As a language teacher and avid student of new languages, I want to present you the best language learning apps 2019 I’ve tested.
In my opinion, all of these apps can be of great help for you when you want to achieve a certain level of knowledge. However, the most important thing is motivation because repetition is the key.
And that’s why these apps are so great. Just pick one up that you think will suit you best. Then use it every day for a couple of minutes for a few months. I can guarantee you there will be a big difference in your language level soon!
There are dozens, maybe already hundreds of such apps but some of them have been available for years and are proven. I’m providing you an overview of the best ones in my opinion.
1. Mooveez
Name: Mooveez
Website: www.mooveez.com
Languages: 5
Price: free trial for two weeks (without the need to insert any payment details), then $13 a month or $130 a year. In order to get a discount, read the information at the end of the Mooveez review.
Mooveez is an app with movies as the name suggests. There are movies in Spanish, English, German, Russian and French available. The app is free to be downloaded in AppStore or GooglePlay and you have a free trial. If you decide to keep using the app, you can opt for a monthly subscription or pay once per year.
Every movie is split in short “lessons” of about 5 minutes. You can watch the movie on full screen or just on the top half of your screen and below it there are sentences in the original language on the left side, with translation on the right side.
The app has a special feature called Audio Flashcards which is really the best thing I like about the app. What is it? You create your own flashcards adding certain sentences to you Flashcard Library so you can replay them again whenever you want. The repetition, with the same intonation of the native speaker, is very effective for remembering. Much more than if you just wrote the phrases down and repeated them without hearing them.
Another great tool are quizzes. There are several of them after each lesson. All you have to do is inserting correct words in spaces, choose from three or four options and check the correct one etc. It is an easy way of practicing grammar without getting bored or annoyed.
This app is definitely my favourite one out of all the language learning apps I’ve tried or tested. It’s worth a try!
I wrote a more comprehensive review of Mooveez, if you are interested in it.
As I’ve been recommending Mooveez for a long time, the company offered me to give a discount of 10% to everyone who buys the yearly subscription. If you want to make us of that, do these steps:
1. Download the app
2. Try it for free
3. Go to Settings and click on Promo Code. Insert promo code NEUBAUER10 that gives you 10% discount. Then go to Subscription Settings and order your yearly subscription.
2. DuoLingo
DuoLingo is probably the most famous language-learning app worldwide, and it’s one of the few free ones.
The idea was created by a university professor Luis von Ahn and his graduate student Severin Hacker. It’s based on repetition of words and grammar and there is a very good and simple structure there. The mini-lessons enable you to write, speak and listen and are, in my opinion, the best way how to start if you are a beginner or know just a few words.
Name: DuoLingo
Website: www.duolingo.com
Languages: 34
Price: It’s free, no subscriptions. There are adds that do not interfere with the lessons (they always appear before or after the lesson).
Level: beginners to intermediate
Pros:
- it’s completely free
- it is very well structured and easy to use
- it forces you to speak as well, not only to write
- the example sentences are practical
- reminders to learn
Cons:
- lack of writing practice
- too repetitive which is sometimes boring
- not enough conversational tasks
The main disadvantage I see in DuoLingo is that some words are repeated too many times so you don’t learn more than one or two new words in some lessons. So in fact, you spend a lot of time typing but not learning much.
3. Babbel
Name: Babbel
Website: https://www.babbel.com/
Languages: 14
Price: $6.95 to $12.95 a month (per language), it is less if you pay for several months in advance. Money-back guarantee: 20 days.
Level: beginners to intermediate
If you are looking for a more sophisticated version of DuoLingo with extended content, I would recommend you Babbel. It is cheaper than Rosetta Stone and contains more longer dialogues.
As repetition is so necessary for learning in order to have the vocabulary settled in the long-term memory, Babbel reintroduces words through six memory stages using the technique of spaced repetition. There are different patterns provided, spaced out for the brain to optimally save the new learnings.
Every person is different – someone learns better by reading, writing, watching or listening. In Babbel, both visual and auditory learning types of learners are addressed.
There are various packages within Babbel so you can focus on improving specific skills or your weak spots. The classes can be downloaded for offline studying.
Same as in DuoLingo, you get reminders of your daily lessons.
There are in-depth explanations of grammar; a necessary thing to understand the structure and system of every language.
After introducing a concept, Babbel presents you with relevant exercises so you can practice what you learned.
Each class starts with vocabulary with pictures; then the words are used in sentences and short dialogues.
Pros:
- it’s more professional than DuoLingo
- explanation of grammar
- well-structured and easy to use
- practical real-life dialogues
- reminders to learn
Cons:
- lack of writing practice
- no content for intermediate/advanced learners
- tedious repetition
- not enough conversational tasks
4. Memrise
Name: Memrise
Website: www.memrise.com
Languages: 18
Price: It’s free. The Premium Plan costs $9 per month or $59 per year.
Level: beginner to intermediate
Memrise helps you to get from zero level to B1/B2. There is about 3000 most frequent words and some grammar.
Memrise manages to be both one of the most useful language learning apps and one of the most overused.
It is an app that was founded by Ed Cooke, a grand master of memory, and Greg Detre, a Princeton neuroscientist specializing in the science of memory and forgetting.
