Use This Science-Built Prompt To Learn a Language in 12-Weeks
Ditch Duolingo for a copy-paste prompt that builds an evidence-based system from zero to conversational fluency.
Welcome to edition #229 of the Lifelong Learning Club. Every Monday, you receive a free preview to help you learn smarter. For the full suite of science-backed strategies and expert AI prompts, consider becoming a paid member.
“Sawadee ka,” I mumble, and stop.
One week in Thailand and all I’ve done is repeating my smile, nod, freeze sequence. The last time I felt this incompetent in a language I needed was in 2017 just before heading to Chile for an exchange semester.
Back then, I will-powered my way through 5,000 flashcards, a crash course in spaced repetition, fueled by my fear of failing my classes. It worked, but it was chaotic and I didn’t know whether it was really the best way to learn a language. I had no framework, no structure, no feedback.
Nine years later, and a lot has changed.
I’ve studied how adults learn, interviewed polyglots, reviewed second-language research, and watched AI reshape what’s possible. We now have tools that adapt to us. You can build a language system around your life, constraints, and goals.
This article shows you how.
I built a 12-week Thai learning system from scratch (no Duolingo, rote drills, or “try Youtube” advice). Instead, I used methods that work:
Comprehensible input to flood the brain with almost-understandable content
Inductive grammar to spot patterns without memorizing rules
Errorfull learning to practice and get feedback
AI as tutor and role-play partner
I’ll share the exact research-level prompt I used to generate a personalized learning roadmap, my three-phase project plan, and the tools I trust (and the ones I avoid).
You’ll also see how I turned a vague intention—“I want to speak Thai”—into a system I actually follow. Whether you’re starting fresh or restarting a stalled language, this piece gives you the evidence-based personalized plan to learn faster and smarter.
The Prompt You Can Copy to Get Your Master Plan
If you ask an AI, “How do I learn Thai?”, it will give you the internet’s greatest hits: “Try Duolingo” or “memorize common phrases.” None of that is wrong, but none of it is fully aligned with how adult brains actually acquire a new language.
The prompt below fixes that. It hard-codes the evidence-based principles I explored before (sources below this articles) and directs your LLM of choice to build a plan that is realistic, personalized, and actually doable.
All you need to do is copy it, replace the [brackets] with your details, paste it into ChatGPT Deep Research, Claude 4.5 Opus, or Gemini 3.5 Deep Research (I tested all three so you don’t have to), and let it build your roadmap.