Blog
Language learning, immersion, and what actually works.
Does Grammar Study Work? Implicit vs. Explicit Learning
'Just immerse yourself, like a child' pitch is too good to be true. What 3 decades of research says about explicit grammar instruction.
Written Corrective Feedback: Does Correcting Mistakes Help?
The science on written corrective feedback for second language writers is nuanced: what works, what wastes time, and how to ask for it.
Interlanguage: Why Language Errors Follow Rules (And The Fix)
Language mistakes aren't random. Interlanguage is the rule-governed system behind them, and reading it right turns errors into a map of what to study next.
Input vs. Intake: Why Hours of Listening Don't Always Stick
Input is everything you hear and read. Intake is the slice your brain actually keeps. The gap between them explains why immersion can feel slow.
Desirable Difficulties: Why Easy Language Practice Stalls You
Desirable difficulties are the research-backed practice conditions, spacing, interleaving, and retrieval. It feels hard in the moment but the memory lasts.
Sociocultural Theory: Why Conversation Beats Drills
Sociocultural theory explains why one good conversation can teach you more than weeks of solo drilling, and what to look for in a partner or tool.
Focus on Form: The Science of Noticing Grammar As You Talk
Learn how focus on form helps grammar stick during real communication, what research supports, and how to use it.
Critical Period Hypothesis: Are Adults Too Late to Learn?
See what research says about the critical period hypothesis, adult language learning, and what age really changes.