Learning Science
How the brain learns — and how to apply it to language and life.
The articles in this section are written and synthesised by AI from published research in the fields of learning science and linguistics.
The sources for each article are listed at the end of the piece — do read them, both for a fuller grounding and to satisfy yourself as to their reliability.
Should You Learn English and Chinese at the Same Time?
Learning two languages at once is tempting — but is it wise? Why English and Chinese are so different that you will not...
How Do Children Learn Grammar Without Being Taught the Rules?
No one explains the past tense to a toddler, yet by five they command a grammar of staggering complexity. How children e...
How Many Words Can Your Brain Learn in a Day?
Is there a daily limit to how many words the brain can absorb? There is no fixed storage cap — but real limits set by co...
Vocabulary or Grammar: Which Matters More in Language Learning?
The century-old debate has a real answer — and it is not a diplomatic tie. Why vocabulary carries more of the load (espe...
The Beauty of Minimalism in Language Learning
In a world of endless apps and resources, some of the best learners use almost nothing: a coursebook, a notebook, a dict...
Reading to Understand vs. Reading to Learn a Language
You can read the same page for the message or for the language itself — and they are not the same act. The difference be...
Stop Asking 'How Long Until I'm Good?' — Ask What Each Hour Changes in Your Brain
What if we retired the question How long until I'm fluent? and asked instead What did this hour just change in my brain?...
How Your Brain Stores a New Word
A new word begins as an unfamiliar noise and can become something you simply know. The journey of a word through the bra...
Is Anyone Truly 'Not Gifted at Languages'? What Neuroscience Says
I just don't have a talent for languages feels like a fact — but is it? What neuroscience actually says about language a...