Comprehensible Input Glossary
Learn the key CI and CEFR terms used across the platform.
These are the core concepts that connect methodology, levels, and learning paths.
Comprehensible Input
Language input that is understandable even when every word is not known.
Methodi+1 Principle
Content that is just one step above the learner’s current level.
MethodAffective Filter
The emotional barrier that can reduce acquisition when anxiety is high.
LevelsCEFR Levels
The A0–C1 progression used to organize difficulty and progression.
SkillListening Fluency
The ability to understand spoken English smoothly and with less effort.
HabitInput Hours
A simple way to track time spent acquiring language through input.
MethodMonitor Hypothesis
Consciously learned grammar rules can only edit output, not drive fluent speech.
MethodNatural Order Hypothesis
Grammar structures are acquired in a predictable sequence regardless of teaching order.
MethodAcquisition vs Learning
Krashen's distinction: acquired language is automatic; learned language requires conscious effort.
SkillSpeech Speed
The rate of spoken delivery measured in words per minute, affecting comprehension difficulty.
MethodInput Flood
Massive quantity of comprehensible input to accelerate acquisition through repetition and exposure.
MethodNarrow Input
Staying with one topic or creator to increase vocabulary repetition and acquisition efficiency.
SkillExtensive Listening
Listening for pleasure across large volumes without stopping to analyze every word.
SkillIntensive Listening
Focused listening where learners pause, rewind, and analyze specific passages for detailed comprehension.
SkillShadowing
Repeating what a speaker says immediately after hearing it to build pronunciation and fluency.
MethodLanguage Acquisition Device
Chomsky's theory that humans have an innate brain structure dedicated to acquiring language.
MethodSilent Period
The natural phase when learners absorb input before producing output — normal and healthy in CI.
MethodOutput Hypothesis
Swain's theory that producing language forces noticing gaps and accelerates acquisition.
HabitSpaced Repetition
Reviewing material at increasing intervals to move vocabulary into long-term memory.
MethodImmersion
Surrounding yourself with the target language through extended daily input and real-world use.
MethodFossilization
When errors become permanent patterns because learner plateaus before full acquisition.
SkillFluency
The ability to use a language smoothly, naturally, and without excessive hesitation.
SkillAccent
The distinctive way a person pronounces words, shaped by native language and regional background.
SkillVocabulary Acquisition
The process of learning new words through contextual exposure rather than isolated memorization.
SkillConnected Speech
How words run together in natural speech through linking, reduction, and assimilation.
SkillWords Per Minute
A measure of speech speed; native English conversation averages 120–180 WPM.
SkillLexical Chunk
A fixed or semi-fixed phrase stored and retrieved as a single unit — the foundation of natural speech.
MethodInterlanguage
A learner's evolving mental grammar that sits between their native language and the target language.
HabitMotivation in Language Learning
The drive to acquire a language; intrinsic motivation is the strongest predictor of long-term success.
MethodAuthentic Material
Real-world content created for native speakers, not simplified for learners — videos, podcasts, and films.
SkillCloze Test
A comprehension exercise where words are removed from a text and learners must fill the gaps.
MethodInput Hypothesis
Krashen's theory that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to comprehensible input slightly beyond their current level (i+1).
SkillOutput Practice
The deliberate production of language (speaking or writing) to test and refine internalized grammar and vocabulary.
SkillPhonological Awareness
The ability to recognize and work with the sound structures of a language — phonemes, syllables, stress, and rhythm.
SkillPragmatic Competence
The ability to use language appropriately in social contexts — understanding when, why, and how to say things beyond literal meaning.
SkillDiscourse Competence
The ability to combine sentences into coherent spoken or written text, using cohesive devices and organization.
SkillCollocation
Words that naturally occur together in a language — "make a decision" not "do a decision," "heavy rain" not "strong rain."
SkillFalse Cognate
A word that looks similar to a word in your native language but has a different meaning — "embarrassed" ≠ embarazada (Spanish).
SkillRegister
The level of formality used in language — formal, neutral, and informal registers serve different social contexts.
SkillCircumlocution
Using more words to express an idea when you don't know the exact word — a communication strategy for bridging vocabulary gaps.
MethodCode-Switching
Alternating between two or more languages within a conversation — common in bilingual and advanced learner contexts.
MethodLanguage Transfer
The influence of a previously learned language on the learning of a new one — can be positive (similar structures help) or negative (different structures interfere).
MethodInterference
Negative language transfer where patterns from L1 incorrectly influence L2 production — e.g., Spanish speakers saying "I have 30 years" instead of "I am 30."
