About Us
Our Team
We are a small editorial team that researches and compiles information about language learning from linguistic studies, FSI (Foreign Service Institute) data, academic research, and language learning communities. With dozens of articles published and hundreds of hours spent researching language difficulty data, we focus on giving readers practical, honest guidance. We are not certified linguists, language teachers, or polyglots. We are researchers who organize publicly available data into practical guides.
What We Do
- Language Rankings: We compile difficulty rankings based primarily on FSI training data, which measures how long it takes English-speaking diplomats to reach professional proficiency in different languages
- Language Guides: We write honest assessments of individual languages, covering what makes them easier or harder for English speakers
- Tool Reviews: We review popular language learning apps, books, and resources with honest pros-and-cons analysis based on community feedback and published reviews
Our Research Methodology
Every article goes through a structured research process before publication. Here is how we evaluate and test our content:
- We cross-reference FSI difficulty data with academic linguistic research and real learner experiences from Reddit, language forums, and community groups
- We compare app and tool features against actual user reviews, not just marketing claims
- We check all FSI hour estimates and difficulty categories against the most recent publicly available data
- We update articles when new data becomes available or when tools and apps release significant updates
- We give honest negative assessments when tools don't deliver on their promises
Our assessment is based on published research, community feedback, and publicly available data. When we haven't personally used a resource for an extended period, we say so transparently.
Our Sources
We rely on publicly available data from the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, published linguistic research, university language department resources, and community feedback from language learning forums like r/languagelearning, r/learnspanish, and similar communities. We cite our sources where possible and update articles as new data becomes available.
Content Disclaimer
The information on this website is for general educational and informational purposes only. Language learning difficulty is subjective and varies significantly based on individual factors including your native language, prior language learning experience, motivation, learning environment, and available study time.
FSI difficulty rankings are based on training data from English-speaking U.S. government employees and may not reflect your personal experience. The hour estimates provided are averages and should be treated as rough guidelines, not guarantees.
We do not guarantee any specific learning outcomes. If you need professional language instruction, please consult a qualified language teacher or accredited language program.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this site are affiliate links, primarily through the Amazon Associates program (affiliate tag: fuzzylogic06-20). When you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This income helps cover hosting and research costs.
Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial content or rankings. We recommend products based on research, user reviews, and community feedback — not commission rates. We clearly label affiliate links throughout the site.
Contact
Have a question, correction, or suggestion? Reach us at [email protected].