To make real progress, you should dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to language learning. Consistency matters more than intensity. Doing a little every day trains your brain to stay active in the language and retain what you’ve learned.
If your native language is English, you’ll likely find languages like German, Norwegian, or Swedish easier to learn than Chinese. That’s because of language families—English belongs to the Germanic family, so it shares structure, sounds, and vocabulary with those languages.
The same applies to native Spanish speakers, who can pick up Portuguese quickly but will find Egyptian Arabic much harder due to completely different roots.
Daily practice time should adjust depending on the distance between your native language and the one you’re learning.
- For languages close to your native one, start with 30 minutes daily for at least three months.
- For languages farther from your native one, aim for one hour per day.
The reality: reaching an hour a day can take time as you will feel overwhelmed. It’s normal to start with 10 minutes, then build up gradually to 30, 60, or more as your schedule allows. What matters most is doing something every day.
Doing 7 hours in one day and skipping the rest of the week doesn’t work. Consistent exposure is what actually trains your brain to recognize and retain new patterns.
Our app uses spaced repetition to help you stay consistent and track your progress. As you practice daily, you’ll see your word highlights change and notice how constant exposure strengthens your understanding.
Remember, 30 minutes every day beats 7 hours once a week—always.