Request- Beginner Learner Option: Show reduced subtitles (every sentence, extension just picks one or two main nouns or verbs to show)

Request
1

“What the hell, an option just show one or two words per sentence? Like you just discard most of the words and pick only one or two main nouns/verbs to show? Why discard most of the sentence intentionally?”

Yup, intentionally discarding most of the words. For beginners to learn a few new words in another language. Let me explain: Useful when say you are watching a video in English and you want Language reactor to translate it to another language. But let’s say that reading the full sentence in the other language would be too fast/too much and you wouldn’t get much from it because you’re a beginner

Then by just showing one or two main words in each sentence, you at least learn a new word. Whereas if you as a beginner saw the whole sentence, you might get overwhelmed

So let me break this down:

  • Say your native language is English
  • And you are watching an English youtube vid
  • You turn on translation from English → Language you are learning, call it X
  • Here’s what the subtitles display: just one or two main words in the sentence in language X, with their pronunciation (pinyin, Romanization, etc), and with its English translation. So just a few words on the screen at a time, very manageable and easy to follow for a beginner

" intentionally discarding information/text to make it easier for a beginner to learn at least one or two words instead of getting lost? Why intentionally discard most of the information? Why dumb it down?"

yup-- because learning something is better than just getting totally lost as a beginner. This may broaden the appeal of the app alot and make it more useful for beginners to a new language. This would just be an option in the extension. If someone advanced/can follow entire sentences later in another language then they can just toggle back to normal mode

2

Honestly a terrible idea. Like I said on your other post - LR has a much better feature where it suggests words based on frequency.

Just get a deck with the most common 1000 words in your target language and use anki or some other SRS to get the foundation you’re wanting to build.

The 80% rule in language learning is based on the idea that a relatively small amount of vocabulary and grammar can enable you to understand and use the majority of everyday language. This concept is often linked to the Pareto Principle, which suggests that 80% of outcomes come from 20% of the efforts or input.

Here’s how the 80% rule applies to language learning:

  1. Core Vocabulary Mastery: Research shows that learning the most common 1,000 to 2,000 words in a language can enable you to understand around 80% of everyday conversations, newspapers, and even some media. With a focus on these high-frequency words, learners can quickly become functional in a language, understanding the general meaning even if they don’t know every word.
  2. Contextual Comprehension: By understanding around 80% of the words in a text or conversation, you can often infer the remaining 20% from context. This skill allows you to engage in more immersive, natural interactions, reinforcing learning through use rather than isolated study.
  3. Efficiency in Grammar and Sentence Structures: In most languages, certain grammar structures and patterns appear much more frequently than others. Focusing on these foundational structures allows you to form sentences and understand common phrases without getting bogged down by less common, complex rules.
  4. Practical Fluency over Perfection: The 80% rule also emphasizes communication over complete fluency. Rather than waiting until you’re fully fluent, achieving 80% comprehension and communication skills allows you to use the language practically and meaningfully—long before you’ve mastered everything.

Benefits of the 80% Rule

  • Faster Progress: By prioritizing the most useful vocabulary and structures, you experience faster gains in comprehension and speaking.
  • Confidence Boost: You can start to engage in real conversations earlier, boosting confidence and motivation to keep learning.
  • Real-Life Utility: Since high-frequency words and patterns are the most commonly used, focusing on them makes your learning directly applicable in real-life situations.

The 80% rule essentially enables language learners to balance efficiency with effectiveness, making it a popular approach for achieving practical language proficiency quickly.

Learning out of context is just a terrible terrible idea

3

What are your thoughts on children’s learning videos where they may say a sentence but just show the main verb or noun to the children?

4

Honestly, I’m not sure how it works for children—I’ve focused more on how teens and adults, especially adults, learn languages.

You mentioned in another post that full sentences feel overwhelming, and honestly, I agree. Language learning is overwhelming. There are so many words to learn for any language that it can feel like a monumental task. It can also be super fun :slight_smile:

In a previous conversation, I might have called your idea terrible and followed up with a detailed “how-to,” but you know what? Language learning isn’t one-size-fits-all. You need to figure out what works best for you. At the same time, don’t ignore language acquisition theory—it provides valuable insights—but remember, it’s not a cookie-cutter solution. (This reminder is as much for me as it is for you. :blush:)

Now, I’ve been thinking. The feature you’re asking about doesn’t seem to exist—at least, I haven’t found it. However, there’s a way to get something similar, and the LR tools could work well for it.

I completely agree with you—it’s overwhelming. I feel it too. But I hope the language you’re learning has plenty of native content available, whether on YouTube, Netflix, or elsewhere. Here’s an idea to focus on a few words at a time, directly from native content:

  1. Choose Content You Enjoy: Don’t settle for children’s shows like Bluey or Peppa Pig unless you genuinely find them entertaining. Personally, I couldn’t stay motivated watching them, but if you can, that’s awesome.

  2. Dive Into Listening: Start by watching native content without subtitles. Just listen. As you notice words that keep popping up or stand out, write them down with the time stamp.

  3. Study Selectively: Limit yourself to studying 10–20 words per session. Use your favorite SRS app to reinforce them.

  4. Refine with Subtitles: Once you’ve identified words worth keeping, turn on subtitles and translations for context. Using the time stamps, go back and save the word along with the sentence it appears in and its translation. Don’t stress about understanding the entire sentence—focus on the word.

  5. Results: Eventually you’ll have enough vocab and mad listening skills to start understanding, but its a long long ride.

This method isn’t revolutionary, and I’m not claiming credit for it. If you go on to become a successful polyglot, feel free to thank “Mr. Anonymous” (wink). But it does emulate very closely what you’re looking for… and probably a little better because it takes a more natural approach.

BONUS Its okay to not understand everything or hardly anything - this is normal. Feeling overwhelmed is also normal. It will get better and easier, just hang in there.

The key is to keep it enjoyable and sustainable. Progress comes from consistently engaging with the language in a way that works for you!

Anyway, I’d like to hear what you think about this idea!