Bibi lives at our home office, so she is almost constantly interacting with people. Kelly (my sister-in-law) and I work only a few feet away from Bibi's cage, so we are talking with her throughout the day. We answer back whenever she makes an attempt, and we say the words she is learning several times throughout the day.
Making the words sound fun seems to help. Bibi didn't seem to have any interest in counting 1-3 in German until I started counting like a drill sergeant. How fast she learns a word definately depends on how much she likes the way it sounds. She also likes listening to all the other African Greys on the Internet. We also play her compilation videos to reinforce what she knows and get her in a talking mood. She really likes talking to herself and hearing herself talk.
