two-month programme

We’re an online course with an app that improves your speaking faster than any other available service. Our learning system is effective in any language at any language level.

We offer immersive practice in the language with a team of enthusiastic native speakers. For the first two months, we also offer you coaching in how to learn a language efficiently.

Check our “How it works” page to learn more about our programme.

We offer all languages! 

zinguist is based on a learning framework that can be applied to any language. Just let us know what language you’d like to learn, and we'll make sure you can start within 2 weeks.

Yes, there's an 8-week programme that focuses on 2 main areas:

1. You will learn how to listen to full-speed interactive language (a bit like a child does), and how to memorise phrases (quite like memory champions do and the Ancient Greeks did), and why these three things (immersive interaction/listening exercises/memorising strategically) are all you need to become accurate and confident.

2. We have a special method of immersive practice in the language. Our native speakers are known for their engaging character and trained in the zinguist system. What you could not (yet) say during these sessions becomes the content you learn, delivered via your account in the zinguist app.

After the 8-week programme, we also offer optional follow-up programmes focusing only on continuing to practice speaking in your target language.

The total learning time is less than 1 hour a day. It can fit into any busy schedule because 40 minutes of this time are the exercises completed in your own-time.

We ask participants to allow for:

• 3 x 30 min coaching each week

• 3 x 30 min native speaker practice each week

• 2 x 20 min own-time study each day

You can pause our programme:

1. Anytime if you subscribed to the professional programme.

2. During the holiday season (over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, or for your summer holidays) if you subscribed to the social programme.

First, there is an introductory week, where you’ll get an overview of the course, the tools we use, and the first step of our memory techniques. You will meet your native speaker and start the conversation practice in week 1.

Because our service matches your needs, we offer a rolling start, rather than set calendar dates. If you are learning one of the existing languages, you can start zinguist at the beginning of the next week to signing up. If you are in a real rush, we may be able to start you the next day.

If you are asking us for a language we haven’t yet delivered (Slovak, Lithuanian, Maori), you can start the intro week 1-2 weeks after signing up.

We offer three coaching sessions per week, each of 30 minutes. Each coaching session offers a new skill that you will use to improve your listening and learn the language more effectively. You will apply the techniques learnt in our coaching sessions in your daily practice with the language.

Whilst others are available on request, our core model is three technique coaching sessions per week, each of 30 minutes. Each coaching session offers a new skill that you will use to improve your listening or memory to learn the language faster and more effectively. You will apply the techniques learnt in our coaching sessions daily, and in your practice in the language.

Your mobile app will give you access to the phrases and conversations that are the basis of your learning, and will include recorded phrases from your native speaker.

The Social programme is our lower cost option and is suitable for people who can commit to an agreed fixed time each week.

The Professional Programme offers:

• a greater level of flexibility
  - You can pause your programme.
  - brief 1:1s (with your own mentor) if you miss a session
  - You can opt for a 12 week programme (reduces average daily learning time)

• language for specific work contexts
  - role-play for specific everyday workplace scenarios
  - add-value business options (supplements may apply), such as for training in presentations, or
  a highly specialised native speaker.

• nice-to-haves
  - longer app access: 1 year after completing your programme
  - option of 1:1s with our native speaker team

No. We offer practice in the language with native speakers. Our participants usually meet 2 or 3 native speakers during the course to get used to more than one voice, and to experience more than one personality.

We offer coaching/training in the memory and listening techniques. This may be delivered live with a few different coaches, or by film, supplemented by our coaching team. This will depend on your needs and preferences.

This is open to participants on our Professional programme, but we recommend sessions with a learning partner (one to two [1:2] sessions) as we have found that participants experience greater progress with a pair, and the slightly lower speaking time is made up for by hearing someone interacting with the native speaker.

For most of the 8 weeks, live online sessions with us are divided into two: a) coaching in how to learn effectively, and b) practice with native speakers.

1. Coaching - 3 times a week for 25 mins. These are at the same 30 minute slot three times per week (e.g., Mon/Wed/Thur at 10:00 am). If you need more flexibility, you can opt for the professional programme, which offers brief 1:1s (with your own mentor) if you miss a session.

2. Native speaker session - 3 times a week for 30 mins. They do not have to be at the same time on different days. Most likely, you will be paired with one other learner of the same language and level (unless you opt otherwise in the professional programme). Sessions will be arranged at mutual convenience of you, your pair and your native speaker.

Zinguist can equip you with very useful tools which will support you in becoming a more confident speaker, or help you refine your business or natural speaking skills. Our two-month programme helps everyone, no matter their level, whether starting from scratch or wanting to further develop existing language skills.

We provide a certificate on graduation. However, should you require a particular qualification or certification for a governmental body (e.g. for citizenship), our course will offer the best preparation you can find for gaining such a certificate.

Linguists appear to disagree, and there seem to be many ‘approaches’ to learning a language effectively.

But it’s simpler than that. They all agree (Krashen & Terrel, Berlitz, Asher, Chomsky etc) that language is best learnt naturally, and that we’re really good at doing that.

They showed things like:

• we’re best at learning language through listening

• we learn best when only the target language is used

• we learn best when we are happy, relaxed, and communicating something natural

None of these outstanding academics go far enough in applying their findings to how to learn a language. Why? Because they were still thinking how to adapt it to classroom teaching.

They proved the limitations of classroom teaching, but still gave their ideas within that framework.

You don’t need to be trapped within that framework.

The result of their research adds up to this: teaching and classrooms, grammar and reading are WHAT’S SLOWING YOU DOWN.

Here’s the alternative, and it has a further decade of research and a thousand test cases behind it….

• listen like a child does (not just for meaning)

• develop your memory (you will need the extra power)

• practice in only the language (and learn only what you want to know)

To sign up, go to “Get Started” on the top right corner, choose the course that best fits your needs (Professional or Social), and click on “book”. On the next page, add your email address and payment information, then review and confirm your order.

We will then contact you with useful onboarding information and to schedule your coaching sessions. The course starts on Mondays each week.