Welcome back, lovely Fluent Forever users!

We are here with breaking news on our newest update, but it is mainly for our Beginner and Intermediate users. Advanced learners, the force is already strong with you, so you can sit this one out.

Now, for the rest of you who are still training your ears to hear in your new language (Step One of the Four-Step Method), it's time to suit up. But first, we have a quick reminder from Gabe’s book on why this is the very first step:

The better you internalize good pronunciation habits in the beginning, the less time you’ll waste hunting down broken words. If you can build a gut instinct about pronunciation, then every new word you read will automatically find its way into your ears and your mouth, and every word you hear will bolster your reading comprehension. You’ll understand more, you’ll learn faster, and you’ll spare yourself the hunt for broken words. Along the way, you’ll have an easier time memorizing, you’ll make better impressions upon native speakers, and you’ll speak more confidently when you’re ready.

But we know that learning a new language can feel overwhelming, especially at the start.

So we’ve decided to put your first big milestone front and center for you on the home screen with the help of a new tile!

The progress bar awaits

Beginners will see a progress bar on this tile called “Basics of Spelling.” You’ll create A LOT of flashcards throughout mastering pronunciation that will teach you the spelling and pronunciation system in your language. Mastering this system will allow you to learn faster and retain more information from every vocabulary and grammar flashcard you see in the future.

Every time you complete a Basics of Spelling lesson, the progress bar will increase. If you finish your daily tasks on the home screen each day, you can expect to fill this bar in about a month!

Attention Intermediate learners: on this new tile, you will also see a bar for “Ear Training”—flashcards to help train your ears to hear the nuances in the language that don’t come naturally to English speakers.

Training your ears is so important, and it’s the reason why you will be more efficient at mastering your new language in the long run. Once you can hear in your new language, everything else is just so much easier!

So, be daring and bold! Engage in your pronunciation lessons and grow those progress bars.

Once you fill them all up, which you will, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. The completed bars will show how you’ve built a solid foundation on which the rest of your language acquisition will grow.

Lastly, here’s a message to all our seasoned pros that completed all their pronunciation lessons. We know you might have felt a little left out in this post, but you should take this time to celebrate all the work you have achieved because we’re celebrating your progress too!

Stay awesome until the next one!