5 years of trying to learn a language — nothing worked. Until I started learning my own words
Tutors, business schools, apps — and the feeling of "I'm learning someone else's words." The method that transfers your active vocabulary into another language: prompts + a free app.
01 — The failure
Why didn't 5 years of lessons let me talk about my own work?
Nothing worked… Over 5 years of attempts I gave up hundreds of times. Tutors. Business schools. Different apps.
And every time, one feeling: I'm learning someone else's words.
Useful ones, sure. But not mine. "Negotiate," "stakeholder," "pitch" — those aren't the words I think about myself in. Not the ones I need to talk about the research that hooked me. About the model I use. About how I see education, people, the things I'm building.
My words stayed untranslated and unused. The gap never closed: the weather, though — no problem at all.
02 — The reversal
What's the core mistake of standard language learning?
My friend put it better than I could: "You learn a million words you never use. And when you need to talk about your project or research — you freeze. This app transfers your active vocabulary into the other language."
Textbook → general vocabulary → units about weather and airports. A year in, you can hold small talk — but can't describe your life's work.
Your posts, notes and calls → your real active vocabulary → transferred into the other language. You immediately learn to talk about what you actually talk about daily.
The logic is simple: in your native language you have an active vocabulary — the words you actually think and work in. An education expert's differs from a designer's, which differs from a lawyer's. Standard courses ignore this and hand everyone one averaged set. What you need to learn is precisely the opposite — your words.
So I did what I always do when something annoys me long enough: I solved the problem for myself.
03 — The method
How do you build a personal vocabulary from your own materials?
The method's foundation is your materials: posts, notes, call transcripts, articles you read, voice messages. Everything you genuinely interact with in your native language. From this, a language profile is built — and practice sessions grow from it. It works in plain ChatGPT too:
5–10 of your texts: posts, work notes, a call or voice-note transcript. The criterion: things you actually talk about weekly. Don't use others' articles — you need your language.
Send the materials with the prompt: "Analyze my texts and build my active vocabulary: the 50–70 words and expressions I use most that matter for my topics. Group by theme. Translate into [language] — with a usage example in MY context for each."
Ten minutes daily: "Ask me a question in [language] about my project/topic from my vocabulary. I'll answer — correct my mistakes, show how a native would say it, and highlight words from my vocabulary I could have used."
Before a real event — a rehearsal: "Play [the counterpart: a client, a conference attendee]. I'll describe my project in [language]. Ask follow-ups, then give a review: what sounded unnatural and how to improve."
Weekly, drop in new notes and posts: "Update my vocabulary: what's new in my topics? Add translations and remove what I already use confidently." The vocabulary grows with you.
04 — The app
What does this look like as a finished tool?
I built an app for myself that automates the whole cycle. You upload your materials — posts, notes, transcripts — it analyzes them, builds your language profile and creates personalized practice on exactly those words. Not random vocabulary. Yours.
I was told not to keep it to myself 😁 So if you want to practice languages on YOUR OWN materials — try it: language-ai-pro.vercel.app. Basic sign-up, a couple of questions about yourself, drop in any note of yours — and you can start a practice session on your own words. It's free right now — we're in test mode; multiple languages, not just English.
Your materials → language profile → personal practice
- conversation sessions on YOUR topics
- words from YOUR active vocabulary
- progress on what you actually need,
not on "Unit 7: At the Airport"Incidentally, this is exactly what I spoke about at a UN round table in Vienna: learning must be personalized — to the person, their life, their interests. Language is just the most vivid example.
05 — The start
Where do you start this week?
The minimal start is one evening:
- Collected 5–10 of my texts (posts, notes, transcripts)
- Extracted my personal vocabulary with the step 2 prompt — 50–70 of my words
- Did the first 10-minute practice on my own topic
- Rehearsed one real scenario (a pitch, an introduction, a call)
- Scheduled 10 daily minutes — on my topics, not on "units"
- Tried the app on my own materials (optional)
Five years didn't fail because I'm incapable — they failed because I was learning someone else's words. The reversal is simple: your active vocabulary already exists — in your posts, notes and calls. Transfer that into the other language instead of "Unit 7" — and watch how fast you start speaking about what matters to you.
FAQ
Does this replace a tutor and textbooks?
It changes the content of learning, not the need for practice: grammar and pronunciation still matter. But the vocabulary and topics become yours — and that's what breaks the "years of study, still can't discuss my work" effect. A tutor plus a personal vocabulary is a great combination.
What language level does the method require?
It works from any level above zero: early practice is simpler (the model adjusts if you ask), but the words are yours from day one. The earlier you start learning your vocabulary instead of a random one, the less time you waste on words you'll never use.
Which materials produce the best vocabulary?
The ones where you speak in your own words about your own work: posts, work notes, call and voice-note transcripts. Others' articles and textbook texts work poorly — they yield someone else's vocabulary, returning you to the original problem.
What's the app and what does it cost?
Language AI Pro (language-ai-pro.vercel.app) — the app I built for myself: upload your materials, it builds a language profile and creates practice on your words. Free right now — we're in test mode. Multiple languages beyond English. The same method also works manually with the article's prompts.
