. But there's a reason millions of learners plateau around A2 and never move past it.

Streaks build habits. They don't build fluency.

We put together an honest guide to the best Duolingo alternatives for intermediate learners — what each tool does, who it's actually for, and how to build a routine that moves you forward.
lingq.com/blog/duolingo-alternatives/

04/16/2026

English proficiency among non-native speakers has risen dramatically over the last 20 years. Not because schools improved. Not because methods got better. Because the internet removed friction.

YouTube, social media, streaming, subtitled content rather than dubbed content. People are surrounded by English in a way that was simply impossible before. Motivation goes up. Barriers come down. Fluency follows.

Steve's latest video explores why this happened, what role dubbing versus subtitling plays, and why he's optimistic that the same forces are now building the conditions for a genuinely multilingual world, where speaking three languages becomes as unremarkable as speaking two is in Europe today.

🔥 Learn languages like I do: https://www.lingq.com/learn-languages-like-steve-kaufmann?utm_source=yt&utm_medium=desc&utm_campaign=syt&utm_content=-QV9kz2-fD...

04/15/2026

French is a Category I language for English speakers. 600 hours to professional proficiency. 6 to 12 months to conversational. The method is what makes the difference.

Steve Kaufmann's beginner guide to French is on the blog https://blog.thelinguist.com/french-for-beginners/

Steve Kaufmann shares the best way to learn French based on 50+ years of experience. A practical guide for beginners.