Today, we’re fortunate to have access to all sorts of language learning apps and resources. Language apps are valuable tools for all learners – those learning independently or through a class.
There are many benefits to using a language app to support your learning:
- You can learn anytime and anywhere.
- You can study at your own pace.
- You can get instant feedback depending on the app.
Yet, finding out which app is the most effective for you can be a time-consuming task. Or, worse, you get choice overload. Have you ever been endlessly stuck looking for the right language learning apps? And then, when you’re tired of trying out so many different apps, you’re too overwhelmed to even study anymore.
But worry no more!
I tried many different free trials, so you don’t have to. As a language learner and teacher, I’m always looking for the most innovative and interesting apps to help me with my self-education. I’m a native English speaker who has been learning Spanish for over eight years. I’ve dabbled in other Romance and Asian languages, but now I’m focusing on Portuguese.
I love learning, but I’m a busy woman! If you’re like me, you may not have the time to study a lot on your own, which is why an app is a great tool to help you.
Let’s talk about why I like the following apps and who they would best be suited for. I’ve divided them into input-based apps and vocabulary-focused apps. The input-based apps help you absorb and become familiar with the language’s natural rhythm and flow. Whereas vocabulary-based apps help increase your vocabulary.
Want to know how to master your mindset before starting a language? Check out this blog here.
Input-Based Apps
Input-based apps provide you with more input of the language. Polyglot Gabriel Wyner recommends that students train their ears before they start actively learning their target language. This will allow you to distinguish certain words or expressions from each other.
Students who don’t do this tend to have a harder time remembering new vocabulary. We’ll look at Liñgöpie and Pimsleur first.
Liñgöpie
Liñgöpie is an entertaining option to start engaging with content in your target language.
You may have already heard of the Netflix Language Reactor chrome extension. Liñgöpie is a lot like this extension but with more accessible resources. You have access to hundreds of movies and TV shows. Liñgöpie provides their content with original language subtitles and your first language.
What I love about Liñgöpie
- Easy access to memorization tools: You’re able to see the transcript of the content and click on words you aren’t familiar with. Immediately, Liñgöpie adds those words to a list. Once you finish watching the content, it prompts you with a pop quiz to test your memory.
You can also review and practice those words later with two other tools: Word Master and Flashcards. Plus, it will replay the clip where the movie/show mentioned the word. How neat is that?
- Classes: Your first lesson is free. After, it’s an extra feature you must pay for. You have access to classes where you can talk to teachers about the movies/TV shows that you watched.
- Discord Community: Discord is one of the most popular ways to communicate online, especially for gamers. You’re able to find someone to chat with in your target language. Many language apps are realizing the value of having a community to practice with. This app is no exception and keeps up with the trends.
How does Liñgöpie speed up your language learning?
- Who is it for: If you love consuming content, this is a perfect choice. It’s easy to select a short clip, watch, and click on whatever you want. There is a variety of audio and visually-centered resources. For instance, they even have audiobooks available.
- Game aspect: Watching TV or movies is very entertaining on this platform. It has many game-like features while you watch the content to help you memorize vocabulary.
- Effectiveness: It’s very useful to hear vocabulary used in its natural contexts. If you love watching movies, Liñgöpie will naturally attract you to sit down, watch, and learn!
- Accessibility: Liñgöpie offers movies and shows in these languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Russian. If you are a Spanish first-language speaker, the platform only offers English, French, German, and Italian content.
- Content: They provide most of the English-language content from the United States and the United Kingdom. If you’re interested in other English accents, they provide some Canadian and Australian options too. I haven’t seen apps that offer other accents!
- Overall rating: 4/5 🔥
Pimsleur
I’ve been using this app for more than a year now in several languages. So, I have the most experience with this one.
This app is great if you’re on-the-go a lot. In fact, I use Pimsleur every day whenever I go on a walk outside. They are 30-minute audio lessons with some extra features to help supplement your language learning goals. The Pimsleur® Method utilizes graduated interval recall and the principle of anticipation to get you accustomed to your target language.
