Most of us spend a lot of time thinking about what to learn in a language. Far fewer of us think seriously about the order in which we learn it. But some research suggests that content sequencing in language learning – the structure and progression of input – may play a much bigger role in successful learning than we usually assume.
One particularly fascinating study by Romain, Milin and Divjak (Language Learning, 2024/2025) explored specifically whether the order in which learners encounter grammatical patterns affects how well those patterns are learned. Interesting stuff for someone like me, who regularly dips in and out of grammars with no particular plan. Perhaps I should think again: their answer was a fairly resounding yes, order matters.
Content Sequencing in Language Learning
Content sequencing quite simply refers to how material is organised and introduced over time. There are a few considerations to make here, as both a self-paced learner and a course designer. Do we meet the most regular, high-frequency patterns first? Or should we focus on a mixture of typical and exceptional (irregular) cases from the outset? Should learning pathways build gradually on stable foundations, or can we effectively jump between topics based on our engagement and level of interest without adverse effects?
Well, the study systematised these questions within the frame of EFL teaching, and came up with some pretty clear answers. Learners who were first exposed to clear, reliable and prototypical examples of a structure before encountering messier edge cases developed stronger, more flexible understanding than learners who saw everything mixed together from the start.
In plain terms: learners seem to benefit from building stable generalisations first, before being asked to handle complexity and exceptions. For us language learners on the ground, that means learning and internalising regular paradigms before worrying too much about irregularities.
What’s particularly interesting is that this challenges the popular assumption that more varied input earlier is always better. Instead, it suggests that thoughtful content sequencing in language not only helps us structure our learning more effectively, but also results in deeper, more solid foundations over time.
Why this matters
For individual learners, this is quietly reassuring. If you sometimes feel more comfortable with core patterns than with exceptions, that isn’t failure. It’s our natural mode of learning.
It also suggests that revisiting foundational structures repeatedly, across different contexts, isn’t wasted time. It’s part of how robust knowledge is built. Cover the core well, and you’re setting yourself up for long-term progress.
For anyone building language learning apps, courses or platforms, it’s equally insightful. Many tools prioritise variety, novelty and engagement, which are important, of course. But how many courses truly focus on recycling foundational structures at length, without succumbing to the temptation to list exceptions early on?
A quiet design principle worth taking seriously
None of this means learning must be rigid, linear or joyless. It doesn’t mean that we should ignore irregularity, either. But it does suggest that step-by-step, paradigmatic sequencing isn’t boring, or missing the detail; it’s cognitive kindness. It helps learners build confidence, coherence and flexibility over time.
Perhaps we should spend less time asking how much content we can squeeze into a curriculum or an app, and more time asking whether the order of that content actually supports how learning unfolds.
Because in language learning, progress isn’t just about exposure. It’s about architecture.