How To Choose The Right Language Learning Material

You've worked through your beginner textbook and you've got the basics down. But now you're facing a new challenge: what language learning material should you use next?

This is the question a reader called Marcus asked me recently. He's been learning Egyptian Arabic, has completed his current resource and is ready to move on. But he's not sure which material is right for him at intermediate level.

If you've ever spent hours scrolling through online resources unable to decide which one to buy, you'll know exactly what Marcus is talking about.

If you prefer watching videos to reading, hit play on the video version of this post at the top of this page. Otherwise, here's what you'll discover in this article:

Understanding The Intermediate Plateau

Before we dive into choosing materials, it's important to understand why the intermediate level feels so different from the beginner stage.

When you're at intermediate level, you've learned quite a lot – but you're not yet strong enough in the language to use it freely for real-world purposes. It's a tricky place to be.

You're past the exciting “beginner gains” phase, but you're not yet at the level where you can comfortably watch films, read novels or have effortless conversations.

This intermediate plateau is where progress can feel frustratingly slow.

The challenge becomes even more complex depending on which language you're learning. Marcus is studying Egyptian Arabic, which presents particular difficulties when it comes to finding quality language learning materials.

I know this firsthand because I learned Egyptian Arabic as well, and the resources available are quite poor overall. There's simply not a huge choice.

The same problem exists with languages like Cantonese. In fact, I made my own Cantonese materials because there's virtually nothing available.

On the other hand, if you're learning a popular language like English, French or Spanish, you face a different problem: too much choice of language learning material.

I remember a few years ago, Angela (a Spanish teacher who works with me) and I were in Foyles in central London—a huge bookshop—looking through different Spanish textbooks. Most of what we found was either not very good, not very helpful, or not written in a useful way.

The point is this: choosing language learning material is genuinely difficult, regardless of which language you're studying.

Avoid Paralysis By Analysis

Here's the most important thing I want to tell you about choosing language learning material (at intermediate level or any level): There is no perfect answer and no perfect choice of materials.

Whatever you do, don't waste months searching for the perfect resource that may not even exist. This is something I see language learners do all the time, and it's one of the biggest progress killers at intermediate level.

It's the same pattern you see when people buy piles of books and never properly use any of them. They're always looking for something better instead of committing to what they have.

Here's the truth: it's always better to learn from one imperfect book than to spend months searching for the perfect one.

Marcus mentioned two major Egyptian Arabic textbooks in his question. Neither might be perfect, but the best approach is simply to pick one and commit to working through it. You will learn. You will make progress. The material doesn't have to be perfect for you to improve.

From the way Marcus phrased his question, I get the impression he might prefer a systematic approach as someone who likes to know where he's headed and values having some structure.

If that sounds like you, it's definitely desirable to take one book (even if imperfect) and pursue it properly.

Action beats perfection every single time.

Finding The Right Balance Of Difficulty

Now, Marcus raised an interesting concern: he's worried about wasting time going over material he already knows. He's noticed a tendency to pick up new books that end up just revising familiar ground rather than pushing him forward.

This is a legitimate concern, but there's another side to this coin. If you jump to material that's far too difficult, you'll end up making no progress at all.

I experienced this when studying Arabic. If you make that leap too quickly, you can find yourself wallowing in a land of not knowing and not understanding anything. It's a difficult balance to get right.

So how do you find language learning material at the right level?

Here are some guidelines:

• You should understand roughly 70-80% of the content without looking things up
• New vocabulary and structures should feel challenging but not overwhelming
• You should be able to follow the main ideas even when you don't know every word
• The material should require effort, but not leave you completely lost

The key is finding that sweet spot where you're stretched but not broken. Too easy and you're wasting time; too hard and you're wasting time. The right level sits somewhere in the middle.

The Value Of A Teacher At Intermediate Level

This is where I think having a good teacher becomes invaluable.

I tend not to work with teachers when I'm first learning a language. Most of what you need at beginner level, you can get from a good textbook. But around intermediate level, a good teacher can make a huge difference to your progress.

A teacher can help you:

• Assess which language learning material is appropriate for your current level
• Identify your weak points and suggest targeted resources
• Keep you accountable and prevent you from reverting to easier material
• Answer questions that arise from your independent study
• Provide real conversation practice at the right level

If you don't currently have a teacher and you're at intermediate level, I'd strongly recommend getting one.

They don't have to be expensive—platforms like LanguaTalk offer teachers at various price points, and even one session per week can provide the guidance and accountability you need.

Beyond Textbooks: Active Learning Strategies

Here's something crucial that many intermediate learners miss: It's not just all about the language learning material you choose.

Textbooks are useful because you can study whenever you have free time. But the other really important part of your language learning at this level is that you must carry on doing your own work.

What do I mean by that?

Think about what you actually want to do with the language. What's your aim? You need to set yourself goals based on that and create your own activities and programme of study to help you get there.

I don't know Marcus's specific situation—whether he's living in Egypt, has an Egyptian partner, or is learning for different reasons. But whatever your situation, you need to be thinking: “Right, this is my aim, and these are the activities that will help me reach it.”

For me, it's almost always about speaking. I want to be able to speak conversationally with people, so I spend a lot of time having conversations—not even formal lessons really, just using the language to communicate. That's what I most enjoy doing.

When you spend time doing what you enjoy, the way forward presents itself naturally.

I'll have conversations, record words and phrases I learn from those sessions, commit them to memory, then go back the next day and do more of the same. The textbook becomes a support tool rather than the entire programme.

Setting Effective Goals

Don't make the mistake of thinking the textbook you use needs to be the be-all and end-all of your learning.

One of the main things I do throughout any language learning project is set goals. I'm constantly asking: “What's the next step for me? What do I need to do next?”

Is it:

• Ordering food in a restaurant?
• Communicating with people in the local area?
• Getting by on holiday?
• Taking phone calls in the language?
• Reading news articles?
• Understanding podcasts?

Set those goals, then take the initiative and find ways of reaching them. You've got to combine passive textbook study with an active, self-determined path.

That's really the way you're going to break through the intermediate plateau.

Practical Steps For Moving Forward

Let me give you a concrete action plan based on everything we've discussed:

Step 1: Choose Your Core Material Pick one intermediate textbook or course and commit to it. Don't spend more than a week deciding. Look at what's available for your language, read a few reviews if you want, then make a choice and stick with it.

Step 2: Set Clear Goals Write down 2-3 specific things you want to be able to do with your language in the next three months. Make them concrete and measurable.

Step 3: Create Active Learning Activities Based on your goals, design activities that go beyond the textbook:

• Schedule regular conversation practice
• Find content (podcasts, videos, articles) related to your interests
• Join online communities where your target language is used
• Keep a journal or record voice notes in the language

Step 4: Review and Adjust Monthly At the end of each month, assess honestly:

• Am I making progress towards my goals?
• Is this language learning material too easy, too hard, or just right?
• What's working well?
• What needs to change?

Step 5: Stay Consistent Commit to sticking with your chosen approach for at least six months before making major changes.

Language Learning Material FAQ

The Bottom Line On Language Learning Material

Whatever you do, don't give up. This is the point where it does get tough at intermediate level, but this is also where committed learners separate themselves from casual dabblers.

Choose one thing, stick with it, make sure you keep speaking, and commit to the next six months. You will break through, but it does take commitment.

The perfect language learning material doesn't exist. What exists is material that's good enough, combined with your own initiative and consistent effort. That combination will get you through the intermediate plateau and on to advanced level.

So stop searching for the perfect textbook. Pick something decent, create your own supplementary activities based on your goals, and get to work. Six months from now, you'll be amazed at how far you've come.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.