Fluent in Three Months Review: Smart Language Strategies but Missing Conventional Lessons

Fluent in Three Months Premium is a language learning initiative that centers on strategies, advice, and methods personally verified by its creator, Irish polyglot Benny Lewis.

In general, I discovered that Fluent in Three Months Premium provides many useful strategies and techniques. However, it was missing the organization and standard language instruction I needed for foundational knowledge, as you'll see in my evaluation below.

The Main Features of Fluent in Three Months Premium

Fluent in Three Months can be slightly confusing to navigate initially because upon signing in, you are presented with numerous options. However, after a short time, you will get to know its main features and layout.

Language Strategies

A central idea of Fluent in Three Months Premium is the concept of language strategies. These are tips, techniques, and methods created by the polyglot founder of the program.

He also incorporates interviews (both video and audio) with renowned polyglots, allowing you to gain inspiration from their techniques and advice as well.

Everything is highly practical, meaning you can begin implementing these strategies immediately.

This part has many subsections, but the most beneficial for me was the “Speak from Day 1 Video Series,” which explains how to begin communicating in your target language right away. It includes useful mindset strategies (essentially motivational tips) and plenty of other great guidance, though no actual Spanish lessons.

The “Conversation Connectors” part, which consists of PDFs filled with highly practical phrases you can use immediately when communicating in your target language, is also very useful. I tested some in a local Spanish grocery store and they appeared to work perfectly!

For Spanish, there are phrases on initiating a conversation, asking questions, and using filler words, which Lewis notes constitute a significant portion of our everyday speech.

To finish each part of the Language Strategies section, you must complete a checklist afterward.

Language Immersion

The Language Immersion section is essentially a collection of resources to assist you in learning your chosen language. For Spanish, there are many links to websites, applications, videos, news sites, etc. However, for less common languages like Japanese, the resources are more limited, so consider this depending on the language you plan to study with the program.

Each section is introduced with a professionally made video.

This part also includes a proposed daily schedule for your learning path. Be aware that this schedule is demanding, intended for those who genuinely aim to achieve fluency in just three months.

If you plan to learn your language at a slower pace, this schedule might seem completely impractical, so keep that in consideration.

FAQs

This is the area where you can read the many hundreds of questions other students have asked Benny Lewis, and it's also where you can pose new questions to him.

I asked him a Spanish question about how to better understand fast Spanish speech and he replied within a day, though I am unsure if the response time is always that quick. His suggestion, which was to visualize the speakers as young children, was genuinely helpful. (There was a bit more to his answer, but that was the main idea.)

The Fluent in Three Months Library

This is another extensive resource area of the program. It includes Lewis's bestselling book on language learning, along with many other materials—articles, videos, interviews, and more that offer additional language learning strategies.

The Advantages of Fluent in Three Months Premium

It's motivating

One crucial element for succeeding in language fluency is maintaining motivation. And inspiration can be scarce on apps like Duolingo, where you're alone in your room clicking buttons, correct?

If you enjoy learning from the experiences of other language learners (and skilled polyglots), Fluent in Three Months provides plenty of that through motivational talks and interviews with leading global language learners.

Here’s Benny Lewis speaking some of the languages he's acquired through this approach:

The program focuses on spoken fluency

Oral fluency might not be everyone's objective when learning a language, but for me, I simply want to manage daily situations and converse with locals in Mexico, so fluency is my primary goal, making this program ideal for me.

If you have other language objectives—for business, academic studies, etc.—you might prefer a more conventional program like Babbel or Speakly.

But if you want to converse freely and quickly join conversations in a language you barely know, this program is very beneficial.

It offers effective language strategies

There's no question that this program contains many valuable, practical language strategies.

For instance, Lewis's recommendation to create your own "utility belt" of phrases and sentences and master them for conversations with native speakers significantly assisted me during a trip to Mexico.

In fact, I've been repeatedly surprised by how much a few memorized phrases have improved my fluency.

The Disadvantages of Fluent in Three Months Premium

It can seem disorganized

When I first accessed this program, there were so many options that I was unsure where to begin. I eventually figured it out, but I really desired a single, clearly defined learning path from start to finish.

If you, like me, prefer structure and don't mind occasional direction, you might also find this program's design a bit unstructured.

It lacks conventional language lessons

What most surprised me while progressing through this program was the absence of traditional language lessons. The program does not instruct you on conjugation, vocabulary, or pronunciation. It only offers advice on how to learn these aspects.

I'm not suggesting this isn't important; it's a component missing from most other language learning programs. However, I was somewhat disappointed that instead of teaching grammar and vocabulary, the program recommends joining other platforms like Memrise and italki.

Those are excellent platforms, but I occasionally felt I was paying for guidance rather than language instruction.

Alternatives to Fluent in Three Months Premium

Every language learning program has its strengths and weaknesses, so I'll compare Fluent in Three Months Premium with some of the most popular language programs available today. Here's how they compare:

Fluent in Three Months vs. Lingflix

I've frequently heard from international friends that they learned English by watching films. I've heard this so often that I firmly believe it.

Lingflix suits me well because I already enjoy watching movies, TV, music videos, news, and vlogs on YouTube. Thus, it feels like an enjoyable and sustainable method to learn and review a language, and it has been very effective for me.

Overall, I would select Lingflix here, both for its extensive video library and for other features like quizzes and the dictionary.

Fluent in Three Months vs. Duolingo

I mentioned Duolingo in this review because one element I missed most while using Fluent in Three Months was the vibrant colors and visual aspects like illustrations that Duolingo offers. I also value the more traditional language learning method used by Duolingo.

I find Duolingo more entertaining and gamified, and the charming bird constantly offers encouragement, though Fluent in Three Months includes those excellent Master Class interviews that provide similar motivation.

In this comparison, I believe these two programs could complement each other very effectively.

Here’s our complete review of Duolingo .

Fluent in Three Months vs. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone features those striking photographs that greatly appeal to me, and it explicitly teaches the language, unlike Fluent in Three Months, which feels more like an assortment of tips and resources than an actual language learning application.

For this comparison, I would personally choose Rosetta Stone, though Fluent in Three Months could serve as a useful addition.

Here’s our complete review of Rosetta Stone .

How Much Does Fluent in Three Months Premium Cost?

The Fluent in Three Months Premium program is available for a single payment of $97. This grants lifetime access.

The Final Conclusion on Fluent in Three Months Premium

I would suggest Fluent in Three Months, with some reservations.

Remember that this program focuses more on acquiring the motivation, mindset, and strategies to learn a language quickly and achieve fluency. However, it is not a comprehensive language learning program, so those seeking grammar, verb conjugation, and vocabulary will need to supplement it with more traditional platforms.

Is it worthwhile? I believe it is, particularly if you are someone who wants to control your own learning journey and be guided by the experiences of accomplished polyglots. But if you're looking for a traditional program that begins with vocabulary and verb conjugations, you won't find that here.