Help center/Learning and self Works today

Learn English a little every day

Your assistant practices with you for a few minutes a day, at your level. It works for other languages too.

Suggested tools

You can set these up yourself. Get the app, follow the steps, then copy the prompt.

• USA Learns

  Free

  A free website with English classes for adults, with videos and practice.

  Open the website

  1. Open usalearns.org on your phone and make a free account.
  2. Start with 1st English Course if you are a beginner.
  3. After a lesson, text your assistant what the lesson was about. A screenshot of the lesson also works.
  4. Ask for five minutes of practice on that same lesson.

  Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

  • I am taking the 1st English Course on USA Learns. Today's lesson was about (topic). Practice it with me for five minutes. Correct my mistakes and explain them in Spanish.

    Copy

  Your assistant cannot see your USA Learns account or your progress. It does not give a certificate.

• Duolingo

  Free with ads. Super Duolingo is optional. The price is shown in the app.

  A free app with short English lessons that feel like a game.

  Download for iPhoneDownload for AndroidOpen the website

  1. Install Duolingo and choose English. You can set the app to Spanish.
  2. Do one lesson a day.
  3. When you get an answer wrong and do not know why, take a screenshot.
  4. Text the screenshot to your assistant and ask why.

  Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

  • I am learning English with Duolingo and I want you to be my tutor. Walk me through it one step at a time and wait for me after each step: when I get an answer wrong and do not know why, I take a screenshot and send it here. Then explain in Spanish why it is wrong and give me three more sentences like it to practice.

    Copy

  Your assistant cannot see your Duolingo lessons or your streak. It only sees the screenshots you send.

• BBC Learning English

  Free

  Free short English programs to listen to, with new ones every week.

  Open the website

  1. Open the BBC Learning English website and choose your level.
  2. Listen to one short program, such as Real Easy English or 6 Minute English.
  3. Copy the link of the page and text it to your assistant.
  4. Ask for a short quiz on the new words.

  Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

  • I listened to this BBC Learning English program: (paste the link). Ask me five questions about it in simple English. Then teach me the new words, with the meaning in Spanish.

    Copy

  It uses British English, which sounds a little different from English in the United States. Your assistant reads the page. It does not hear the audio.

What to text

• I want to practice English for 10 minutes. I am a beginner. Talk with me about my day and fix my mistakes kindly.

  Copy

• How do I say this to a customer in English: "Su pedido estará listo el viernes"?

  Copy

• Fix my English and show me what you changed: (type your sentence)

  Copy

• Teach me 5 words I need at the bank. Then quiz me.

  Copy

• Let's practice a phone call. You are a customer who wants a quote. Speak simple English.

  Copy

• I want to practice Spanish for 10 minutes. I am a beginner.

  Copy

Steps

1. Text your level and how many minutes you have.
2. Pick something from your real life: work, the bank, the school, the doctor.
3. Write in English, even with mistakes. Ask it to fix them and show what changed.
4. When you do not understand, ask it to explain in Spanish.
5. At the end, ask: "What 3 things should I remember from today?"
6. Come back tomorrow and say "Let's practice again."

Example conversation

Make it stick

• Ten minutes a day beats one hour a week. Pick the same time each day.
• Practice words you need this week, for work or for an appointment.
• Use it to practice, not as the last word on grammar rules. It can be wrong. For important papers, ask a person who knows the language well.