How it works
Hello, my name is Michal Měchura and I am the author of Native Dialogs.
Native Dialogs is dedicated to the memory of my old teacher of English (as a second language) whose favourite teaching tool was simulated dialogs. He would have us memorise pre-scripted chat routines and then reinact them, either in front of class or in a language lab. I strangely enjoyed it: it was like having a real-world conversation, but safe in the knowledge that nothing can go wrong. It helped me a lot on my way to confidence and fluency in the language.
Years later, I built Native Dialogs for those who, like me, enjoy practicing a language through simulated dialogs. The website brings you a brand new chat routine every day. With Native Dialogs you can practise what it's like to live through the language you are learning: currently we have Irish, German French and Czech.
How to use it
The whole thing looks and feels like you're chatting to someone through a messenger app. Each time it's your turn to speak, think of how you would say the thing you're supposed to say. Then click the reveal button to check how on or off target you were.
Remember that what you see there is not necessarily the only way to say it. But it is definitely one good way. If you don't already have a strong preference for expressing that thought differently, you'll not make a mistake if you memorise this.
To memorise things successfully, it's a good idea to go through each chat several times. In language, repetition is the key to fluency. You shouldn't do it all in one sitting though. The brain remembers better when the repetitions are spaced out over time. So, the best thing to do is to revisit the same chat a few times during the day, and even return to it for a recap tomorrow and the day after.
How it’s made
The chats are inspired by real-world situations you might find yourself in while travelling, working or getting on with everyday life. Some are funny, some are mundane; some are simple, some are more complex – but they always feature practical expressions you can really use to get things done in that language. The language level is pitched at lower intermediate learners, somewhere around CEFR levels A2 and B1.
Each chat every day is brand new and never before seen anywhere else. Do I write all the scripts myself? Sort of. I'm using a Large Language Model to generate a rough draft which I then post-edit – sometimes lightly, sometimes more heavily.
All things considered, keeping Native Dialogs going requires quite a bit of work. That's why I'm charging a modest subscription fee. There's also a no-obligations free trial for one month (no credit card needed or anything), so please do consider signing up.
I hope you enjoy improving your language skills with Native Dialogs. The road to fluency begins here!
