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This page explains the concepts and features behind PhraseWeaver. Each section corresponds to a part of the app.
Dashboard — Conversation Islands
PhraseWeaver organizes language learning around Conversation Islands — short, realistic exchanges of 8 to 12 lines on a single topic: ordering food, asking directions, greeting a neighbor.
Rather than memorizing words out of context — the familiar but often frustrating experience of vocabulary lists — this approach builds fluency around whole phrases. Research on how fluent speakers actually use language shows that we don't assemble sentences word by word from grammar rules. Instead, we store and retrieve language in ready-made chunks: short expressions internalized through repeated exposure. Fluency comes from accumulating a large bank of these chunks and being able to slot new vocabulary into familiar patterns.
What each island card shows
- Familiarity score — the percentage of phrases in that island you have been exposed to at least 12 times. As this grows, the phrases are becoming automatic.
- Mastered count — phrases you have passed pronunciation assessments on at least three times, indicating active production ability, not just recognition.
- Due-for-review link — when the spaced repetition schedule determines that phrases need reinforcement, this link appears so you can review them at the optimal moment for long-term retention.
The Global Library contains ready-made islands at different CEFR proficiency levels, available on every plan. Premium subscribers can also create custom islands, manually or with AI assistance.
Island Detail — Study Modes and Pronunciation
The island detail page is your main study workspace for a single island.
Master Audio Tracks
Three modes are available once you select a translation language:
- Active Recall: source phrase plays, then a pause during which you try to recall the translation, then the translation plays twice. This trains active retrieval — producing language from memory rather than just recognizing it.
- Shadowing: the translation plays twice for each phrase with a gap between. Speak along, imitating the rhythm and intonation as closely as you can. This builds muscle memory for pronunciation.
- Continuous Dialogue: the translation plays through the whole conversation with minimal gaps. Use this for listening comprehension and to hear the island as a natural exchange.
Pronunciation checks
Each phrase has a Record pronunciation button, visible when a translation language is selected. After playing a phrase, record yourself saying it. The recording is scored out of 10. A score below 7 resets your exposure count for that phrase, prompting more practice. Three passing assessments (score 7 or above) earns full mastery for that phrase.
Grammar notes
Use the Show grammar notes button above the phrase list to reveal the grammatical structure, register, and a usage tip for each phrase.
Creating an Island — AI-Assisted vs Manual
Both paths create the same kind of island — the difference is who writes the phrases.
AI-Assisted works best when you want to study a real-life scenario and don't want to write the script yourself. The AI draws on your word exposure history to pitch phrases at an appropriate level, and you must set a proficiency ratio to control how challenging the vocabulary is. An optional seed words field lets you steer specific vocabulary into the dialogue. You will see and can edit the generated phrases before the island is committed — nothing is saved until you press Create Island.
Manual works best when you already have content: a script from a language class, phrases from a book or film, or dialogues you have translated yourself. You write each phrase, assign speaker roles, and the island is created immediately.
Credits
Audio generation costs 2 credits per phrase at creation (one source clip, one target clip). Adding a second language to an existing island costs 1 credit per phrase, as the source clips are reused. Re-generating audio after a phrase edit costs 1 credit per phrase per language, though the audio cache means unchanged text is always free.
Language Library — CEFR Levels and Curriculum
The Language Library contains ready-made Conversation Islands curated by PhraseWeaver, organized by CEFR proficiency level — the internationally recognized scale running from A1 (complete beginner) through C2 (near-native fluency). All available levels appear on your dashboard automatically. Library islands are available on every plan.
Starting with A1 or A2 is recommended even if you have some prior knowledge. The early levels build the high-frequency chunk vocabulary that underpins everything above them — skipping ahead often means encountering structures whose building blocks are not yet automatic.
Each level is divided into thematic sections. A section groups islands around a communicative situation — ordering food, asking for directions, talking about health. Work through sections in order within a level; the vocabulary and structures introduced in earlier sections recur in later ones.
If you want to remove a level from your dashboard, use the Remove from dashboard button on the level page. You can add it back at any time and your study progress will still be there.
