Methods and systems provide an adaptive method of language learning using automatic speech recognition that allows a user to learn a new language using only their voice—and without using their hands or eyes. The system may be implemented in an application for a smartphone. Each lesson comprises a series of questions that adapt to the user's knowledge. The questions ask for the translation of a word or phrase by playing an audio prompt in the origin language, recording the user speaking the translation in the target language, indicating whether the utterance was correct or incorrect, and providing feedback related to the user's utterance. Each user response is evaluated in real time, and the application provides individualized feedback to the user based on their response. Subsequent questions in the lesson and future lessons are dynamically ordered to adapt to the user's knowledge.