Over the last decade technology has changed the way we learn languages. Taking advantage of this new technology language lovers can now explore many languages at their fingertips without having to leave their homes. The apps mentioned below will definitely bring your language skills to the next level, however, your results will depend entirely on your level of commitment. Yes, I said the C word again! Without COMMITMENT, no results will be achieved. Make sure that you schedule a 10 to 20-minutes period per day if you want to accomplish good results.
TLC asked some of its members about their experiences with the most popular apps available in today’s market, and here is what they have to say.
Reviewed by Aniela
I started using DROPS 2 months ago, and I can say that it’s a great app. Because I work full time, I have a hectic schedule, and it’s often difficult for me to set time aside for long periods of study time. With DROPS, I can learn while on the move; 5 minutes at the time throughout the day. I use it while waiting at the queue at the petrol station, while waiting between for my students to arrive; while waiting at my dentist’s appointments as well as while I am in a taxi. Every time that I have 5 minutes to spare, I grab the opportunity to use the app to learn a language. It’s my way to learn without feeling pressured. By the end of most days I realize that I have spent over 30 minutes of improving my language skills. I highly recommend this app as it doesn’t overload you. Above all, you can choose your own topics and work at your own pace.
Reviewed by Sara
DUOLINGO is one of the most popular apps for learning languages. At the moment, there are over 30 languages available to users and they have recently added Arabic too. DUOLINGO focuses on words and phrases but does most of the learning using full sentences with the option to translate the new words that appear as you go. It teaches grammar by example, combines comprehensive, audio-lingual, and translation methods and is a great and friendly tool for beginners. It allows you to speak sentences so you can practice pronunciation and will advise you if what you said wasn’t right. Also, it allows you to listen and either write or translate what you heard. It’s a fun and effective way to learn a language.
MEMRISE is an app for learning languages as well as many other subjects. It has free and paid versions. The free version is really useful for learning languages. The paid version adds in more listening skills and allows you to “learn with the locals” (listen to locals speak words and phrases) as well as a few other listening tools. MEMRISE is available via app and also on the Internet. It focuses more on building vocabulary by using colorful flashcards. The flashcards contain both text and images, but also make use of short video clips to improve your listening skills. MEMRISE is not very strong in grammar and sentence structure.
HELLO TALK is a global language and culture exchange community that connects you with native speakers of other languages. It is a very effective way to practice with native speakers, and it’s easy to use too. First, I had to load my profile by indicating that I am a native English speaker looking to learn/improve French. The system connected me with native French speakers looking to learn/improve their English. It relies on your connections being available and in my experience some people disappear for weeks and never respond, but it also has a wall (like a Facebook wall) where you can post comments and look for other learners. I connected with people in that way before. Unfortunately, there can be some unwanted male attention towards women, but the app tries its best to remove people who attempt to use the app as a dating site, and you can report people who abuse the app. You can also set your profile in a way that it makes you visible to people of the same sex which I did for a while, and it was very effective. I will say that since I took a break from the app, I have had much fewer unwanted messages from males and they back off very quickly when you point out that they will be blocked if they continue abusing it.
Reviewed by Sook
FLASH ACADEMY. . I just started using this app and tried the first step and highly recommend it. Flash Academy is a high-quality learning system that integrates vocabulary, grammar, listening, writing, and speaking. The app focuses on different themes like food, travel, shopping, school, etc. It has a point system like Duolingo and gives as much joy as Duolingo. My favorite feature is the scanning feature. You only need to take out your phone and point the camera at anything. The app will scan a photo of the object you’re pointing your phone camera at and deliver to you the direct translation in your choice of 60 different languages. This function allows you to learn colors, materials, common nouns, and more. It also includes an audio feature in which you can hear the words pronounced by a native speaker of the selected language (not available in all the languages). Even if the app is not free (only the first 6 lessons are free, after that users have to pay), I think it’s worth the 42$ fee per year (you can also get a monthly plan, 3-month plan or a 6-month plan).
Reviewed by Julia
DR FRENCH is my favorite app to learn and master French grammar. It targets all levels of French learners, from beginners to experts. Dr French is an easy-to-use and intuitive app that focuses on French grammar to make sure the user gets a good foundation. It has a homework section, and the learner has to pass some quizzes to be able to move to the next learning levels. There are various languages to learn from (in my case I prefer Portuguese, for example). It’s simple to learn and very instructive.
Reviewed by Dina
Hi, my name is Dina Asfour, I started studying Spanish 2 years ago, and it has been quite an enjoyable journey. I started attending language exchange sessions at the Language Club, and I found some very useful applications such as Babbel which I highly recommend for starters as it helped me learn and practice Spanish by taking written and spoken exercises based on my own level. I also used the Linguee.com website to help me with grammar and vocabulary. Having extra sources like language applications and teaching websites helped me learn and further develop my language skills.
Good luck!
BABBEL is a paid language learning app that offers 14 different languages. It includes grammar courses, vocabulary lessons, and basic phrases for conversations that are specifically focused on beginner and intermediate level learners. Babble also offers good explanations to tricky grammar questions and because it’s content is generated by teachers and not by users, each lesson is extremely high quality. Babbel is not branded as a fun app to learn languages and has a more serious approach to learning, which matches my style.
Reviewed by Marcela
TRIPLINGO. I use this app when I travel. It helps me asking for most of the information a traveler needs with relations to food, hotels, directions, and much more. It costs 5 euros for the complete version and totally worth every penny.
Are you using any language learning app? Share your experience with us!