What You're Doing
You're functionally fluent, but your fluency is still probably concentrated in familiar domains — everyday conversation, the genres of media you've consumed, and the topics you've discussed with partners. Step outside those areas and you'll hit walls: technical vocabulary you don't know, jargon you've never encountered, writing styles you haven't read.
This sub-phase is about choosing specific domains and becoming genuinely proficient in them. Maybe it's your professional field, a hobby, an academic subject, or a genre of literature. The goal is to go deep enough that you can read, discuss, and write about these topics with the same fluency you have in everyday conversation.
Think about your goal as "becoming more interesting to talk to in the language."
What's New
Nothing is really new in this phase. You've done it all! You should continue to use all the skills and techniques you've learned throughout your journey to constantly improve. The only thing to specifically call out is:
Domain-focused immersion — Choose a few new, specific domains and immerse in them intensively. Read articles, books, and technical writing. Watch lectures, documentaries, and expert discussions. The vocabulary and structures of each domain are specific enough that you'll need dedicated time to learn them, but they build quickly once you start. Domains
Your Routine
Heavy on input, with targeted output. Freeflow and interactive have basically become the same thing at this point. You never need to look up more than a few works per minute:
- Priming: 20%
- Interactive/Freeflow Immersion: 60%
- Output: 20%
Sample Daily Schedule
- Vocab study: 20 mins
- Sentence Mining from chosen domains: 60 mins
- Speaking with Partner or Topic Writing: 20 mins
When to Move On
Move to 7B when you:
- Know 9000+ words
- Can understand and engage meaningfully in a wide range of topics
- Feel comfortable learning new domains