The best way to learn Lithuanian is a mix: mostly Lithuanian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Lithuanian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Lithuanian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Lithuanian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, radio and the news | Lithuanian at natural speed | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why the end of a word changes | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Lithuanian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Live in LithuaniaRead and hear Lithuanian about everyday life most of the time, such as shopping and seeing a doctor, and practice those talks with a teacher.
- Pass the State Language ExamRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample tests from the National Agency for Education, which runs the exam, as the test gets close.
- Work in LithuanianRead and hear Lithuanian about your field most of the time, and practice the polite jūs (you) with a tutor.
- Travel to LithuaniaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Follow the NewsPut most of your time into reading, starting with the short, easy stories on 15min Lengvai and moving on to the news on LRT, Lithuania's public broadcaster.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Lithuanian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Duostories for stories or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Lithuanian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | The free lessons and websites listed by Lithuania's Migration Information Centre | Ling, with short lessons on everyday topics, or Pimsleur for audio lessons |
| Reading and listening at your level | Short stories with audio on Duostories, and the Lithuanian with Paulius podcast | Bubblegum or Fluent Fiction |
| Shows, radio and the news | The easy news on LRT Paprastai, and films and series on LRT Epika, both from LRT | Language Reactor for YouTube, or Readlang for web pages you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar and stress | Kirčiuoklis, a free tool from Vytautas Magnus University that marks the stress in any text | Clozemaster, where you fill in the missing word in whole sentences |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you away from real Lithuanian sentences you can follow.
- Reading Lithuanian Like EnglishIn Lithuanian, j sounds like the y in yes, as in jūra (sea), and stress can fall on any syllable, so play the audio as you read.
- Word Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, such as Einu į parduotuvę (I'm going to the shop), so each word comes with the ending it takes in a real sentence.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave Lithuanian films for when you can follow most of a scene, and listen to podcasts made for learners before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Lithuanian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own. If you live in Vilnius, the city offers free courses to foreign residents, and AšKalbu.lt lists them with other classes.
Should I learn Lithuanian grammar first?
No. Start reading and listening right away, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Gyvenu Kaune (I live in Kaunas) and Dirbu Kaune (I work in Kaunas), it is easy to see that Kaune means "in Kaunas."
Which Lithuanian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Lithuanian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Lithuanian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- National Agency for Education (NŠA), sample tests for the Lithuanian language exams for foreigners
- Migration Information Centre: Independent Learning (free lessons and websites for learning Lithuanian)
- LRT: Vilnius to offer free Lithuanian language courses to foreign residents
- Kalbu (Vytautas Magnus University): Kirčiuoklis
- Duostories: Lithuanian stories for English speakers
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Lithuanian (free language exchange)
