Best Language Learning Apps

ADVERTORIAL

Globalization has made it almost a requisite to learn at least one or two foreign languages for many people all over the world, what’s with the massive migration movements happening as of right now, and an entire populace of workers doing their job behind computers while operating for companies thousands of miles away from their location, it does seem vital to start learning a thing or two about any other language besides your mother tongue even if you’re not currently going through the previously mentioned predicaments. Now, learning a new language is never as easy as saying it, and it can take years to see liable results if you’re not constant in your studying. The best way to keep interested is to set a routine about the thing, so our best advice is to make your language learning process a daily thing, which means you must have learning tools available to you at all times. And obviously there’s no better way to do this than have them in your smartphone on any other smart device you own. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the best language learning apps both available to iOS and Android, each of them packed with all the necessary tools you’ll need, from audio recordings of entire lessons to live chats with foreign speakers. Don’t worry, we’ve made it our job to keep Duolingo’s nagging owl away from this list!

Busuu

Best Price: $119.99 for a Two Year Subscription ($4.99 per month)

This app works both as a complementary study app if you’re onboard with your learning process inside a classroom, and also as a full course if you want to be devoted to the platform.  As it is with many apps, it has two tiers of service: Free and Premium. We’re vouching on the Premium version of the app, though its free version is decent enough if you’re only looking to practice your vocabulary for one language in a quick and effective way. Its premium account however is packed with lots of material in all of its eleven available languages, including quizzes, entire grammar lessons and exercises, as well as the possibility to receive feedback from other users.

Tandem

Best Price: Free

Named after the word for a two-person bicycle, its ways of working are pretty similar: Two people helping each other in order to get somewhere. In this case, you two won’t go anywhere literally, but on a figurative note you’ll both go further in your language learning process by way of chatting and amicably discussing your doubts about each other’s mother tongue. It is the modern day way of getting a pen pal, only you’ll get to communicate through texting just as you would with any other friend. There’s three big sections in the app: Community, Tutors and The Chats. The first one gives you access to search for new people, the second will provide great book lessons to aid your abilities, and the last one will show you all your conversations. It is as easy to use as any other chatting app, and you’ll only need to connect your account to Facebook in order to make it work.

Lingua.ly

Best Price: Free

Lingua.ly is one of the best reading tools you’ll have at your disposition whenever you’re reading texts in another language. The app gives you the ability to save any word included within any online article or text you’re reading, and as a result it’ll give you recommended and relevant texts in order to extent your vocabulary and progress on your reading skill. Whenever you’re reading you’ll get to click on any word, and the app will provide a definition and audio version of the word before storing it in your personal word collection called “Inbox”. Any text the app recommends to you can also be tagged and categorized so you can filter them by topic, and moreover, the more you spend it using it, the better the recommendations will be.

Beelinguapp

Best Price: Free

In order to improve your reading skills, look no further and choose Beelinguapp. With plenty of interesting reading material in 12 different foreign languages, as well as translations and audio recordings, the app is the perfect companion to sharpen your skills at reading in the language of your choosing on a daily basis. From the moment you begin using it the app will direct you to the best it has to offer by way of suggesting you some content with Title cards and a description, and it even goes as far as to show you how many paragraph each text has. However (and better yet), the app lets you use filters to find any material that fit your interests and your skill level, so you’ll never feel bored or lost. The best about its service is the fact that most of its best features are free, and only an ad-free Premium version is available aside from its default version.

HiNative

Best Price: Free

HiNative is another service that connects you to native speakers of a language, but in a more straightforward and efficient approach: It works through a Q&A method where you’ll get any answer in regards to a language answered by knowledgeable native speakers that actively work as a community to help anyone with grammar, pronunciation or any other doubts you may have when going through your language lessons. Likewise, you’ll also get to answer any questions you may want from your native tongue, and if it is a valuable answer you’ll receive points which will make any questions you submit to be published higher up in the feed. There’s a premium version available with extra features, but it won’t make an especially better experience for you as its free version comes packed with all the good basics you may need.