XLingo blog
Learning languages: plain answers for families
When to start, how long it takes, what levels mean and what helps. Every post cites its sources and says when it was checked.
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Start here · Family and ageHow to help your child learn a language at homeYou do not need to speak the language yourself. Short, regular, spoken practice with real people, plus spaced review of words, is a sensible base. Research is clear that children can learn well, and honest that no routine promises a result.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026All posts
9 posts shown
- Levels and schoolCEFR levels A1 to C2 explained for parentsWhat the six CEFR language levels describe in plain words, what they do not measure, and how to use them to set realistic goals.5 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Family and ageDoes learning two languages confuse a child?What research says about bilingual children, mixing languages, vocabulary and delay, and what parents can do with the evidence.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- How learning worksDoes spaced repetition help learn vocabulary?What spacing research says about remembering foreign words, where the evidence is mixed, and a simple paper-card routine for families.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Scripts and grammarFrench and Spanish noun gender: learn it with the wordWhy French and Spanish nouns are masculine or feminine, and a simple way to learn each noun with its little word from the start.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- How learning worksHow many words do you need to understand a language?What vocabulary research says about word counts and coverage, why the figures are rough, and what they mean for a learner at home.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Scripts and grammarJapanese and Mandarin writing systems for beginnersHow kana, kanji, pinyin and characters work for English speakers, and a calm way to pace learning the scripts.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Family and ageKeeping a heritage language alive in AustraliaPractical ways for Australian families to keep a home language going, and the school and community options in NSW.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Levels and schoolLanguages in NSW schools and the HSC: a parent's guideWhat NSW requires in Years 7 to 10, which HSC language courses exist, who is eligible, and where to find the current rules.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
- Family and ageWhat is the best age to start a second language?What a large study of grammar learning found about age, what it cannot tell us, and why starting later is still worthwhile.4 min read · Checked 19 October 2026
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