Blogs

Jaunākās ziņas, padomi un atziņas par valodu apguvi

Reading While Listening: Does Following the Audio Help You Learn a Language? (2026)

Playing the audio while you read a page in your target language feels like doing two things at once. Here is what the research says it does for your comprehension, your listening, and the words that stick.

2026. gada 30. augusts·8 min lasīšanas

2026. gada 31. jūlijs·7 min lasīšanas

Beelinguapp Alternatives: Where to Go Next (2026)

Beelinguapp is a good on-ramp and a closed room. People leave when they outgrow the library, or when the AI-generated content starts to show. Here is what to move to, depending on which one it is.

2026. gada 28. jūlijs·5 min lasīšanas

Readlang Alternatives: What to Use Instead (2026)

Readlang is cheap and good at what it does. People leave it for two reasons: they want a real vocabulary system, or they want to read books rather than web pages. Those need different tools.

2026. gada 25. jūlijs·6 min lasīšanas

The Best EPUB Readers with Built-In Translation (2026)

Search for an EPUB reader with translation and you get two completely different kinds of app, and most people end up with the wrong one. Here is the distinction nobody explains, and the apps that fit each side of it.

2026. gada 22. jūlijs·5 min lasīšanas

LingQ vs Readlang: Which One Should You Use? (2026)

LingQ and Readlang look similar and are built on opposite bets. LingQ is a vocabulary system that contains text. Readlang is a translation layer over the web. Which one is right depends on a single question about what you read.

2026. gada 19. jūlijs·9 min lasīšanas

Is a Kindle Good for Learning a Language? An Honest Look (2026)

Kindle is a better language-learning tool than its critics say, and worse than Amazon implies. Word Wise is not a translation feature at all, Vocabulary Builder is missing from the phone app, and Flashcards were removed in 2024. Here is what does work.

2026. gada 16. jūlijs·6 min lasīšanas

LingQ Alternatives: 6 Honest Options (2026)

People leave LingQ for three specific reasons: the price, the interface, or the constant hunt for content. Here are the alternatives that address each one, including the cases where you should just stay with LingQ.

2026. gada 13. jūlijs·12 min lasīšanas

The Best Apps for Reading Books in Another Language (2026)

An honest comparison of the apps that let you read real books in a foreign language: LingQ, Readlang, Beelinguapp, Kindle, Eppika and Simply Fluent. What each one is genuinely good at, what it costs, and which one fits where you are.

2026. gada 22. jūnijs·10 min lasīšanas

How to Know When You're Ready to Level Up Your Reading Difficulty

A practical guide to recognizing when your current reading material is too easy, too hard, or just right, and how to navigate the hardest transition in language learning: from graded readers to authentic texts.

2026. gada 8. jūnijs·11 min lasīšanas

The Surprising Connection Between Reading in a Foreign Language and Empathy

A famous study claimed literary fiction builds empathy, and the replication story is more interesting than the original headline. Reading in another language adds a genuine extra layer of perspective-taking regardless.

2026. gada 25. maijs·9 min lasīšanas

How to Read in a Foreign Language When You're Tired, Busy, or Not in the Mood

Practical strategies for maintaining your foreign language reading habit during low-energy periods, because consistency matters more than intensity, and even five minutes counts.

2026. gada 11. maijs·10 min lasīšanas

Why Children's Books Are Secretly One of the Best Tools for Adult Language Learners

Children's books feel like a step backward, but the science says otherwise. High-frequency vocabulary, simple grammar, and the satisfaction of finishing a whole book in one sitting make them one of the smartest tools in an adult learner's toolkit.

2026. gada 27. aprīlis·10 min lasīšanas

Why Reading Before Bed Might Be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Language Learning

Sleep does more for your vocabulary than any late-night study session. Here's what the science of memory consolidation says about reading in your target language before bed, and how to make it a habit that sticks.

2026. gada 22. aprīlis·6 min lasīšanas

Read the Classics in a New Language, Without the Headache of Archaic Language

Simply Fluent v1.9 introduces modernized public domain classics: the world's greatest literature, updated for modern readers and translated into the languages you're learning. No more wrestling with 19th-century grammar just to read a good story.

2026. gada 9. marts·10 min lasīšanas

You Don't Have to Understand Everything: The Case for Letting Go While Reading

Perfectionism is the silent killer of language learning. Here's why reading with 90% comprehension beats stopping at every unknown word, and how to let go of the guilt.

2026. gada 9. februāris·10 min lasīšanas

What Reading in Another Language Does for Your Memory

Why words learned through reading stick better than words learned from flashcards alone, and how combining both creates the ideal vocabulary-building system.

2026. gada 12. janvāris·8 min lasīšanas

New Year, New Language? A Realistic Guide to Language Goals

Most language learning resolutions fail by February. Here's how to set goals that stick, backed by research on what predicts long-term success.

2025. gada 1. decembris·9 min lasīšanas

The Compound Effect: How Every Page You Read Makes the Next One Easier

Why vocabulary growth in reading works like compound interest: slow at first, then accelerating. If you're struggling through your first foreign language book, here's why it gets dramatically easier.

2025. gada 3. novembris·5 min lasīšanas

How to Pick Your First Book in Another Language

Your first book in another language can make or break your reading habit. Here's how to choose wisely, and why the "right" book is probably easier than your ego wants it to be.

2025. gada 6. oktobris·9 min lasīšanas

Why Fiction Is Better Than Textbooks for Language Learning

Textbooks teach you the rules. Fiction teaches you the language. Here's why stories, characters, and emotional engagement make vocabulary stick in ways that exercises never will.

2025. gada 10. septembris·8 min lasīšanas

What Happens in Your Brain When You Read in a Foreign Language

Reading in a second language lights up more of your brain than reading in your first. The difficulty you feel isn't a problem. It's your brain building new pathways.

2025. gada 18. augusts·8 min lasīšanas

The Intermediate Plateau: Why You Feel Stuck (and What to Do About It)

Hit a wall at B1 or B2? The intermediate plateau is real, well-documented, and entirely beatable. Here's why you're stuck and how reading can get you moving again.

2025. gada 28. jūlijs·7 min lasīšanas

How Many Words Do You Need to Read a Novel in Another Language?

The research says you need thousands of words to read unassisted, but with the right approach and tools, you can start reading real books much sooner than you think.

2025. gada 15. jūlijs·2 min lasīšanas

Simply Fluent Launches: Your Personal Language Teacher Through Reading

Simply Fluent is now available! Discover how this revolutionary language learning app transforms any book into your personal language teacher through contextual translations and intelligent vocabulary building.

2025. gada 2. jūnijs·5 min lasīšanas

Your First 100 Words: What Native Speakers Use Daily

Forget random vocabulary lists. Discover the 100 words that native speakers use every day and how learning them transforms your language journey.

2025. gada 26. marts·7 min lasīšanas

Making Foreign Language Reading Enjoyable

Reading in a foreign language is frustrating at first. It doesn't have to stay that way. Here are practical strategies for turning painful page-turning into something you look forward to.

2025. gada 14. marts·7 min lasīšanas

Want to Think Like a Native Speaker? Read What They Read

Discover why truly understanding a language means diving into its literature, jokes, and cultural references. Learn how reading opens doors that vocabulary lists never could.

2025. gada 26. februāris·5 min lasīšanas

Why Books Are Your Best Language Teachers

Discover why reading in your target language might be the game-changer your language learning journey needs, and how to make the most of it.