How I'm Learning Spanish 3x Faster with My Custom Claude-Built Learning System

And how you can build yours.

Welcome to the first installment of my "Maker Series" – where I show you exactly how to build practical tools with AI to explore new possibilities and unlock a world where there’s no gap between your imagination and reality.

In 2025, the most powerful learning tools won't be the ones you download. They'll be the ones you create yourself.

For too long, we've surrendered our learning to other people's visions:

Need to master a language? Download Duolingo.

Want to learn piano? Here's SimplyPiano.

Studying for an exam? Try Quizlet.

Each app forces you into their learning framework—whether it fits your brain or not.

But what if the future of learning isn't about finding the perfect app, but creating it? What if you could build exactly what your mind needs to learn anything—without writing a single line of code?

This isn't some far-off fantasy. It's happening right now with AI coding capabilities from Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini that most people completely overlook.

When I shared my deep dive on Cove AI, one of AI Maker reader

Takim Williams

, he immediately understood:

"We should be able to engage with information in more intuitive forms to maximize our understanding."

That's exactly what these new AI features enable—moving beyond passive walls of text to interactive, visual applications tailored precisely to how you learn best.

To test this idea, I decided to tackle my 2025 goal of learning Spanish. But instead of downloading yet another language app with someone else's learning philosophy, I built my own customized learning environment in minutes using Claude's artifact feature. Note: You can also do this with ChatGPT and Gemini's Canvas mode, which I will also be covering in later posts.

What exactly are artifacts?

Think of them as mini-apps Claude can create directly in our conversation. Unlike static text responses, artifacts can include interactive buttons, visual layouts, and even remember your progress between sessions. They're basically custom-built learning tools created through conversation.

Spanish is just one example. The approach I'm about to show you works for anything you want to learn—from quantum physics to guitar, from cooking to coding.

In this post, I'll show you exactly how to create your own learning applications, no technical skills required, and how this approach can transform not just what you learn, but how you learn.

1. Set your learning goal

The biggest mistake most people make when learning anything new? They start without a clear destination.

Vague goals like "learn Spanish" or "understand quantum physics" are motivation killers. They're too broad to measure progress against and too intimidating to sustain interest.

For my Spanish learning journey, I needed something concrete and meaningful. After some reflection, I landed on this specific goal:

"Speak confidently with locals during my two-week vacation in Spain next summer, ordering food, getting directions, and making small talk.

Notice how different this is from "learn Spanish"?

It's:

• Timebound: I have a clear deadline (my summer trip)

• Situational: Focused on vacation scenarios, not business Spanish or academic reading

• Achievement-oriented: I'll know I've succeeded when I can navigate these specific interactions

To define your own learning goal, complete this statement:

"I want to be able to ___________ by ___________."

Take a moment now to write down your own specific learning goal. The clarity of this statement will determine how effective your custom learning app becomes.

2. Break down what you need to learn

Now comes the fun part—transforming that big goal into bite-sized, learnable chunks.

For my vacation Spanish goal, I needed to break down "speaking confidently with locals" into specific knowledge and skills. Here's how I approached it:

Essential vocabulary categories

First, I identified the key situations I'd encounter and the vocabulary needed for each:

1. Greetings & Basic Expressions

   • Hello/goodbye at different times of day

   • Please/thank you/you're welcome

   • Basic questions (where, when, how much)

2. Restaurant & Food

   • Menu terminology

   • Ordering phrases

   • Paying the bill

3. Transportation

   • Taxi/bus/train vocabulary

   • Asking for tickets

   • Getting to specific locations

Grammar foundations

Rather than trying to master Spanish grammar (a multi-year project), I identified just the essential structures needed for vacation conversations:

1. Basic Present Tense for describing needs ("I want", "I need")

2. Simple Question Formation for getting information

3. Polite Requests for services and help

4. Numbers and Time for scheduling and payments

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Now, let's turn this curriculum framework into something Claude can work with. Here's the exact prompt I used to generate a comprehensive curriculum that would become the foundation for my learning app:

I'm creating a curriculum for learning [SKILL/SUBJECT] with the specific goal of [YOUR SPECIFIC GOAL]. I'll be using this curriculum to build an interactive learning app.

My current level is [BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED] and I have approximately [TIME PERIOD] to learn this.

Please create a structured curriculum that:

1. Breaks down exactly what I need to learn into logical categories (vocabulary, concepts, skills, etc.)

2. Organizes these into a progressive learning sequence from foundations to my specific goal

3. For each category, provide:
   - 5-10 specific elements to learn
   - Practical examples of how/where this would be used
   - Simple exercises to practice this element

4. Include any cultural context or background knowledge that would be helpful

5. Format this as a structured database that I can store in project knowledge and reference when building my learning app. Use clear hierarchical organization with categories, subcategories, and specific learning items.

