Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions on Ephisto, if you can't find an answer here then please feel free to mail us on the contact form.

How do I start learning a language on Ephisto?

After you choose your language to learn and have signed up, go to Edit profile and set your language goals and activity level. And off you go. The Ephisto engine then generates tasks for you to reach your goals. And, guess what? As long as you follow your personal tasks, you will learn your language.

Do you have any quick language learning tips I can use then?

Remember to be active, come back often and actually use the language. Comment on articles, read other comments, get engaged, chat to people in text, sound or video! Together we can all learn a lot. And, most importantly, take risks with your language, don't worry about making mistakes. It is often through mistakes we learn.

Isn't it hard work?

No, not really. Of course you have to put some effort into learning a language, but part of the Ephisto concept is that it shouldn't be hard work. It should be quick, fun, measurable and meaningful. Our aim is that you will login a few times a week for 15-20 minutes and have a great time. Not dread having to get your head down and study languages.

I am already on a language class. Why bother?

If you use Ephisto then you will get even more from your regular language class. You can add words from your regular class, invite your classmates so you'll never lose contact and what's more, practise the language for real with other enthusiastic language learners. We do have a basic free membership so you will always have access to your language learning here on Ephisto. It's also possible to set up a language exchange with someone from another country.

I only want to learn a language for 6 months. Can I do that?

That's no problem. Our philosophy is that language learning is for life, but doesn't replace it. That means you should be able to learn more intensively sometimes but still be able to keep your language going in-between. That's why we have a basic free forever membership to let you revise and learn slower. This is a key difference between Ephisto and other ways of learning a language.

How much does it cost?

We think it is our responsibility to knock down the barriers to you learning a language, be they time, difficulty or cost-related. So, a basic Ephisto account is free of charge. For this you can read some content each week, comment on articles, digital language coach, play games and get definitions from the community dictionaries and follow your progress with the Ephisto engine.

The premium account costs 199 euro for 12 months and includes a range of content as well as a digital language coach. It also includes live up-to-the-minute news in that language, leading dictionaries, with pronunciation and definitions, a shoal, ratings, voice and video chat and live text chat and of course the Ephisto engine's measurement of your progress towards your specific objectives.

What is a "shoal"?

A shoal is a group of 30 language learning mates which we dynamically create for you each month. This is based on how active you are, your level, your language and some other parameters. Each shoal gets a set of tasks based on the needs of the members. As long as you do your tasks, you will all learn. You get points for all your learning activities and if you work together within your shoal, you get even more points.

Help! How do I get help on the site?

In the top right-hand corner of each field or language activity on Ephisto there is a "?". If you click on this then you will be able to get help from your digital language coach. This text describes exactly how the particular function works.