Show HN: I made a tool to learn languages from human content instead of chatbots
Hello, I am the author of The Hard Way Guide (ShowHN'ed back in 2023), a practical handbook on language learning based on Second Language Acquisition research.
My follow up project [1] is a note-taking + SRS tool that emphasizes active learning over passive consumption through the creation of personalized materials.
Naturally, I named it The Hard Way App :)
*Core functionality:*
* Upload/import content from books, web pages, podcasts, YouTube, etc.
* Highlight any text to generate flashcards with native pronunciations (no TTS), contextual examples, translations, etc.
* Trim and extract audio clips within the editor for SRS flashcards.
* Spaced repetition engine optimized for language acquisition patterns and sustainable backlog size.
* Offline-first with SQLite storage; materials stay exclusively on your device.
There is minimal AI, most notably DeepL + OpenAI 4o-mini for translations; mined data comes from various sources.
I don't have a demo per se, but the tutorial has a couple of quick videos [2], [3] showing the most relevant features.
If active learning resonates with you, I'd love for you to give The Hard Way App a try and let me know what do you think.
It is currently in Beta, so apologies in advance for any rough edges!