Why am I building a language learning app?
Choosing passion over popularity in product development
"A language learning app. Is that your best use of time?"
Are words that no one has said to me directly - but run through my head sometimes.
Building a language learning app is more than choosing a tech stack.
How do people learn best? What makes it engaging but also informative? Isn't that a lot of work, from deployment to development?
And yeah these are valid concerns. And there are simpler projcets to build. But when I first decided to work on this project, It didn't come from resume padding but identifying a problem.
The Problem
Ever since I was young, I've always been fascinated with languages. From watching shows without subtitles to surprising locals in your community, speaking a language isn't just a jumble of words - its a gateway to beautiful cultures around us.
That being said, its been a tough battle.
School doesn't focus on fluency, instead prioritizing grammar rules that even locals don't know of to teach students. Apps currently available are focused more on milking their customers for cash instead of learning. Expensive subscriptions and a focus on addiction over true learning are the norm sadly.
Every path seems to fall short - is there anything that can be done?
Lumela - The new path forward
Lumela strives to solve this frustration many new learners experience. Instead of focusing on drills and memorizing grammar rules, Lumela will make language learning about you: a conversation about your experiences and what your interests are. Through story-driven modes of learning, you'll learn and remember details far better than from an exam or flashcard relevant towards your life. I know this is a short snippet but the opportunities to learn are truly endless!
Takeaways
Being a CS Student in 2026 is hard.
LeetCode, job applications, projects, and GPA are all factors that go into whether you 'make it or not'.
But I didn't choose this field purely for the title, but to build projects that have postive impact and let me learn something new everyday.
best,
Ramika