French
À vs De: Why Reading Works Better Than Memorizing Verb Lists
French verbs pair with à or de in ways that don't follow a clean rule. Here's why reading builds the intuition that memorized verb lists can't.
Vocabulary and grammar through reading
How many words you need at each level, false friends, and the grammar that confuses learners most, as it appears in real news: ser and estar, the subjunctive, the past tenses.
Spanish
Por vs Para: Why Reading Works Better Than Rules
The rules for por vs para break down on real sentences constantly. Here's why reading builds the intuition the rules were always trying to approximate.
French
French-English False Friends: The Words That Trip Up Readers Most
Actuellement doesn't mean actually. A list of the French-English false friends that most often derail reading comprehension, and why reading fixes them better than a memorized list.
Spanish
Spanish-English False Friends: The Words That Trip Up Readers Most
Embarazada doesn't mean embarrassed. A list of the Spanish-English false friends that most often derail reading comprehension, and why reading fixes them better than a memorized list.
Spanish
How Many Spanish Words Do You Need? Targets for A1, A2 and B1
How many Spanish words do you need? We measured real A1 to B1 news: what 1,000 and 2,000 words cover, what research says, and a target for each level.
Spanish
Ser vs Estar: Why Reading Works Better Than Rules
Still second-guessing ser vs estar? The rules have too many exceptions to memorise. Here's why reading Spanish builds the intuition grammar study can't.
French
French Subjunctive Reading Practice: From Rule Knowledge to Real Fluency
You know the French subjunctive rule but still hesitate in real text. Reading B1 French articles is how the pattern becomes automatic — here's the argument.
Spanish
The Spanish Subjunctive: What It Is, When to Use It, and How Reading Makes It Stick
The Spanish subjunctive in real news: the 7 phrases that bring it in most, the 4 verbs you will see most, and how often it appears at each level.
French
Read Your Way to Mastering French Past Tenses (Passé Composé vs Imparfait)
Struggling with passé composé vs imparfait? Discover how reading graded French news articles builds the intuition that grammar drills never can.
Spanish
Read Your Way to Mastering the Spanish Preterite and Imperfect
Grammar drills won't fix preterite vs imperfect confusion. Reading A2/B1 Spanish news articles naturalizes the distinction faster than any rule list.
Spanish
Spanish B1 Vocabulary: The Words You Actually Need to Know
Spanish B1 vocabulary: the word categories that matter most, how to build 2,000+ words without generic lists, and how to know when you're actually at B1.
More topics
Getting startedWhere to begin if you are new to Spanish or French.
Level progressionWhat the CEFR levels mean, how to move from A1 to A2, A2 to B1 and B1 to B2, why learners stall at each stage, and how long each step takes.
News & sourcesHow to learn by reading the news, which news sites to start with at each level, and when you are ready for El País, BBC Mundo and Le Monde.
Reading methodWhat the research says about reading and comprehensible input, reading compared with listening, and why graded readers often fail adult learners.
Habit & practicePractical guides to better reading comprehension in Spanish and French, and to reading for work.
Tools & appsHonest comparisons of apps, podcasts and tools for Spanish and French learners, and how reading practice fits next to each one.
Exam prepWhat the reading sections of the Spanish and French exams test, and how daily reading builds the skills they need.