Why Language In Use exists
When you start learning a language, every teacher tells you the same thing: write the new words down in a notebook with the translation. I've been doing that on and off for over ten years. I rarely went back and read them.
Paper notebooks are forgotten in a drawer. I wanted a tool on my phone or laptop — one that let me build my own dictionaries and actually practise them, not just pile words up. I looked through the App Store, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, nothing fit. So I started building one.
Three pieces
Language In Use is three things that share one database:
1. The mobile & desktop app
Built with .NET MAUI so the same codebase runs on iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. You build personal dictionaries, practise them with games, check spelling and listen to pronunciation. Finishing a game earns points. Everything core is free; a handful of bonus games are unlocked by a small subscription, and occasional rewarded ads keep the lights on for free users.
2. The backend
A .NET 10 API on SQL Server. It holds:
- A multilingual dictionary (English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese at launch).
- Verb conjugations for every supported language.
- Spelling checks and text-to-speech pronunciation.
- Premium content — articles, stories, lessons — produced by the editorial team.
- User accounts, progress tracking, and social features (friends, shared dictionaries, chat).
The same backend powers the website, the apps, and — via the Language In Use SDK — third-party integrations.
3. The website
A reading-first experience with editorial posts in every supported language. Every article links into the dictionary, so tapping a word shows its definition, its translation, and real examples. Readers can build groups — a class, a study circle, a friend group — and share dictionaries inside them. Points, streaks and leaderboards add a light competitive edge.
Why now
In September 2023 I started university for the first time, at Birkbeck, University of London — which happens to be celebrating its 200th anniversary. Birkbeck runs a programme called Pioneer for aspiring entrepreneurs. I'm not the usual twenty-something student — I'm 45 — but Pioneer was the nudge I needed to stop planning and start shipping.
Want to help?
Ideas, feedback, or a word of encouragement — all welcome.