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
How the learning engine works, and the research behind each design choice.
- 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 - 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
How people actually talk — register, slang, and the language of a specific place.
- 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 - 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
Data
How we measure progress honestly, from real usage rather than vanity metrics.