Learning Path — Nine-Stage Structured Progression
A Learning Path takes you through nine structured study stages for a single island, moving from first exposure through to fluency practice. Each stage focuses on a different aspect of language acquisition: passive listening, active recall, pronunciation, grammar analysis, and free production.
The stages are designed to be worked through in order. Completing them in sequence is more effective than repeating any single stage, because each stage builds on the neural pathways strengthened by the previous one. You can pause at any stage and return later — your progress is saved.
The path overview page shows all nine stages with their current status. The current stage is expanded by default with a direct link to begin or continue it. Completed stages remain accessible if you want to revisit them.
Flashcards — Spaced Repetition and Scoring
Flashcard sessions use spaced repetition to schedule when each phrase next appears for review. How you respond to each card directly affects that schedule:
- Got it: tells the system you recalled the phrase successfully. The next review date is pushed further out — days, then weeks — so your study time concentrates on what you do not yet know.
- Try again: flags the phrase for an earlier review. Phrases you find difficult reappear more frequently until they become solid.
Flip the card to reveal the translation, phonetic guide, grammar notes, and the pronunciation recorder. You can also choose to start with the target language side if you want to practice producing the source phrase from the translation. The mute button on the launch screen and during the session disables automatic audio playback, useful if you want to practice visual recall or study somewhere quiet.
The due-only mode, available from the dashboard and review hub, shows only phrases whose review date has arrived, making sessions shorter and more focused on what needs attention.
Keyboard shortcuts: arrow keys navigate cards, Space flips, G for Got it, T for Try again, Escape to exit.
Vocabulary Flashcards — Mastery Tracking and Definitions
Vocabulary flashcards work through the key words extracted from this island's phrases. Because the words come from conversation you have already studied, they carry context — you know the sentences they appear in, which reinforces retention.
Got it and Try again here track your mastery progress for each word — specifically how many pronunciation assessments you have passed — rather than scheduling a future review date as phrase flashcards do.
Flip the card to reveal the target-language word, two definitions — one written in your source language for quick comprehension, one in the target language for deeper immersion — and the pronunciation recorder.
The mute button disables automatic audio playback if you want to practice visual recall or study somewhere quiet.
Keyboard shortcuts: arrow keys navigate, Space flips, G for Got it, T for Try again, Escape to exit.
Test Modes — Fill in the Blank, Type What You Hear, Type the Translation
The three test modes are accessed from the Test Your Knowledge section on the island detail page. Unlike flashcards, test results do not affect your spaced repetition schedule — they are a separate diagnostic layer for checking your knowledge without disrupting the review calendar.
Fill in the Blank
Each question shows a phrase with one vocabulary word removed; choose the correct word from four options. This tests recognition in context — seeing vocabulary in a sentence and selecting the right form. It works best after you have heard the phrases several times, because it checks whether vocabulary is becoming familiar rather than testing cold recall.
Type What You Hear
Each phrase plays aloud; type exactly what you hear and submit. You will see a word-by-word breakdown showing which words were correct, where a special character was missing, and any spelling errors. Transcription sharpens listening discrimination — the ability to separate individual words in connected speech. Errors consistently appearing at the same word reveal where your ear has not yet isolated that sound from its neighbors.
Type the Translation
Each phrase is shown and you must type the translation from memory. The forward direction (source to target) and reverse direction (target to source) are separate modes. This is the most demanding of the three because it requires active recall — retrieving language from memory without any audio cue. Errors here indicate phrases that need more flashcard exposure before the form becomes automatic.
In all three modes, phrases are presented in random order. At the end of each session your score is recorded so you can track improvement over time on the Island Progress page.
Deep-Dive Assessment — Comprehensive CEFR Evaluation
Deep-Dive Assessment records up to 60 seconds of you speaking in your target language and sends the audio to an AI model for a comprehensive CEFR-aligned evaluation. You will receive an estimated proficiency level, a written summary of your performance, a list of strengths, and specific areas to improve. The assessment covers pronunciation, fluency, rhythm, intonation, and grammatical accuracy.
Unlike per-phrase pronunciation checks, which assess a single recorded line, a Deep-Dive captures natural connected speech and evaluates patterns across the whole sample. This gives a truer picture of overall fluency than any individual phrase check can — you can score well on isolated phrases while still struggling with flow and rhythm in real conversation.
