How Long Does It Take to See Results?

New Language Acquisition Experiments To Come

Aug 26, 2025

One question has always nagged me:

How long does it actually take for a specific language learning technique to work?

Over the years, I have received many wonderful recommendations about language learning techniques, but no one could ever tell me how long it would take to see real results. Being an engineer and a data nerd, I plan to change that with a few systematic experiments to find answers to questions I’ve always wondered about.

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will run a series of personal experiments across my languages. Each experiment tests a different approach to language learning, including speaking, listening, writing, and accent work. Over the next few months, and in some cases years, I will track my progress, measure results, and share what actually works.

Here is a closer look at what I will be testing and why.

1. 100 Hours of Cross-Talk in Telugu

Question: Can 100 hours of Crosstalk with a native speaker give a solid foundation in understanding spoken Telugu?

Experiment: I will do 1-hour Crosstalk sessions every weekend with a native Telugu speaker until I reach 100 hours. Crosstalk means I will only speak my own language while listening to my partner, letting me focus entirely on understanding Telugu without stress or translation.

2. Reconstructing a Mother-Tongue in Three Languages

Question: Can I develop my core languages—Spanish, French, and Portuguese—to feel as natural as a mother tongue?

Experiment: I will define what “mother tongue” means for me and follow daily exercises designed to internalize my core languages. This includes speaking, reading, and listening activities that reinforce the natural flow and intuition of each language.

3. Copywork for Fluent Writing

Question: Can daily copying of texts in my core languages improve my writing to a level suitable for creative work like novels?

Experiment: I will copy selected texts from skilled authors in Spanish, French, and Portuguese every day. Copywork helps internalize grammar, vocabulary, and style, which I hope will eventually allow me to write comfortably and creatively in these languages.

4. Learning Grammar from Zero to B1 Using AI

Question: Can an AI tutor help me learn grammar and vocabulary from zero to B1 in languages with limited resources, like Telugu and Slovene?

Experiment: I will use AI-driven lessons and exercises to reach B1, treating the AI as a tutor that provides explanations, practice exercises, and feedback similar to a textbook. This approach is designed to test whether modern tools can replace or supplement traditional study methods for less-common languages.

5. Shadowing to Perfect Accent

Question: How long will it take to achieve a near-native accent in Spanish, French, and Portuguese through shadowing?

Experiment: I will choose native speakers on YouTube and shadow them regularly, repeating their speech until my pronunciation closely matches theirs. The goal is to understand how much time and effort it takes to sound almost native.

6. Cross-Linguistic Interference: Spanish vs. French

Question: How long does it take for the brain to separate two similar languages completely during speech?

Experiment: I will engage in intensive speaking activities in French and Spanish over several months and track when interference between the two languages disappears. This will help me understand how the brain manages multiple languages at once.

These experiments are designed to answer real questions about language learning. I will be tracking hours, measuring progress, and reflecting on each method along the way. Some experiments focus on speaking, others on writing, and some on listening. All of them aim to show what is possible when learning languages is treated like a structured experiment.

If you are curious about language learning, or if you have ever struggled to reach fluency, I will be sharing updates, insights, and lessons learned along the way. The goal is to see what actually works, what is efficient, and what can be realistically achieved.

Stay tuned as I start this journey in October, and join me as I explore what it really takes to learn a language well.

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