MethodMetalinguistic Awareness
The ability to think about and reflect on language as a system — understanding how language works rather than just using it.
SkillReading Aloud
Reading text out loud to connect written words with their spoken forms — bridges reading and pronunciation for vocabulary reinforcement.
SkillDictogloss
A language learning task where you listen to a text, take brief notes, and reconstruct the original — combining listening comprehension with grammar and vocabulary processing.
MethodTask-Based Learning
A language teaching approach where real-world tasks drive instruction — learners complete meaningful activities using authentic language.
SkillFunctional Language
Language organized by communicative purpose rather than grammar structure — phrases for apologizing, agreeing, requesting, or explaining.
SkillCommunicative Competence
The overall ability to communicate effectively in a language — combining linguistic, pragmatic, discourse, and sociolinguistic knowledge.
MethodError Correction
Explicit or implicit feedback on learner errors; CI reduces reliance on it by building accuracy through input.
MethodNoticing Hypothesis
Schmidt's claim that consciously noticing a form in input is required for acquisition; CI exposes learners to enough input to trigger noticing.
MethodInput Processing
VanPatten's model describing how learners make form-meaning connections during listening; CI maximizes processing opportunities.
MethodMeaningful Interaction
Communication where meaning negotiation drives acquisition; the interaction hypothesis argues it speeds up progress.
MethodLanguage Aptitude
Individual differences in ability to learn languages, measured by tests like MLAT; CI benefits learners across the aptitude spectrum.
HabitWillingness to Communicate
A learner's readiness to initiate communication; CI reduces anxiety and raises willingness by building competence first.
HabitLanguage Anxiety
Fear or nervousness specific to language learning; Krashen's affective filter hypothesis links high anxiety to reduced acquisition.
SkillAutomaticity
The ability to process and produce language without conscious effort; CI builds automaticity through mass exposure.
MethodSchema Theory
Mental frameworks of background knowledge that help listeners interpret new input; CI expands schema for English contexts.
SkillTop-Down Processing
Using prior knowledge and context to interpret input before decoding individual words; essential for fast natural speech.
SkillBottom-Up Processing
Decoding individual sounds and words before building meaning; necessary but insufficient for real listening fluency.
SkillStrategic Competence
Communication strategies to compensate for gaps — circumlocution, asking for clarification, paraphrasing; CI builds the vocabulary to use these.
MethodLexical Approach
Michael Lewis's method emphasizing chunks and collocations over grammar rules; CI is the most natural implementation.
MethodContent-Based Instruction
Teaching language through academic or topical content; the CI Method naturally implements CBI through topic-based video selection.
MethodBlended Learning
Combining online and offline instruction; CI is most efficient as the digital component of a blended approach.
HabitGamification
Adding game elements to learning; effective for habit-building but insufficient alone for acquisition depth.
HabitSelf-Directed Learning
Learner autonomy in setting goals, choosing materials, and managing pace; CI is perfectly suited to self-directed language learning.
HabitMetacognitive Strategies
Planning, monitoring, and evaluating one's own learning; learners who track input hours and use placement tests learn faster.
SkillVocabulary Depth
Knowing multiple aspects of a word — spelling, pronunciation, collocations, register, usage — not just its meaning; CI builds depth automatically.
SkillCollocational Competence
The ability to naturally combine words the way native speakers do; CI is the only proven path to native-level collocation.
SkillListening Strategies
Techniques for comprehending spoken input — listening for gist, for detail, inference; CI trains all three simultaneously.
SkillPronunciation Acquisition
How English pronunciation patterns are acquired — through ears-first input exposure before mouth production.
SkillProsody
The rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns of speech; native-like prosody is acquired through listening long before speaking.
SkillSpeech Rhythm
English is stress-timed — stressed syllables occur at regular intervals. CI trains the ear to expect this pattern before the mouth can produce it.
SkillChunking
Processing language in meaningful multi-word units rather than word-by-word; CI rapidly builds a chunked mental lexicon.
MethodFrequency List
A ranked list of the most common words in English; the top 2000-3000 cover ~95% of spoken CI — learn them first.
SkillWord Family
The set of related words sharing a base form — learn, learner, learning, learned; CI builds word family knowledge without explicit study.
SkillReading Fluency
Reading at sufficient speed and accuracy to enable comprehension without conscious decoding; built through extensive reading + CI.
SkillInference Skills
The ability to guess the meaning of unknown words and phrases from context; CI develops inference skills through exposure.
SkillDiscourse Markers
Words and phrases that organize speech — however, therefore, well, actually; CI acquires these naturally in context.