For my specific goal of [REPEAT GOAL], what would be the most essential elements to focus on first?

When you run this prompt yourself, Claude will generate a comprehensive curriculum tailored to your specific learning goal. Save this entire response in your project knowledge, it will become the content database that powers your custom learning app.

3. From curriculum to custom learning app

Now that you have your structured curriculum safely stored in Claude's project knowledge, it's time to turn that curriculum into an interactive learning app tailored specifically to how you learn best.

This is where Claude artifacts truly shine. Instead of adapting to someone else's learning system, you'll create an app that works exactly the way your brain does.

Setting up your custom app builder

The first step is to give Claude specific instructions on how to build learning apps from your curriculum. Copy and paste this custom instruction into your project:

You are my personalized learning app builder. I've stored curriculum content in the project knowledge that follows a specific structure designed for creating interactive learning applications.

When I ask you to build a learning app:

1. ALWAYS reference the curriculum in project knowledge first, don't create new content unless specifically requested
   
2. The curriculum follows this hierarchical structure:
   - CATEGORIES (major topic areas)
   - ITEMS (specific vocabulary, phrases, or concepts)
   - USAGE (how/when to use the item)
   - EXAMPLE_CONTEXT (real-world examples)
   - PRACTICE (suggested exercises)

3. When creating artifacts:
   - Use React components for interactive elements
   - Create visually engaging layouts with clear typography and spacing
   - Implement learning mechanics that match my specified learning style
   - Always include progress tracking or feedback mechanisms
   - Make everything mobile-responsive

4. Available learning app types include:

   VOCABULARY BUILDING:
   • Flashcard System - Traditional or enhanced flashcards with spaced repetition
   • Word Association Maps - Visual connections between related terms
   • Vocabulary Matcher - Drag and drop matching exercises
   • Picture Dictionary - Image-based vocabulary learning
   • Word Usage Context Builder - Learn words in different contexts

   INTERACTIVE PRACTICE:
   • Dialogue Simulator - Conversation practice with branching responses
   • Role-Playing Scenarios - Simulated real-world situations
   • Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises - Complete sentences with learned vocabulary
   • Sentence Builder - Construct grammatically correct sentences
   • Translation Practice - Convert between languages with feedback

   GAMIFIED LEARNING:
   • Quiz Game - Multiple-choice or free response questions with scoring
   • Memory Game - Matching pairs of content
   • Hangman/Word Guess - Guess vocabulary from context clues
   • Crossword Generator - Create crosswords from curriculum content
   • Progress Challenge - Complete daily learning challenges

   COMPREHENSION & IMMERSION:
   • Story Generator - Create simple stories using learned vocabulary
   • Simulated Environment - Virtual location-based learning
   • Audio Pronunciation Guide - Hear and practice pronunciation
   • Cultural Context Explorer - Learn cultural background information
   • Real-world Application Scenarios - Practice in practical contexts

   TRACKING & ANALYTICS:
   • Progress Dashboard - Visual representation of learning progress
   • Mastery Tracker - Track confidence levels across categories
   • Study Schedule Builder - Create personalized learning plans
   • Weak Points Analyzer - Identify areas needing more practice
   • Learning Journey Map - Visualize curriculum progression

5. When I request a specific app type, or if I'm not sure what app type to use:
   - Guide me through selecting the best app type for my learning needs
   - Pull relevant content from the curriculum in project knowledge
   - Design the interface based on my learning preferences
   - Implement appropriate interactive elements
   - Include options to customize difficulty or focus areas

Always ask me what specific aspect of the curriculum I want to focus on if it's not clear from my request. If I'm unsure which app type would work best for my needs, suggest 2-3 options that might be most effective.

Remember: My goal is to create personalized learning experiences that match exactly how my brain learns best, using the curriculum I've developed.

This custom instruction does three important things:

1. It tells Claude how to access and use your curriculum from project knowledge

2. It provides a comprehensive menu of available app types organized by learning purpose

3. It establishes a framework for building apps tailored to your learning style

Choosing the right app type for your learning style

One of the most powerful aspects of this approach is matching the app type to your personal learning style. Here's a quick guide to help you choose:

If you're a visual learner:

• Picture Dictionary

• Word Association Maps

• Simulated Environment

• Visual Progress Dashboard

If you learn best through interaction:

• Dialogue Simulator

• Role-Playing Scenarios

• Fill-in-the-Blank Exercises

• Memory Game

If you need structure and organization:

• Mastery Tracker

• Study Schedule Builder

• Progress Challenge

• Learning Journey Map

If you prefer immersive context:

• Story Generator

• Cultural Context Explorer

• Real-world Application Scenarios

Not sure which learning style fits you best? No problem! You can simply ask Claude:

Based on my Spanish vacation curriculum in project knowledge, what kind of learner do you think I might be, and which 2-3 app types would work best for me?

