The top mobile language learning apps
When I travel, it is the most important thing to get along with the local people. Therefore, before I travel to a country, it has become increasingly important to find the best language learning and travel applications.
I bet that many years ago, when English was not a common language, the journey around the world would be more wonderful. Sadly, now we seem to be a little lazy. If people don’t understand, people often try to speak louder and slower, and throw out some gestures, hoping to help. However, with so many free language applications to help, it is relatively easy to learn some basic knowledge.
During my trip in Dion, Indonesia, no one spoke English to me for a large part of the time, which was a challenge for me. I can cope with it with my basic knowledge of Indonesian, but as I grow up as a traveler, my desire to learn other languages is also increasing. Fortunately, there are many great language applications that can help us — continue to scroll and see my favorite best language learning applications.
In addition, you may want to read my recent article about learning Spanish online, which will give you some further ideas about learning any language resources.
Google Translation
iPhone | Android
Well, it may not teach you directly, but it must be my most commonly used language application when traveling, because it helps me a lot. If I see words that I don’t understand, but want to learn, it is as simple as pointing a camera at words, and I can get translation.
If you are not sure what is on the menu, use your mobile camera to translate. You need to say a word to a local person you really don’t know. Let it speak out for you. Literally, this is the best language application to help communication in any situation.
LingopieDesktop website | iPhone | Android
We all learn languages in different ways (in fact, we learn anything) — for some of us, it may be to learn written language courses or through conversation, while for others, we prefer to adopt a visual-based approach. So, let me introduce you to this list, which may be the most popular (but surprisingly effective) choice — sitting in the back and watching TV
No, really, please listen to me, because this is a simple and smart solution that can combine language learning with some interesting things, and it is suitable for our spare time. Lingopie not only provides subtitles for more than 1000 hours of TV programs and movies, but also the subtitles are clickable, so you can pause the program and learn the meaning of any new words while watching — you will also learn pronunciation from the sound track of the program. At the end of each episode, you can review the words you clicked to repeat what you just learned.
This is especially helpful to increase your knowledge of words, whether you are a beginner who wants to learn new words or a more advanced person who has mastered grammar but just wants to expand your vocabulary. There are nine different languages to choose from – Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and English – which is a useful application for those who want to travel or live in countries where these languages are used. Try the free version. If you like it, you can continue to use the membership for one year, which is about 6 euros per month, much cheaper than Netflix
Drops
iPhone | Android
It seems that I have experienced the stage of using different language applications and have been using them constantly during my travels. But now, after moving to Portugal, I use language applications not only for short trips, but also to support myself in learning a new language, Portuguese, which is one of the best language learning applications I choose.
Drops is a relatively new language application. My favorite thing is that it supports different media when learning words. You can get both written and audio words and visual graphics to help support learning. If you are a visual learner like me, this is ideal. You can also completely control the words you pass through this process, so if you have confidence in some words, you can tick them off and they will not appear in the course format.
I have been using the premium paid version of Drops, because I am obviously quite committed to learning Portuguese, and so far, it seems worth investing. Of course, I am learning complete sentences, not just words, which is great, and I hope it can lay a sufficient foundation when I begin to take language classes in person, and I can learn at a higher level. The course can be digested in just five minutes. Another thing I like about Didi is their commitment to little-known languages and the protection of traditional and regional dialects in the process of expansion.
Duolingo
IPhone | Android
I’ve been fascinated by this app for a long time. It’s no surprise that it won the title of “Apple iPhone App of the Year”.
Why is it so good? I like it more like a lesson in your palm than a messy word list. It uses repetition and review to ensure that you have mastered it, and combines audio learning with visual cues. As a person with dyslexia and visual ordering problems, I find all these hybrid learning methods really useful.
You can’t become fluent here, but you will have enough ability to cope with it. They also have a wide range of languages. Especially for Spanish, it is one of the best language learning applications because it has a very wide range of courses.
Going to places like China? Use one of the best language learning applications to gain basic knowledge
Babel
IPhone | Android
Babbel, another winner of Apple Apps, offers courses in multiple languages, which is easy to use. However, the language course needs to be renewed automatically. If you want to really learn the language, this is very good. But if you just want to master the basic knowledge during a quick weekend trip, it may not be worth the investment.
I like its cross-learning from telephone to internet, so you can start and finish learning in any module. Its structure is very good and the course is very comprehensive. But considering the monthly cost, once you get the basic knowledge from another application, you may better invest in Skype courses with local people.
HiNative
Android
HiNative is an application that desktop users can access online. It is very different from your usual “reading, listening and learning” method, but I really like its interactivity because you are talking with native speakers many times.
The benefit of this software is that my pronunciation is very bad. In addition to asking how to say something, you can also record your voice to get feedback and know whether what you say sounds true. Hello, there is no awkward moment to talk nonsense in the store any more. You can put your blush behind the mobile phone screen
I also like that you can interact with local people, understand their culture, or actually get any direct answers before you arrive.
It does have a subscription fee for advanced access. Its disadvantage is that only those who have paid can listen to your voice records. Therefore, you should rely on someone who has paid. If you want to participate in the actual conversation, this is of course one of the best language learning applications.
Bousu
iPhone | Android
Busuu only provides nine languages, mainly European-based languages. Similarly, it also charges subscription fees, which exceed the basic languages. Personally, I have never really touched it, but I know that some friends use it very well, so I think it is unfair to delete it from the list. It includes your typical functions and the local interactive elements of HiNative — again, I just used it briefly, but which one might be suitable for you?
Lingoda – for practical online language courses
Free 7-day trial here
For a more traditional way of online language learning, Lingoda is an online language school market, which acts as a substitute for visiting language schools. Although for me, the experience of learning with teachers in the classroom cannot be compared with online courses, I found that my lessons in Lingoda were very good, and the platform is one of the best online Spanish learning options.
Although it is not so cheap, considering that you have an online teacher, it is a good choice for those who may not have a language school near their residence. You can choose a group or private course, and it adopts the credit system – the more credits you buy in bulk, the cheaper the course will be.
What I really like about this platform and teachers is its flexibility. It is divided into A1, A2 and other formal levels. There are a lot of the same courses to choose from on different days and times, so you will not be locked in a specific class time as in the language school, so you have more control. I also like the teacher to provide the written notes and annotated courseware of each class in the form of PDF download after class, so that you can keep a copy of what you are learning and working.
During the trial period, you can enjoy free group or one-on-one courses, so it is worth giving Lingoda a try to see if it can support you to learn Spanish online. In addition to paid courses, actual classroom learning material resources and programs can also be obtained free of charge at any time. You can start a free trial here.
My favorite method? The shame is that it is watching English movies abroad and learning from subtitles, which usually leads to funny soap operas and knowing all the words of foreign catchy junk ads, but not knowing what they are saying. Do you have anything more cultural than this?
what about you? Is there any language learning application I have missed?