My favorite video game of all time is Oblivion. I spent several weeks exploring that game world—a worrying amount of that time was spent robbing cutlery, bowls, and books from poor villagers, but let’s not get into that—and still remember it fondly all these years later.
Approximately 10 days into my obsession, I lost all of my save files. I loved the game so much that I didn’t want to give up. Instead, I spent the next 2 days re-doing everything.
It was boring. It was a slog. But there was a faint element of excitement and intrigue that kept me going. More importantly, I knew that the reward at the end—reaching the point where my previous file had corrupted—would make it all worthwhile.
That’s what learning a language feels like for me.
I am not one of these students that obsess over grammar and enjoys spending hours watching foreign TV shows and reading about imperatives and gerunds. I don’t enjoy the journey—it’s just a means to an end.
That’s largely why I didn’t learn my first foreign language until I was 30. It’s also why I’m still looking for the fastest or the most-passive ways to learn as I approach 40 (3+ languages later).
I started 88Weeks with similar learners in mind. As a full-time writer, part-time language nerd, and secret procrastinator, I have tried countless tricks and solutions and have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Why 88Weeks?
The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) maintains a “difficulty list” of foreign languages. The list is split into 5 categories and records how long it takes for an English speaker to learn a specific language from A1 through to B2/C1 (classed as “Professional Working Proficiency”).
In the first category, you’ll find languages like French, Spanish, and Norwegian, which take between 24 and 30 weeks of full-time study.
The highest level is reserved for Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Cantonese, all of which require 88 weeks of full-time study.
Therefore, 88 weeks of full-time, dedicated study is enough to learn all major languages as an English speaker.
That’s where our name comes from.
Who Runs 88Weeks?
I am a freelance writer, published author, business owner, and language geek. I am a native English speaker living between Newcastle, England, and San Diego, California (it’s complicated), and I created the site with help from a small team of editors/researchers and developers.
The opinions expressed here are all my own and I am always 100% honest. When I first started this journey I purchased some expensive language software off the back of a positive review. I trusted the writer and was intrigued by their experiences and the fact they had used the same software to attain Portuguese fluency.
However, it was terrible, I learned nothing, and to rub salt into the wounds, I then found an interview from the same writer who attributed their fluency to living in Portugal and having a Portuguese girlfriend.
The review was nonsense, as are countless other so-called professional/critical reviews. With 88Weeks, I wanted to do something different and ensure I was only recommending software that actually works.
You’ll notice that most of the reviews on this site are negative. It’s not because I’m a grumpy cynic who finds fault with everything (contrary to what my wife would tell you). It’s simply because there is a lot of junk out there.
Also, from the perspective of my own journey, I used a lot of junk programs before I eventually found the ones that worked, and that’s when I stopped looking.