Case study
Back to projectsEmoWords | Vocabulary learning through personal memories
Learning English through emotion: a webapp that connects every new word with your own memories to avoid mechanical repetition.
Starting point
The project before the code
Context
PWA app for learning English that combines flashcards with emotional associations. The idea came directly from advice my Conquer Languages teacher repeated often: to truly remember a word, you need to connect it to something meaningful.
Goal
Show that with a clear idea and smart use of AI, you can build something functional and useful without needing to be an expert developer.
The idea came from a teacher
At Conquer Languages, Andy, my English teacher often repeated the same thing: to truly remember a word, you need to connect it to something emotional or meaningful to you. Mechanical repetition works short-term, but it fades. Emotion doesn’t.
That idea stayed with me. And one day I decided to turn it into an app.
I didn’t build it from scratch alone
I’ll be honest: when I started EmoWords I wasn’t a JavaScript expert. I’m still learning. But I had a very clear picture of what I wanted to build and how it should work, so I used AI as a support tool to speed up development without losing control of the important decisions.
The result is fully functional: you can save words, expressions or phrasal verbs, link each one to a personal image or situation, and review them across different modes. Everything is stored in the browser, so it works offline and can be installed on your phone as a native app.
What’s inside
The app ended up being considerably more complete than I’d originally imagined. It has five different review modes (flashcards, quiz, writing, listening and a mixed mode), a spaced repetition system, pronunciation via the Web Speech API, progress statistics and even an achievement and daily streak system to keep you motivated.
It also includes vocabulary packs organised by CEFR level, from A1 to C2, each with pre-defined emotional associations so you can start using it from day one.
What I take away
This project taught me that you don’t need to wait until you’re an expert to try something. The idea had value, the process was real and the result is something I actually use. That’s what matters.
What changed
Lessons learned
You don't need to be an expert to build something useful. A clear idea and the right process are worth more than waiting for the perfect moment.
AI doesn't replace your own judgement: it helps you move faster, but design, structure and usability decisions remain yours.
Learning by building something you'll actually use is infinitely more effective than working through exercises disconnected from reality.
Next iteration
Future improvements
- Add cloud synchronisation so data doesn't rely solely on the browser.
- Rebuild the application using a modern framework like React to improve state management and scalability.