What I love about Pimsleur
- The ability to be mobile while listening to the lesson: If you find it difficult to sit down and study a language, you might enjoy this feature of Pimsleur a lot. You can listen and participate in the lesson while you clean your house, go on a walk, cook, exercise, and more – I don’t recommend doing another activity that requires you to think a lot at the same time as the lesson.
- Get accustomed to the sound and feel of your target language ASAP: Most lessons start with a short dialogue between two speakers. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to understand and use the same vocabulary used in that dialogue. One of Pimsleur’s goals is to get you to start speaking on day one. From my own experience, you will definitely start speaking on day one!
How does Pimsleur speed up your language learning?
- Who is it for: This app is for beginners of a target language. If you want to get started in a specific language immediately, this is the place for you. You will notice your advancement just from the first lesson. If you are an intermediate or advanced speaker, this may not be as useful for you.
- Game aspect: This is not a vocabulary game app! The main audio lessons of Pimsleur are not games in the traditional sense. This app requires more discipline to stay committed compared to others I’ve mentioned on this page.
But, there are other features of the app that are more game-like. For example, in the all-access subscription, you have access to several sections per lesson: voice coach, reading, flashcards, quick match (a fast quiz), speak easy (refine your speaking skills), and speed round (one of the more game-like features of the app).
- Effectiveness: This app is one of the best language learning systems for beginners. If you want to be able to immediately understand and talk in basic conversations, this is an excellent option. While it can get repetitive, you can learn plenty after just 30 minutes. You don’t focus on grammar, rules, or lists of isolated vocabulary words. Instead, you learn very common expressions in their natural contexts.
- Accessibility: Pimsleur offers SO many languages – over 50 of them, in fact! I love how many less commonly learned languages like Tagalog or Norwegian are also available.
- Content: Depending on each language, there are multiple levels available for your study. English for Spanish speakers has over 90 lessons across three levels. The lessons will begin with the basics like, “How are you?” / “I speak (language)” / “I don’t understand (language) very well.” Plus, each lesson has a small cultural tidbit about the countries where this language is spoken.
- Overall rating: 4/5 🌟
Vocabulary-Focused Apps
These language learning apps focus on building up your vocabulary in fun and engaging ways. Some of them are game-like and others are a bit more traditional.
Lingodeer
Lingodeer is a lot like Duolingo but more comprehensive. With cute animals and a clean design, Lingodeer is easy to use. Each lesson includes vocabulary and expressions according to a specific topic. You might learn about nationalities, family, greetings, numbers, and more. You follow a pathway to build up your language skills. Lingodeer breaks down those East Asian languages much better than other apps.
What I love about Lingodeer
- Easy, concise grammar points: Each section has learning tips to boost your grammar. Many language apps don’t focus as much on grammar these days. But, it is necessary for your long-term advancement in a language. You will find their brief language points helpful and easy to understand!
- Concisely packaged vocabulary: Lingodeer follows a pathway of topics (like nationality, families, greetings, etc.). Under each topic, there are several lessons that cover basic vocabulary. When Lingodeer introduces a new word to you, they also provide a clear audio clip with a native speaker.
- Beautiful, personable graphics: Reading stories is one feature of the app. They supplement the stories with personable visuals rather than stock images. This makes the app more attractive for you to complete a lesson.
How does Lingodeer speed up your language learning?
- Who is it for: Beginners and some intermediate language learners. Their audio and vocabulary combos allow you to easily adapt to the language. If you are a Spanish speaker wanting to learn English, they only have material available for A0-B1 level speakers.
- Game aspect: Lingodeer is very interactive and entertaining. They draw you in with their captivating visuals, dynamic animations, and catchy sound effects. The app’s mechanics challenge users through puzzles and tasks that users must complete. You gain points and win prizes as you follow the map (or pathway) of the language.
- Effectiveness: You don’t waste your time with this app repeating unnecessary vocabulary. From the languages I’ve explored on this app, they break down the essential conversational vocabulary you need from the start.