SkillCohesion
The linguistic links within a text that connect sentences — pronouns, conjunctions, reference; CI builds cohesion recognition through reading and listening.
SkillCoherence
The logical unity and flow of a text or conversation; coherent production only emerges after extensive CI develops a sense of natural flow.
MethodPragmatic Transfer
Applying L1 social norms to L2 communication, sometimes inappropriately; CI in authentic cultural contexts reduces pragmatic transfer errors.
SkillCultural Competence
Understanding cultural norms, values, and context embedded in language use; CI with diverse authentic content builds cultural competence.
SkillIntercultural Communication
Communication between people from different cultural backgrounds; advanced CI with global English content prepares learners for it.
MethodWorld Englishes
Kachru's framework for the diverse varieties of English worldwide; CI learners should diversify exposure to multiple World Englishes.
HabitLanguage Ego
The sense of identity tied to one's native language; speaking a new language can feel like ego vulnerability, raising the affective filter.
HabitInvestment in Language
Norton's concept of learners's commitment to language learning tied to identity and future selves; CI builds investment by delivering enjoyable progress.
InputExtensive Reading
Reading large amounts of easy, enjoyable text for fluency; mirrors extensive listening and accelerates vocabulary and grammar acquisition through massed input exposure.
InputGraded Reader
Books written or simplified for a specific proficiency level so the text stays in the i+1 zone; a bridge from structured learning to authentic literature.
InputFree Voluntary Reading
Stephen Krashen's term for reading what you choose without assignments; drives sustained input and shows the highest correlation with reading and vocabulary gains.
VocabularyIncidental Vocabulary
Learning words as a side effect of reading or listening for meaning; 8–20 contextual exposures yield durable retention without explicit study.
VocabularyIntentional Vocabulary Learning
Explicitly studying word lists or flashcards; complements incidental CI learning, especially for high-frequency words early in acquisition.
VocabularyWord Frequency
How often a word appears in a language corpus; the top 1,000 words cover ~85% of spoken English — CI naturally prioritises high-frequency input.
InputLexical Density
The proportion of content words to total words; spoken language has low lexical density and is more CI-friendly than dense academic prose for new learners.
Brain & MemoryListening Span
How much incoming speech a listener can hold in working memory while processing meaning; CI at the right level prevents span from overloading.
Brain & MemoryWorking Memory in Language
The cognitive workspace where language is temporarily held and processed; CI reduces working-memory load by keeping input comprehensible.
Brain & MemoryDual Coding
Paivio's theory that combining verbal and visual information strengthens memory; video-based CI naturally leverages dual coding for better retention.
Brain & MemoryRetrieval Practice
The testing effect — actively recalling information strengthens long-term memory more than re-reading; CI complements retrieval by building implicit knowledge first.
Brain & MemoryInterleaving
Mixing different types of content or topics during practice rather than blocking; increases difficulty but improves long-term retention and transfer.
Brain & MemorySpacing Effect
Learning is more durable when study sessions are distributed over time rather than massed; daily CI sessions naturally exploit the spacing effect.
VocabularyKeyword Method
A mnemonic linking a new word to a sound-alike native-language word and an image; effective for initial word encounters, then CI builds deeper implicit knowledge.
VocabularyMnemonics for Language
Memory techniques applied to language learning — acronyms, associations, story links; useful for low-frequency vocabulary as a supplement to CI input.
InputInput Enhancement
Typographically highlighting target forms in written input to draw attention; a form-focused technique that keeps learners within the input stream.
OutputRecasting
A teacher implicitly corrects a learner by restating their erroneous utterance correctly without flagging an error; its efficacy is debated in SLA research.
OutputUptake
The learner's response to corrective feedback — whether they incorporate the correction into their next utterance; influenced by input salience and affective state.
OutputNegotiation of Meaning
Conversational moves where speakers signal comprehension failure and repair it; drives noticing and intake — especially salient in CI-based conversational tasks.
TheoryInteraction Hypothesis
Long's hypothesis that meaning negotiation in interaction accelerates acquisition; CI provides the comprehensible input component of the equation.
TheorySociocultural Theory
Vygotsky's framework where learning is mediated by social interaction and cultural tools; language is acquired through joint activity in the zone of proximal development.
TheoryZone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky's concept of the gap between what a learner can do independently and with guided support; i+1 input sits precisely in this zone.
TheoryScaffolding in Language Learning
Temporary support structures — captions, context, visuals, simplified speech — that help learners comprehend input just beyond their current level; the core CI design principle.