The Best Apps and Services for Learning a New Language
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? For those who have the time, learning a new language can be very beneficial. It allows you to learn about new cultures, become more well-rounded, and helps you out when you travel to countries that speak that language. Learning a new language can also allow you to communicate with new people you might not have been able to talk to before. So, if you’re thinking of learning a new language, here’s a list of the best apps and services to help you out!
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duolingo
Duolingo is a website and app that is free to use with a premium subscription option. The service offers a wide selection of languages such as Italian, French, Japanese, and Chinese. Users are given fun challenges to do with listening, writing, speaking, and multiple-choice exercises. Users are granted five “hearts” a day and lose one with every wrong question. But don’t worry! Hearts can easily be won back by completing practice rounds.
This service is really great for memorization, since it often repeats certain phrases, words, and grammar structures for multiple levels before allowing the user to move on to something new. For those learning Asian languages such as Japanese and Chinese, the service first focuses on getting the user comfortable with the alphabets. For instance, users learning Japanese will first complete tracing and memorization exercises for the Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana characters.
Duolingo also has a premium subscription called Super Duolingo, for those who are willing to pay. Subscribers will receive an ad-free learning experience, unlimited attempts on Legendary challenges, and personalized lessons that help you practice and learn from any mistakes you make in the lessons.
This service can be accessed anytime, anywhere on your mobile or desktop devices!
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Photo by babbel.com/ Public Domain
babbel
Babbel is another service that makes it easy for people to learn new languages. Babbel offers an app, as well as live online classes taught by expert teachers. Those interested in taking classes can pick from hundreds of different options that fit their schedule. Users can sign up for as many as they would like. Classes include speaking practice in small groups led by professional instructors and start at level A1 (newcomer) up to C1 (advanced). Each class is limited to six people, allowing users to get personalized attention from the instructor.
The Babbel app is a paid service that allows users to learn new languages through fun games, podcasts, and well-crafted lessons. Users can learn at their own pace and can be of any level. The top Babbel subscriptions include the 6-month plan at $13.45 a month, the 12-month plan at $8.95 a month, and the lifetime plan at a one-time payment of $349. The app offers over 60,000 lessons across 14 different languages and is the most-sold language learning platform with over 16 million subscribers.
Babbel is a great service to invest in if you’re serious about learning a new language!
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Photo by Lingopie/ Public Domain
lingopie
Lingopie is a paid language learning service that allows users to learn a new language by watching television shows in that language. The service offers nine languages: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. The service has “Lingopie TV” which offers international shows in their original languages. There’s also a Netflix extension that users can get to watch international shows on Netflix.
Another service offered is “Lingopie Music” which offers different playlists full of international music. Lingopie helps users learn new languages while also immersing themselves in the culture of the country through exposure to international media. The Lingopie app provides a “learn as you go” method. Users pick up words, phrases, and grammar from television shows and music, and then review and practice them with games and quizzes. Lingopie also offers language tutors.
Users can try the service out for free with a seven-day free trial. After the free trial ends, there are three different subscription options. There’s a 3-month plan at $12 a month that includes one language with over 3,000 shows and Netflix access, a yearly plan at $5.99 a month that offers the same thing but with all languages and 50% savings, and a lifetime subscription at a one-time payment of $199, which offers 70% savings and life access to the service.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Photo by Abshifflett/ CC BY 3.0
rosetta stone
Rosetta Stone is a language learning service that offers lessons in 25 languages. The service has an app and website and offers live coaching from native speakers. There are three services offered: learning for individuals through the mobile app, learning for enterprises, and learning English for international students at schools.
The mobile app offers bite-sized lessons that can be accessed at anytime, anywhere. Those interested can purchase one language with 3-month access at $15.99 per month, one language with 12-month access at $10.50 per month, or a lifetime subscription with access to all languages at a one-time payment of $199.
The app replicates the way young children first pick up on language through spoken audio by native speakers and showing written words and real-world images. Called “Dynamic Immersion,” this method allows users to use conceptual and visual cues to work through the language. Rosetta Stone is focused on giving users a lasting, deeper understanding of the language.
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drops
Drops is an app offering both free and paid learning opportunities. The app encourages users to practice each day, with 5,000 words and phrases offered for practice. This app is not intended for serious learners hoping to learn a new language quickly. Instead, it’s perfect for those who are busy and want to casually learn a new language in a way that fits with their schedule.
The free version of the app offers five minutes of learning a day. Users are given listening, sentence formation, and multiple-choice exercises. New vocabulary gets introduced each day. Users can earn extra minutes of learning and even have the chance of doubling their time to ten minutes by achieving learning streaks. Learning streaks are achieved by logging onto the app each day to practice.
For those who are willing to pay, Drops Premium offers an ad-free learning experience, unlimited learning time, offline learning, exclusive gameplay, and access to all content and lessons. Subscriptions consist of a monthly plan at $13 a month, a yearly plan at $69.99 a year, or a lifetime subscription with a one-time payment of $159.99.
The app focuses on making learning new languages fun and engaging, with over 50 different languages offered.
conclusion
Learning a new language can be a fun, intellectual, and engaging hobby. These apps and services are perfect for learners of all levels and schedules. For dedicated learning, try Babbel, Lingopie, and Rosetta Stone. For quick learning that can fit into a busy schedule, try Duolingo and Drops. Whether you choose a free service or pay for a subscription, these services give you a unique and fun learning experience that will make language-learning no longer feel like a chore! Try out one of these apps and services today to start learning!