- Accessibility: For Spanish speakers, you can learn twelve languages. But Lingodeer’s free access does not permit you to take many lessons like Duolingo does. Its value is better when you pay for a subscription.
- Content: Lingodeer has many valuable and more extensive resources compared to other apps. Most vocabulary-focused language apps don’t test your spelling skills in the language. But this one does. And you get an immediate grasp on the basic structures of the language.
- Overall rating: 4.5/5 👏
Memrise
Memrise is a flashcard-based app. Their goal is to “bring you the experience of living abroad, at your fingertips.” Memrise provides you with a traditional but entertaining way to practice languages. They center their vocabulary around real-world experiences. In a way, this is both an input and vocabulary app because of the way they present materials.
What I love about Memrise
- Premade flashcards: Memrise’s team created flashcards centered around specific categories. Some examples include “misunderstandings,” “basic needs,” “asking questions,” “working out” and WAY more. But they’re not your typical flashcards. They provide the literal translation plus the figurative use. Rather than looking for vocabulary lists, you can simply use one of theirs! And you can skip the words you already know.
- Immersive videos: I love that you can watch videos that also come with pre-made flashcards. You’re able to understand the vocabulary based on the video. Then, you can hear the words used in their natural contexts. They consider what level you have in the language as well and will suggest videos based on that.
How does Memrise speed up your language learning?
- Who is it for: All levels! But, depending on the language, the advanced-level content is not built up as much.
- Game aspect: More traditional overall as an app, but the immersive videos are fun.
- Effectiveness: If you don’t mind studying and learning in your free time, this is a great app to effectively build your vocabulary. With their method of repetition and retrieval through their algorithm, you’ll acquire a lot of new words easily. Plus, you can focus on a specific country’s vocabulary, which is unique for most language learning apps.
- Accessibility: For Spanish speakers, you have access to eight languages: German, Korean, French, English (USA & UK), Italian, Japanese, and Russian. For English speakers, you have access to sixteen languages.
- Content: Not everything has to be in a game format. If you want to be straightforward and efficient, you’ll learn plenty with this app. It’s a great form of microlearning since you can study a section of vocabulary for just five minutes at any moment.
- Overall rating: 3.8/5 👍
Busuu
Many language learning enthusiasts compare Busuu with another language app, Babbel. Busuu is a step above. Busuu provides very comprehensive courses for every level. Their community feature is one of the best parts of this app.
What I love about Busuu
- You have access to a lot of features for free: With many of these other language learning apps, you don’t get access to as many lessons or cool features. With Busuu, you could go far in a language for free. It’s a great starter kit for beginners. It provides maintenance for intermediate learners. For advanced learners, it still pushes you even farther (depending on the language and the number of materials provided).
- Their community feature: You can meet with other users of the app. Native speakers of your target language can correct your pronunciation or grammar mistakes. This element of error correction is so valuable to your progress.
How does Busuu speed up your language learning?
- Who is it for: All levels! I’ve tried it out in several languages to test it at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. If you like more traditional methods of studying online, this is a good option for you.
- Game aspect: Similar to Duolingo, Busuu has a leaderboard with different leagues. You compete against fellow language learners.
- Effectiveness: This is an excellent resource for learning new expressions in their contexts. Every time they introduce a new word or phrase, Busuu also provides an example of its use. In general, there are fewer opportunities for speaking. Compared to some of the other apps listed, it’s still worth it.
- Accessibility: Busuu doesn’t have as many languages available to learn, but the ones they do have offer a comprehensive list of materials. Currently, they have eleven languages available for English speakers.
- Content: It’s not as attractive or cute as the other apps since it has a lot of stock footage paired with vocabulary. But it’s easy to use and effective. Plus, Busuu does a great job of testing all your language skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
- Overall rating: 4.2 / 5 🎉
Supplement your language learning with an app today!
Now that you know what these language learning apps offer, go pick one and start learning! Language learning apps empower you to explore the world. BUT, they work best through dedication and practice. Above all, you’ll learn tons by the end of a year.
Remember, the world is your classroom, too! There’s nothing like learning from the people around you.