Puzzle Pieces: Under Discussed.

10,000 hours

10,000 hours, aka 416.67 days. That's how long it is said to take to learn another language, more specifically that's how long it takes to become fluent.

The United States doesn't maintain much of a standardized system yet, especially since English is our primary speaking language. For now, we utilize the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR is broken into 6 parts.

1. A1 - Beginner: At this level, learners have very limited or no knowledge of the language. They can understand and use basic phrases and expressions, often related to everyday situations.

2. A2 - Elementary: Learners at this level can understand and communicate in simple, routine tasks and situations. They can talk about themselves, their family, and their immediate environment.

3. B1 - Intermediate: Intermediate learners can handle most everyday situations when speaking or writing. They can describe experiences, events, dreams, and ambitions. They have a good grasp of grammar and vocabulary.

4. B2 - Upper Intermediate: At this level, learners have a deeper understanding of the language. They can understand complex texts and engage in discussions on various topics. Their vocabulary and grammar are more advanced.

5. C1 - Advanced: Advanced learners can understand a wide range of demanding texts and engage in complex discussions. They can express themselves fluently and effectively, even in unfamiliar situations.

6. C2 - Proficiency: This is the highest level of language proficiency. Proficient learners can understand virtually everything they read or hear, and they can express themselves with precision and nuance. They have a near-native command of the language.

10,000 hours should bring you to the C2 realm of things, however, who really has 416.67 spare days across "the year".... you know to practice for that 2-week honeymoon, 4-week study abroad or family vacation. Would you put 10,000 hours into that336 hour trip - is it really worth the time?

I know for an anticipated "one-time" trip the benefit wasn't evenly weighted to strive for fluency. I did, however, want to extend a bit of respect to the natives abroad by attempting a few common phrases. For example, on my trip to Italy, "Buongiorno, Buona Notte and Buonasera" were used quite often.

This is why we are designed our product to be different. This product isn't intended for fluency, at least not right away. We consider it a cheat code of language learning. We've found the integral balance between a fun product that will introduce our youth to another language, at ages where it's not only cognitively beneficial but also emphasizes valuable information/phrases needed while socializing.