About
LAFwords is an online tool to help second language learners grow their vocabulary naturally by immersing in real-world contexts where words come to life. Instead of memorizing translations or definitions, you'll experience words like you learned your first language — through repeated exposure to various situations.
What makes LAFwords unique?
Contextual Learning
See words in different sentences and scenarios, helping you understand their deep meaning and nuance.
Feel the Words
Go beyond memorization — start to "feel" the words and use them confidently.
Unexpected Discoveries
Encounter words in surprising and diverse contexts, encouraging deeper understanding and retention.
Why LAFwords works?
The app mirrors how we naturally learn our first language: repeatedly encountering new words in different contexts without requiring direct translation. This helps us build a more intuitive connection to the words and use them flexibly in conversations.
For whom?
LAFwords is a focused tool for those who already have a strong foundation in the language but want to take their vocabulary to the next level or even rediscover it. If you're ready to "feel" your words, LAFwords will help you.
How It Works
LAFwords makes language learning feel natural by guiding you through simple steps:
Add new words
Add new words you meet reading or listening to your backlog. Or add preset collections of words.
Meet new words in real life contexts
Instead of memorizing isolated words, you'll encounter them in various sentences and situations. Whether in dialogues, articles, or stories, each word will appear naturally, just like in real life.
Practice with engaging exercises
Strengthen your understanding through interactive activities focusing on using the words in new contexts. You'll connect words with their meanings, practice different sentence structures, and gradually feel more comfortable using them.
Join the community
Ever find a word used in a way that surprises you? Mark it! LAFwords allows you to flag interesting or unusual word usage. You and other users can explore a dedicated page showcasing these sentences, ranked by community ratings. It's a great way to discover new ways to "feel" the words and deepen your understanding.
Track your progress
As you move through the app, LAFwords keeps track of the words you've encountered, how often you've seen them, and how well you've mastered them. You'll always know where you stand and which words need more practice, helping you confidently progress.
We all know the challenge of expanding our vocabulary when learning a foreign language. But it's not just about memorizing more words. To truly integrate a word into your foreign language toolkit, you need to "feel" it.
The traditional way to learn a word involves memorizing its pronunciation, spelling, and translation into your native language. While this approach might seem like the only option at the beginning of your language journey, it often limits how you use the word later on, restricting it to the context in which you first learned it.
When we acquire our first language, we encounter words repeatedly in a variety of contexts, without any direct translation. We begin to "feel" the word, and eventually, we can understand and use it in any context—even ones we've never encountered before.
This same approach is possible when learning a second language: learn it as you did your first — Learn-As-First.
The idea behind LAFwords — Learn-As-First-words — is to help you enhance your vocabulary by experiencing words in diverse, sometimes unexpected, contexts. This method will help you "feel" the words, learn to "play" with them, and apply them in new situations, even words you thought you already knew.
LAFwords is not a comprehensive language-learning tool. And that's because no single tool can cover all aspects of the incredibly complex and multifaceted language acquisition journey. LAFwords has a more focused purpose: it's a tool for improving the vocabulary of those who already have a solid grasp of the language they're studying.
LAFwords is currently in MVP research and will be available later this year. Stay tuned for our launch: