The best way to learn Slovenian is a mix: mostly Slovenian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Slovenian 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 Slovenian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Slovenian 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 | Natural, everyday Slovenian | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why a sentence works, such as which case ending to use | 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 Slovenian 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.
- Travel to SloveniaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass a Slovene Language ExamRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample test for your level from the University of Ljubljana's Centre for Slovene as the exam gets close.
- Move to SloveniaRead and hear Slovenian about everyday life most of the time, and listen to Dave's Challenge, a Radio Si show about an Irish bartender who moves to Slovenia.
- Follow Slovenian News and TVPut most of your time into listening, starting with the easy news on Enostavno and moving on to RTV Slovenija's shows on RTV 365.
- Work in SlovenianRead and hear Slovenian about your field most of the time, and practice with a tutor when to use the polite vi and when to use ti.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Slovenian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Slovene Learning Online for a first course 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 Slovenian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A first course | Slovene Learning Online, a free course from the University of Ljubljana | Memrise, with videos of people using each word, or Ling, with short lessons and dialogs |
| Reading and listening at your level | The easy news on Enostavno, from RTV Slovenija | Bubblegum, LingQ's Mini Stories or the short stories from Fluent Fiction |
| Shows, radio and news | RTV 365 for shows and radio, Časoris for news | Language Player for Slovenian videos, 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 | The grammar in part 3 of Slovene Learning Online, and the Fran dictionaries | Liberation Philology Slovene, for practice with case endings and verb forms |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Slovenian sentences you can follow.
- Dropping the Marks on LettersLetters like č, š and ž are separate letters with their own sounds, so koža (skin) and koza (goat) are different words.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each noun comes with an example of how its ending changes.
- Shows You Can't Follow YetSave RTV Slovenija's series for when you can follow most of an episode, and read the easy news on Enostavno before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Slovenian 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.
Should I learn Slovenian grammar first?
No. Learn grammar from the Slovenian you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Živim v Mariboru (I live in Maribor) and Delam v Kranju (I work in Kranj), the -u ending on a city after v (in) is easy to spot.
Which Slovenian should I learn?
Learn standard Slovenian, which courses such as Slovene Learning Online teach and the news uses. Slovenia's official website says linguists count 46 dialects of Slovenian, so people from different regions can sound very different. If your family speaks a dialect, learn the standard first and pick up their words as you talk.
Which Slovenian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Slovenian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Slovenian 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
- Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language, University of Ljubljana: Slovene language exams (four levels, A1 to C2, each with a sample test)
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences: Slovene Learning Online, part 3 (free; parts 1 and 2 for everyday situations, part 3 for grammar)
- RTV Slovenija: Enostavno, about the site (news in easier language, also for people learning Slovenian, with a slow reading option)
- Slovenia.si: Slovenian language (46 dialects)
- Wikipedia: Slovene language (the polite vi form, known as vikanje)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Slovenian (free language exchange)
