How it works, and the research behind it.
Every method in SayLocal traces back to published work on how people actually reach fluency. These guides explain what the app does and cite the evidence for it.
- Method·6 min read
Why we generate every lesson one step past your level
The science of i+1: why comprehensible input one step beyond your current ability drives language acquisition, and how SayLocal builds it for you.
May 25, 2026 - Method·6 min read
How SayLocal decides when to show you a word again
Spaced repetition, explained: why the timing of reviews matters more than the volume, and how the FSRS scheduler decides when each word comes back.
May 25, 2026 - Dialect & register·5 min read
Why we teach それな, not 私も全く同感でございます
Register and dialect, explained: why textbook Japanese sounds wrong in real conversations, and how SayLocal tags every phrase by who you can say it to and when.
May 25, 2026 - Data·5 min read
What an honest fluency forecast looks like
Why a streak is not progress, and how SayLocal estimates your real CEFR level and days-to-next-level from the words you actually know and the pace you actually move.
May 25, 2026 - Method·6 min read
Why we score your pitch, not just your grammar
Pitch accent changes which Japanese word a listener hears. Here is why it matters, the evidence that adults can still learn it, and how SayLocal trains and scores it.
May 25, 2026 - Method·6 min read
Why we make you listen before you talk
The case for input first: why high-volume listening you can mostly follow builds comprehension faster than drilling hard clips, and how the listening dojo delivers it.
May 25, 2026 - Dialect & register·5 min read
Paisa Spanish: why your Spanish class will not get you through Medellín
Medellín speaks paisa Spanish — voseo, parce, hágale pues, and false friends a neutral course never teaches. Here is what is different and how SayLocal teaches the local version.
May 25, 2026
Sources
The full bibliography behind these guides — 13 peer-reviewed and primary sources across 7 articles. Every claim links back to its origin.
- 01 Bjork, E. L., & Bjork, R. A. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. Psychology and the Real World (FABBS Foundation). Link ↗
- 02 Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
- 03 Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in learning: A temporal ridgeline of optimal retention. Psychological Science, 19(11), 1095–1102. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02209.x
- 04 Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966–968. doi:10.1126/science.1152408
- 05 Kasper, G., & Rose, K. R. (2002). Pragmatic development in a second language. Language Learning Monograph Series, 52(s1). Blackwell. Link ↗
- 06 Krashen, S. D. (1985). The Input Hypothesis: Issues and Implications. Longman. Link ↗
- 07 Logan, J. S., Lively, S. E., & Pisoni, D. B. (1991). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/: A first report. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 89(2), 874–886. Link ↗
- 08 Nation, I. S. P. (2006). How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening?. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(1), 59–82. Link ↗
- 09 Pimsleur, P. (1967). A memory schedule. The Modern Language Journal, 51(2), 73–75. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.1967.tb06700.x
- 10 Renandya, W. A., & Farrell, T. S. C. (2011). “Teacher, the tape is too fast!” Extensive listening in ELT. ELT Journal, 65(1), 52–59. Link ↗
- 11 Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
- 12 Shport, I. A. (2016). Training English listeners to identify pitch-accent patterns in Tokyo Japanese. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 38(4), 739–769. Link ↗
- 13 Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press. Link ↗