THE 6PM MANIFESTO

Rethinking
Language Learning

By Léa Perret
Founder of 6pm in Paris
Léa Perret—Founder of 6pm in Paris

Language Learning Is Not a Test
—It’s a Life-Long Exploration

The way languages are taught in traditional education systems is fundamentally flawed. It reduces a rich, dynamic, and deeply human experience into a rigid system of levels, tests, and quantifiable progress. Students are conditioned to believe that learning success is defined by standardized scores, multiple-choice exams, and neatly labeled proficiency levels (A1, A2, B1, etc.).
But language learning doesn’t work that way.
A language is not just a set of vocabulary words, grammar rules, and conjugation tables to be memorized and tested. It is a living, breathing entity, deeply tied to culture, emotion, and human connection. It is fluid, evolving, and deeply personal. Your abilities will fluctuate over time. Some days you will feel fluent; other days, words may escape you. This is normal. This is the reality of language.
The industry thrives on false promises—“Speak French in three weeks!” “Be fluent in two months!”—because it’s easier to sell an illusion than to tell the truth. But the truth is this: language learning is a lifelong journey. There is no final destination, no finish line. There is only discovery, curiosity, and growth.

Understanding Is More Important Than Speaking

Many learners fixate on “speaking” as the ultimate goal of language learning, as if fluency were measured by how quickly they can string words together in conversation. But speaking is only one piece of the puzzle. The real challenge—the key to unlocking fluency—is understanding.
If you can form sentences but have no idea what native speakers are saying in response, communication stops there. Listening comprehension is the single most important, yet most overlooked, skill in language learning. It takes time, and it takes immersion. Babies listen to thousands of hours of speech before they ever utter a word. Yet traditional language education barely prioritizes listening, leaving learners lost when faced with real-world conversation.
I know this firsthand. After studying English for nine years in school, I moved to New York, confident in my ability to speak the language—only to find myself completely lost in conversations. I could talk, but I couldn’t understand. For six months, I felt isolated. It wasn’t until I immersed myself in the sounds of the language—dinners with friends, movies, TV shows—that I truly started to understand.

Why Context Is Key to Learning French

Most language programs teach words in a vacuum—detached from culture, emotion, and real-life use. But our brains don’t work that way. Memorization is not about drilling flashcards; it’s about connection.
If I tell you that the French word for “car” is voiture, you might remember it for a day or two. But if you watch a film where a dramatic car crash unfolds, where the characters scream “la voiture!” over and over, that word will be burned into your memory. Language sticks when it’s tied to experience, emotion, and story. That’s how we naturally learn.

A New Approach: No Levels, No Tests, Just Immersion

At 6pm in Paris, we are rethinking language learning. We believe in an organic, immersive approach—one that is free from rigid levels, artificial constraints, and outdated methodologies.
That’s why, on our platform:
  • There are no levels. All content is available to everyone, from beginners to advanced learners, with layers of depth that allow each person to engage at their own pace.
  • There are no tests. No scores, no grades—just exposure, repetition, and real-life context.
  • There are no false promises. We won’t tell you that you’ll be fluent in a matter of weeks. Instead, we offer a sustainable, long-term way to integrate French into your life.
Our approach mirrors real life:
  • Watch a short film. See how French people actually speak—the slang, the humor, the cultural nuances that textbooks miss.
  • Join the discussion. Our talk show breaks down tricky expressions, provides cultural context, and makes learning engaging.
  • Explore the phrasebook. Dive deeper into expressions with explanations, origins, and real-world examples.
  • Practice (if you want). Optional exercises and quizzes allow you to reinforce what you’ve learned—without pressure or rigid expectations.
Everything is designed to be flexible. You are in control of your learning. There is no one “right” path. You don’t have to complete every step. You can watch films with or without subtitles, slow down the audio, or jump straight to the phrasebook. It’s not school—it’s life.

Learning a Language Is Learning a Way of Life

Language is more than words—it’s culture, history, and human connection. To truly learn a language, you must live it. Listen to the music, watch the films, taste the food, travel if you can, make French-speaking friends.
I don’t believe in separating work and pleasure, education and entertainment, learning and living. Language is not a subject to be studied—it’s a world to be entered.

A Vision for the Future

I imagine a world where language learning is not a chore, but a natural and joyful part of daily life. A world where watching TV means exposure to different languages, where borders—both literal and mental—fade away because people can communicate and understand each other.
Today, there is 6pm in Paris. Tomorrow, there could be 6pm in Rome, 6pm in Tokyo, 6pm in Madrid—a global network where entertainment and education merge, where people don’t just learn languages, they experience them.
Maybe it’s because I’m neurodivergent—because I see the world differently—but I don’t believe in boxes, divisions, or artificial constraints. I believe in freedom, in connection, in learning that feels alive.
That is what 6pm in Paris is all about.
—Léa Perret, Founder