Method
Start with the blueprint, not the bricks
Why a pile of words is not a language, and what to do first instead.
A builder does not start by stacking bricks. She starts with a drawing. Language study often runs the other way.
Think of a word list. Each word is a brick. Bricks matter. But a pile of bricks is not a house.
What a frame is
A frame is a sentence pattern you can reuse. One pattern for asking. One for explaining what happened. One for giving an opinion. Each pattern has empty slots. Many words fit in them.
Learn a frame and you learn dozens of sentences at once. Learn a word alone and you learn one word.
Why it feels slow at first
Frames take a little time to set. Words feel faster, because you can count them. Frames pay back later, when you stop translating in your head and start building on the spot.
Try this today. Pick one situation you will face this week. Write the two sentences you most need in it. Find the pattern in each. Then swap three words and say the new sentences out loud.
That is a small drawing. It is enough to start building.