Going to a restaurant in Paris, partying in a nightclub in Barcelona or looking for directions to see historic sites in Rome are much easier when you have some knowledge of the language of the country you are visiting.
With the advancement of technology, anyone can learn a new language through online platforms, which can be accessed from home or mobile, and allow students to learn languages whenever and wherever they want. Thanks to the ‘online’ nature of language learning apps, you will find the most innovative procedures and practices in language learning ever used. That means you won’t have to worry about working with ineffective or outdated methods.
But with so many options, how do you choose the right service to fit your learning style?
We’ve rounded up 5 of the best language learning services, showing the best programs for both computer and mobile apps. Most of them offer free lessons for their initial programs, charging only if you want an upgrade.
See the list below and choose the one that suits you best.
1. Duolingo
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Duolingo offers plenty of exercises to help you get into the basics of the language you want to learn. It’s considered one of the best free language apps.
The app has a podcast, interactive short stories, and even get-togethers with other learners, mainly for those who want to study Spanish.
It works well on both desktop and mobile devices.
Duolingo offers language teaching in around 30 idioms, including Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Esperanto, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian (in beta), Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Navajo (in beta), Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Welsh.
2. Babbel
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Founded in 2007 and a renowned language learning tool for beginners who want to learn the basics, Babbel offers language courses in 14 different languages.
Babbel has a mobile version (iOS, Android) and a desktop version (Mac, PC) with a friendly interface.
The app has a progress evaluation process to track class activities. Whether you log in with the same device or a different one, it will start where you left off. Audio, video features, live chats and voice recognition are also offered by the app.
You can even take a free trial language class before finally enrolling.
3. Rosetta Stone
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Rosetta Stone offers different tools for different types of learning styles. One of the main features is TruAccent, a voice recognition software that gives feedback on the student’s pronunciation.
There is also the Phrasebook, a guide that selects and teaches key expressions in a language to improve pronunciation.
Finally, there is Seek & Speak, in which the student turns the camera on to find objects and learn their expressions.
Rosetta Stone offers 31 languages to study on the desktop version.
Rosetta Stone issues a certificate upon completion of a proficiency test, which must be requested by the student.
4. Memrise
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Memrise is one of the best apps to help a beginner or intermediate’s journey. Its intuitive language learning system is designed to make this process fun, easy and addictive.
It offers a vibrant and friendly interface, and presents an effective learning process.
5. Busuu
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Just like Duolingo, Busuu offers classes through mobile to practice a foreign language. It encourages students to interact with each other, and therefore allows conversations between users.
Busuu has a community of over 100 million users around the world. There are 12 languages offered on the platform, including French, German, Spanish and the most spoken languages spoken in Asia and the Middle East.
