learn French in 8 weeks - part 1

22 Jun, 2025

1. Be me
   

2. Trying to learn a third language with Evil Green Owl since a decade
   

3. Constantly distracted by the notifications, memes, social media
   

4. Think hard - how do babies actually learn language?
   

5. Gaa gaa.. guu guu.. words... phrases.... connect words to images/actions (Speaking comes first)
   

6. Realize evil owl company is running an infinite-slot-machine scam. App is just edtech version of Tinder
   

7. Dig out this bad boi from an old drawer and load it with French lessons

8. Need an audacious goal to sustain long term motivation - an unwavering aim to flirt with french girls on my next Paris trip
   

9. Completely lock my phone and listen to french lessons while imagining voulez wooing a femme fatale
   

10. No notifications, no social media, no distractions, only audio. Accidentally rebuild my ability to sustain focus on one thing at a time
    

11. Going to take this digital detox to the next level and start living in a cave

Getting a little serious. This is how I did it:

• Break the big goal of learning a language into small stages. Make sure each “short plan” is no longer than 8 weeks; anything longer will drain your motivation.
• Start with the Language Transfer podcast.
• Do 5 lessons per week, practicing once in the morning and once at night on weekdays. Use weekends for revision (very important), covering all 5 lessons.
• Rinse and repeat until you've ticked off all 40 lessons.
• Use a maximum of two learning resources at a time; too many resources dilute your focus and lead to FOMO.
• Follow up with another short plan and use the resources highlighted below.
• Rinse and repeat!

Disclaimer: This wasn’t a perfect streak. There were days when I felt demotivated, bored, or wanted to give up. But I kept pushing through. That’s all that matters; show up and force your way through your internal resistance.

For Round 2, I'd suggest restarting the Language Transfer podcast and selecting one additional resource to accompany it. Again, use only 2 resources per round: one that demands active engagement (racking your brain cells), and one simpler resource that you can enjoy as a leisure activity, such as vlogs.

• French vlogs with English subtitles
• French for Beginners
• English-French mini videos
• 15 min French lessons book
• How to flirt in french 😏

If you still have any lingering doubts about my evil owl hypothesis:

(btw, you won’t easily find the OG Sony Walkmans on the market, so you can get yourself a Snowsky Echo Mini)

Until next time, TJ!