Premium accounts receive 5 assessments per month. Your allowance resets on the 1st of each month. Analysis typically takes 10 to 30 seconds after you stop recording.
Review Hub — Spaced Repetition Timing
Phrases become due for review based on the spaced repetition schedule set by your Got it and Try again responses in flashcard sessions. The timing is deliberate: the system prompts you just before you are likely to forget, which is when reviewing takes the least effort and produces the strongest long-term retention. Reviewing too early wastes study time; reviewing too late means relearning from scratch.
This page aggregates due phrases across all your islands so you can work through them in one session rather than visiting each island separately. Each island's review session shows only its due phrases, keeping sessions short and focused.
If phrases are accumulating faster than you can review them, a few focused sessions working through the backlog will reset the schedule — regular short sessions are more effective than occasional long ones.
Island Progress — Score Trajectory and Mastery
This page shows your latest pronunciation score and mastery state for each phrase in an island. A phrase is mastered when you pass three pronunciation assessments (score 7 or higher). A score of 9 or 10 counts as two passes.
The score trajectory shows the sequence of scores from all your past assessments for each phrase, letting you see whether your pronunciation is improving over time. A steady upward trend, even with some variation, indicates genuine progress.
Play count and passing assessments measure different things. Play count reflects how many times you have listened to a phrase and drives the familiarity score on your dashboard — it is a measure of exposure. Passing assessments reflect whether you can produce the phrase correctly when recorded — a measure of active ability. You can have high familiarity and zero mastery, or reach mastery quickly on a phrase you have heard fewer times. Both matter, but they are independent.
If scores are consistently low for a phrase, spending time in Shadowing mode on the island detail page — which lets you hear the phrase and speak along before recording — often helps.
Island Vocabulary — Word Selection and Definitions
The vocabulary list is automatically generated from this island's phrases. The AI selects up to 12 words per target language based on pedagogical value — words that are high-frequency for the topic, grammatically representative, or likely to be new to an intermediate learner. The list updates automatically if phrases are added, edited, or removed.
Each entry shows two definitions:
- Definition: written in your source language, for quick comprehension when a word is unfamiliar.
- Reference definition: written in the target language, to help you think in the language rather than translating back and forth.
You can listen to audio for both the source and target word, and record your pronunciation using the Record button beneath each entry. Pronunciation assessments here work the same way as phrase assessments: three passing scores (7 or above) earns mastery for that word.
The Vocabulary Flashcards link at the top of the page offers a faster way to drill these words in sequence.
Island Grammar — Cross-Phrase Pattern Analysis
The grammar analysis is automatically generated from this island's phrases. Rather than listing grammar notes phrase by phrase, it synthesizes the patterns that appear across the whole conversation — grouping related structures, naming them clearly, and explaining how they work in context.
Each pattern includes a plain-language description, example phrases drawn from the island, and a practical usage tip. The example phrases section is collapsed by default; expand it to see specific instances from the conversation you have been studying.
The analysis is specific to the target language you select. If the island has multiple translation languages, each has its own separate grammar analysis. The analysis updates automatically when phrases are added or removed.
Use this tab as a reference alongside your flashcard practice — understanding why a phrase is structured the way it is reinforces retention more effectively than repeated exposure alone.
Retention Analysis — Ease Factor and Review Intervals
This page gives you a diagnostic view of every phrase you have mastered, across all islands, showing the health of each one within the spaced repetition system.
The ease factor is a running measure of how easily you recall a phrase. It starts at 2.5 for every phrase and adjusts with each flashcard session: pressing Got it nudges it upward, pressing Try again pulls it down. A low ease factor means you have consistently found this phrase difficult — the system compensates by scheduling it more frequently, but extra practice in Shadowing or Active Recall mode on the island detail page will help more than simply waiting for the next review date.
The review interval is the current gap in days between reviews. For a phrase you recall easily this grows steadily — a few days, then weeks, then months. A low ease factor keeps the interval short because the system schedules that phrase more aggressively.
Phrases are sorted with the most overdue first, then by ease factor lowest first — so the top of the list is where your attention is most needed.