Building your first learning app

With your curriculum loaded and custom instruction set, you're ready to build your first app.

Here's the exact and simple prompt I used to create my Spanish learning app:

Build me a restaurant scenario learning app using Role-Playing format.

Here's the result:

Here’s the link you can check.

The role-playing app will take me into sequential scenarios during food ordering in the restaurant, taking me in as if I'm actually ordering a food in Granada.

Curious to find other ways to learn, I asked Claude to build me another app using vocabulary matcher:

Build vocabulary matcher using transportation scenario.

Here's the result:

Here’s the link for you to check.

This vocabulary app has five levels. As you complete each level, the lesson gets harder but “Show hint” feature makes it easier to understand in case you can't figure out the right answer.

Here's the third app I asked Claude to build:

Build me a restaurant scenario using flash cards.

Here's the result:

Here’s the link to check.

The flashcards is divided into the different process of ordering food in the restaurant, making learning become more structured with right context.

Advanced app features

Additionally, you can add more features if you are not satisfied with the results:

Now let's add a spaced repetition system to this app:

1. Add a "review schedule" that shows when I should practice each word again

2. Include difficulty ratings (1-5) I can assign to each phrase

3. Create a daily practice mode that selects items based on their review schedule

4. Add a statistics panel showing my learning progress over time

With each request, Claude improved the artifact until I had a sophisticated learning app tailored exactly to my curriculum and learning style.

Troubleshooting tips

Here are five tips in case you find some issues during building process:

• If your app feels too complex, ask Claude to simplify the interface

• If you don’t like the UI (User Interface), take screenshot, upload it on your chat, and ask Claude you to fix or improve it.

• If your app seems limited, try combining multiple app types (like adding flashcards to your role-playing scenarios)

• Remember to save successful apps in dedicated conversations for easy access

• Lastly, if you find error like below, you can just click "Try fixing with Claude" and it will do the job well for you

The future of personalized learning

Building my own Spanish learning system with Claude artifacts has transformed how I approach learning. Four months in, my progress has exceeded what I achieved in two years of using commercial language apps.

The key difference? Everything was designed specifically for how my brain works—no compromises, no adapting to someone else's system.

This approach works for any learning goal, not just languages. Whether you're studying quantum physics, learning to cook, mastering chess openings, or preparing for certification exams, the principles remain the same:

1. Define a clear, specific learning goal

2. Break it down into a structured curriculum

3. Store that curriculum in Claude's project knowledge

4. Build custom learning apps with Claude artifacts

5. Test, refine, and expand your system based on real data

The future of learning isn't finding the perfect app—it's building the perfect system for your unique brain. Whether you are using Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT, that future is here today.

We're witnessing the democratization of learning tool creation. The barriers that once made personalized learning impossible—coding knowledge, design skills, development costs—are dissolving before our eyes. What remains is simply your imagination and willingness to experiment.

This is just the beginning. As AI capabilities continue to expand, the gap between what you can imagine and what you can create will shrink even further. You now have the power to build learning experiences that work precisely the way your unique brain does.

The question isn't whether you can build it—it's what will you build first?

P.S. Share your custom learning app experiments in the comments, or tag me on Substack. I'll feature the most creative examples in next month's newsletter!

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🧠 What I’ve consumed this week

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🚀 When Software Buys Software — We're witnessing the most exciting moment in startup history for builders with product instincts. The automation economy is creating unprecedented opportunities for innovation.

🎨 The Fatal Flaw in ChatGPT's Design —

Julie Zhuo

brilliantly breaks down the fundamental UX problems limiting ChatGPT's potential and how future interfaces might evolve.

🤖 Gemini 2.5 Pro vs Flash: What You Need to Know — A clear breakdown of the key differences between Google's latest AI models and which one might be right for your specific needs.

🌐 Arc Browser Makers Unveil Dia — The team behind Arc is launching something revolutionary with Dia Browser, featuring native AI-powered capabilities that could transform how we navigate the web.

💬 Granola: Unifying Team Knowledge — Making waves by consolidating all team conversations in one searchable place. The most valuable picture of your company isn't in docs or wikis—it's in the conversations happening every day.