If you are new to a language it is much easier to answer this question: Use our word list. The words chosen there are carefully selected to not only give you a good basis for future learning and get you excited about a language, but are also a great accompaniment to our pronunciation trainer which -according to our method- would have been step 1 before you need to make this decision.
Note: As of September 12th 2019, we no longer provide official support for our Anki based pronunciation trainers and word lists. You are more than welcome to still purchase and use them, but the support we are able to offer for these products is limited. For supported languages, these materials are already built into the Fluent Forever app.
If you're a language learner at an intermediate or advanced level, you have a few options when it comes to choosing the vocabulary and grammar you want to learn in your target languages:
- Use a frequency dictionary. Grab the top 1000 and then skim through the next 1000-2000 and see which ones cover topics you find interesting or
applicable to the situation in which you’re going to be using your language. - Grab a thematic word-list or book like the “Mastering [LANGUAGE] Vocabulary” books by Barron. Those will be high value words, arranged by theme.
- Start writing or talking with a tutor about topics you care about. Every time you run into a word you need, write it down and learn it.