Stop Studying While Sitting! Let's Learn Foreign Languages While Walking! WalkLingo!
A Language Study Method for Developers Who Struggle to Sit Still
I work as a programmer, and because I spend so much time sitting, my back and neck often hurt and my eyes get tired. After getting off work, when I wanted to study a foreign language as a hobby, sitting back down at a desk felt really hard. So I started thinking about wanting to study foreign languages while walking around. Language isn’t something you’re originally supposed to study at a desk—it’s something you naturally pick up—so I figured I could learn it just fine while walking around too.
The most important thing I kept in mind while building the app was that it had to run in the background. Since it’s not easy to keep staring at your phone screen while walking around outside, a key consideration was making the app work through Bluetooth earphones even while the phone is in your pocket. I tend to take walks often, so I came up with the idea of designing it around the concept of a phone call.
I also added vocabulary memorization, since that’s necessary too. Sometimes I have to move around from place to place, and carrying a heavy vocabulary book around during those times wasn’t easy. So I added a vocabulary feature as well, and likewise made it possible to practice while walking around outside.
Give It a Try!
There’s still a lot that needs improvement, but it’s currently available on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Since I made this app for my own use as a developer, I plan to keep improving it going forward!
Note
This app was also submitted to a hackathon called Shipaton, hosted by a company called RevenueCat. While I was building the app, there happened to be a great hackathon going on, so I decided to join in while I was at it.