I'm in the middle of an intense refactor of the Python implementation of Lingwo.ws.  Its mainly based on experience I had using the Perl port at work (oh yeah, over the summer, I ported it to Perl so we could use it at work).

Since I've began this project, I've learned alot about REST and building APIs.  One of the main things I've discovered is that I'm not the only one working on this.  Not by a long shot.

Here are just a handful of other REST + JSON specification in the works:

• Shoji 
• Joe Gregorio's
• Kris Zyp's original proposal
  
• John Cowan's
• ...
  

The title of this post is very misleading... I could already speak Polish at an intermediate-ish level before I started reading Harry Potter. However, this experience has really taught me alot!

What and why?

First, some background. Along with my own evolving ideas about language acquisition I've recently (maybe over the last 6 months?) become interested in the ideas of Stephen Krashen and Steve Kaufmann. They both emphasize "comprehensable input" as the primary means to language acquisition. This means reading and listening.

So, I decided that I wanted to read more in Polish. I had two primary goals:

• To expand my vocabulary.
• To read something interesting that I would enjoy.

I chose Harry Potter for the following reasons: