Jeremy Lixandre

I talk about language learning, tech, and lifelong learning | Experienced programmer and language student 🇫🇷​ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ​🇷🇺​ 🇮🇹

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

“The Planning Fallacy” is a cognitive bias that language learners are very exposed to.

And without paying attention, it can lead to big dissatisfaction and frustration.

Let me explain what it is and how to avoid falling into it:

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I don't like learning isolated words.

For languages, my best flashcards include:
- the word
- a sentence
- the context
- audio or an image

That's the idea behind https://t.co/aepc26xFej: creating richer flashcards faster.

Vocabulary sticks better when attached to a situation.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

AI can help you learn.
But only if it does not become an oracle.

Good use:
- active recall
- targeted feedback
- adaptive difficulty
- step-by-step guidance
- forced metacognition

Bad use: asking for the answer and confusing comfort with learning.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

But you shouldn't stop there: use the habit to build momentum and add another tiny but useful habit on top of it.

For example :
- a flashcard drill
- a video in your target language
- reading a small text

This way, you'll build a daily habit whose effect compounds over time.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Duolingo is not enough to seriously learn a language.
But it helped me with one very specific thing: building a routine.

Here's how you can really leverage Duolingo to boost your learning :

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Mastering a language is a very long process, so you cannot rely on motivation alone: you have to commit to practicing daily.

Duolingo helps you do that in a fun way, forcing you to keep your streak.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Living in Rome helps a lot with Italian.

But immersion alone is not enough.

You need intention:
- do not switch to English
- notice patterns you hear
- review after lessons
- create conversations

The environment gives you opportunities.
You still have to use them.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I became confident in Russian after I stopped trying to understand everything.

Before: I fixated on missed words.
After: I focused on what I understood.

Result: speaking felt less stressful and enjoyable.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

If I had only 5 minutes a day to learn a language, I'd do one thing: 5 minutes of Anki flashcards — not rushed. I'd review cards with audio and examples, answer aloud, repeat what I hear, and go slowly enough to engage. It's likely the best ROI.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Not every activity benefits from acceleration.

With AI, we can produce much faster.
But learning sometimes requires slowing down.

Code.
Write.
Speak a language.
Make mistakes.
Rephrase.

The "lost" time is often part of acquisition.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I want to build tools for serious language learners.

Ideas will derive from my own usage:
- French native
- English fluent
- Russian B2
- Italian around B2

I will share what I test, what I build, and what does not work.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

When a language is no longer the priority, you do not have to abandon it.

For Russian, my current goal is simple:
- 1 focused session per week
- passive exposure
- vocabulary capture
- Anki

The goal is not fast progress.
The goal is not losing the level.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Duolingo won't make you fluent, but it taught me one thing: routine.

Language learning is long—motivation fades, so commit to daily practice.

Use the streak to gain momentum and add one tiny habit (flashcards, a short recording, or reading). Small wins compound.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Lately I’ve been obsessed with optimizing my language-learning time.

After two months focused almost entirely on languages, I started thinking about how to keep the same momentum once I’m back to a full-time job.

So I built a few AI-powered tools for myself:
- a personal assistant connected to my knowledge base that collects words/concepts and generates tailored exercises
- a flashcard builder that creates high-quality language cards in seconds: https://t.co/euTp00TDMC

They already help me get much more from the daily input I get in English, Italian, and Russian.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Let me share with you a weird hack I use to be productive at home :

I put my shoes on.

This puts me in a position of slight discomfort (compared to when I wear slippers) and I instantly feel more like I have to work.

What are your weird productivity hacks ?

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Any idea can, in principle, be expressed in any language.

So when you practice translating phrases, you’re really practicing something deeper: how to express the same idea in another language.

And if the phrase is translated correctly, you’re not blindly importing the structure of one language into the other.

You’re learning how the idea naturally lives in both.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

Language teachers often dismiss translation from your native language into your target language.
I think they’re right, at least when it comes to isolated words.

Why?
Because translating word by word trains you to copy lexical and syntactic structures as if both languages worked the same way.
But of course they don’t.

However, the same exercise with whole phrases is a different story.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I used to spend one hour every morning on reflection and planning.
Recently, I tried to drop it to gain one more hour for “productive” work.

Big mistake.

I felt more irritated every morning, less fulfilled at the end of the day, and I had fewer ideas for my posts.

Now I’m back to this morning routine, and I feel calmer and more inspired.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

For language learners :

After some time on the intermediate plateau, you notice your listening has improved a lot, but you still can’t keep up with a natural conversation.

That usually means 2 things:
1. You’ve made real progress.
2. Your method now has to evolve.

Less consuming, more creating.
Less passive exposure, more ownership of your spoken abilities.
Pay attention to the small details that make natives sound like natives, and pick your favorites.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I'm really starting to feel more and more confident with my Russian.
I found out recently that I can maintain long conversations with natives, as long as they’re speaking rather clearly and don’t use too strange metaphors.

As it happened for English years ago, I noticed that this feeling of confidence only came after a phase of letting go of my high expectations. That’s how, instead of focusing on what I don’t understand, I focus on what I do understand, and speaking feels much more pleasant.

[Jeremy Lixandre @JeremyLixandre]

I'm proud to announce that I've finished the challenge of writing for 30 days in a row!

Here are my main takeaways from this experience

#ship30for30