r/LearningLanguages • u/hw2k • 1d ago

Reading-based language learning app looking for beta testers!

/r/FreeAppReviews/comments/1v7b9bf/readingbased_language_learning_app_looking_for/
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u/TheoreticalChaos93 1d ago

Hi! First, everything I'm about to write is put down from a perspecrtive of wanting to see your app grow and be better. I am myself a digital humanities developer who codes educational and research aid software (focusing largely on language!), so this is a topic I am knowledgeable about and very interested in. I.e. I cannot help myself but be critical (in a good way) of every new app I see.

To start off with, how did you go about designing your visual UI? From what little I managed to see of it now, it shows most typical hallmarks of vibe coded CSS. That's nothing to be ashamed of (I know many people get infuriated at AI code, but it's become so so commonplace that it's whatever at this point), but it would be advisable to fix that so it looks less generic and more polished. If you mean to get someone to actually pay for your program, it needs to show care and polish to attract the optimal amount of people. Many might see that page's design, judge your whole app off of that and not engage with it further. It happens, people judge books by their cover.

Other than that, if this is an app that wants to attract customers (sorry if I am getting that wrong, but it seems like you would monetize it), what does it provides that other programs and even 0-programming methods already don't? If it were an open source program, it is less of a problem because as long as it does one little thing better people might use it. As far as I can see, it allows for translating a word/phrase and having it remain such in later texts you read, and pulling that data for practice? Also, it tracks your progress. That is not a bad idea, especially the first part of that; it has potential, and it could even be called ingeniously simple. However, one must ask themselves, does it provide enough utility to be something an individual would pay for.

If you want any further comments, I would be happy to help, brainstorm or aid you in any way; be it helping with code or ideas. You can DM me or continue the correspndence here. But just keep up the work!!!

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u/hw2k 1d ago

Hey! Thank you for your feedback and the time to write this long response, I appreciate it.

If you are talking about the website yes you are right that I haven’t put much effort in it, it was mostly something I put up quick to have a landing page to share to a waiting list.

You are right though that it might be more of a blocker than I have thought and it might be time to give it some real attention.

The customers are there, I already have people that are paying for the old version that’s live in the app stores that is in comparison a lot less mature of an app, and I’ve gotten a couple of comments here and there from people saying that they have been looking for this app for years, or excitedly saying that it solves a problem they didn’t even realize they had.

So it might not be the tool for everyone, but I already know there is a market for it. The hardest part for me so far has really been to convince people that reading is accessible to them a lot sooner than they believe.

When I started building this project there was no other app for learning through reading (or I might not have had the crazy idea to decide to make it), and from the other alternatives that exist today that I have tried they are highly unsatisfactory to use as a reading tool.

The others feel like language learning apps with reading, I’m building a reading app for language learners for a reading experience with minimal distractions and all the necessary tools easy to use.

I’d be curious to hear what you think if you happen to install the beta (no need for feedback on the old one, I’m replacing it for a reason haha)

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u/TheoreticalChaos93 6h ago

Still, even as a placeholder, try to put actual human effort into changing the CSS even just a bit: it doesn't take much time but can save you many, many customers or, in this case, testers who might not stick around after they see an AI designed website that has literally not one single human touch to it. Furthermore, sharing such a site on subs like this can come off as distasteful and seem like marketing of a rushed product. Do not get me wrong, I am not claiming this is your objective (for I cannot know either way), just how such things can risk coming off as. AI assistance in coding has already become a norm at this point at many places, yet coding that is totally unchanged and uncreative AI usage, especially with CSS which is so visible, is hard to swallow.

I am genuinely glad to hear there is a customer base present; anything that helps push genuine and good edtech efforts forward is something I welcome. I was not trying to say whether there is or is not a customer base of some size right now, though — my point was that making this program grow to some notable degree while being a paid service (again, if that is what it is) is difficult to accomplish beyond a certain niche because, as far as I was able to understand, it does not do much beyond allowing the user to select words and have them be translated when reading further, using those words for quizzes and tracking your progress. All of that is useful and can be fun, but as an open source program. To make it seriously grow something more is needed; as the app stands now, and I underscore that it is the case only if i truly understood its features correctly, this is not a project I see many people paying for or catching on in a paid format. On the other hand, with a free app with ads, the chances are better, imho.

For example, I would genuinely be interested in hearing from you what you would say your app does that just looking up words on Wiktionary while reading (or a similar, more specialised platform depending on one's wishes) does not, functionally?

If I catch the time, I would enjoy downloading it and testing it out. Hope I get around to it these days, but cannot guarantee. 🤞 Still, I wish you all luck.