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.
One Hour and the Minutes in Between: How to Learn a Language When You're Busy
If all you have is one focused hour and scattered spare minutes, that is enough — because little-and-often is how the br...
The Hidden Head Start: Why Vietnamese Speakers Have an Edge in Learning Chinese
Vietnamese speakers may be among the best-positioned learners of Chinese in the world. The built-in advantages — shared...
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...
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...
Children vs. Adults: How We Learn Languages Differently
Children are just better at languages is a myth. The real story: children and adults each have genuine, different advant...
Why C1 to C2 Is the Hardest Climb: The Advanced Learner's Plateau
Beginners improve fast; advanced learners hit a wall. Why the jump from C1 to C2 feels impossible — the frequency, feedb...