It is a well-known fact that emotions and fun vastly increase remembering so the more fun you have while learning, the better. That’s why we also often remember our mistakes if we feel awkward when we make them.
This app is full of memes and gamification, creating funny or bizarre associations of words. The memes are designed to help remember the vocabulary.
As to the strong sides of Memries, I appreciated two things: spaced repetition and mnemonics. There is an algorithm calculating when you should repeat each word and you get a reminder of it. The memes help you remember the vocabulary.
Pros:
- it is very well structured and easy to use
- it forces you to speak as well, not only to write
- the example sentences are practical
- reminders to learn
Cons:
- lack of writing practice
- the app forces you to repeat some words so much they it makes you angry
- not enough conversational tasks
5. LinguaLift
Name: LinguaLift
Website: www.lingualift.com
Languages: Japanese, Russian, Hebrew (Spanish, French, Chinese coming soon)
Price:
1 month subscription 12 month subscription
$29.99 per month $17 per month
($204 charged every 12 months)
Level: beginners to intermediate
LinguaLift is a language app that has an extra add-on: tutor. The tutors are there to help you answering your questions, explaining grammar or even correcting your homework if you want.
The app is good for beginners or intermediate students. The courses are broken down into mini-lessons of 10 to 15 minutes so you can study a bit every day. Using spaced repetition, the special algorithm tracks your progress and predicts the best time to review words and concepts from previous lessons to ensure you retain what you learn.
You’ll learn to speak, write and read the new language through interactive lessons. The lessons use audio from native speakers so you learn correct pronunciation.
“After searching the Internet for a long time, LinguaLift is the best thing I have come by. It is absolutely amazing in so many regards!! Keep up the good work!!”
Chiara, Central District, HK
If you are serious about learning a new language, LinguaLift offers a complete program that’s definitely worth checking out.
They have also a 30-day-money-back guarantee so if you’re not satisfied, you’ll get a full refund.
6. HelloTalk
Name: HelloTalk
Website: https://www.hellotalk.com/
Languages: 150
Price: free
Level: all levels (great for advanced students)
The best way to learn a language is to practice speaking. HelloTalk connects you with native speakers and enables you to chat with them for free.
You can search for language exchange partners by native language, city, distance from you and other criteria.
Users can correct each other’s messages with a correction tool that comes very handy. There is also an integrated translation system to help you when you want to express yourself and miss just one word.
„I never imagined how much I’d be hooked on HelloTalk. I post in Spanish and get edits/comments instantly from native speakers!“
by Dallascar2016 via the App Store
You can mark your top conversations or messages to get back to it whenever you want. There’s also a text-to-voice option that saves you searching for correct pronunciation.
7. Rosetta Stone
Name: Rosetta Stone
Website: www.rosettastone.com
Languages: 24
Price: free trial
£13 per month without tutor £26 per month with tutor
If you pay for 12 months, it is £84 i.e. only £7 per month.
Rosetta Stone is probably the most famous language learning program worldwide and one of the oldest ones.
Rosetta Stone takes a different approach to teaching. With this app you’re learning the new language the same way you did when you were a child – by total immersion. It means everything is completely in the language you want to learn, without any English translations. This way, you are forced to learn by thinking and association without creating vocabulary lists. Immersion is one of the most effective ways how to learn a foreign language. But you have to put some effort to it as well.
The app is suitable for people who need learning on the way. You can download interactive lessons to your mobile phone and access them without using Wi-Fi.
Rosetta Stone has a tool that tracks your progress breaking it down to pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing and speaking. This way, you know exactly in which are you need to improve. If you struggle with pronunciation or speaking, a live tutor can help you with that.
The speaking exercises use TruAccent speech recognition technology to compare your pronunciation to native speakers. If you pronounce the word wrong, the software repeats the exercise until you get it right.
Rosetta Stone is a very good language learning program but the subscription is quite expensive. However, if you want to become fluent quickly, this is one of the best options. Also, when you consider how much are private lessons one-on-one, when you add it up how much it makes a month, it is still cheaper to pay for Rosetta Stone subscription.
Pros:
- immersive teaching style, helping you to learn quickly
- sophisticated tools for language learning
Cons:
- the most expensive app of all tested
- extra money for tutoring
After reading this all, you are probably asking yourself (or me) which app should you choose.
It depends on whether you are:
BEGINNER: My two top picks I would recommend to a beginner are DuoLingo and Babbel.
INTERMEDIATE: I would say Mooveez and LinguaLift are the best for you.
ADVANCED: probably the most helpful one for you will be HelloTalk, but Mooveez is also great.
HelloTalk is actually good for everyone to practise active writing communication with other people.
Thank you for a review of the different apps that may be used to learn another language. I learned French at school and for several years after school I used to be fluent. I used to borrow French books from the library and subscribe to French magazines. I still remember the vocabulary, and am able to speak a few sentences now and then but maybe because I am not getting any oral practice, i am not able to respond easily when I visit the local French cafe. This article is encouraging me to get an app and do a refresher course. Thanks.
I’m glad my article encouraged you to get an app to improve or refresh your French. We live in an amazing time and should make use of all these things that are here for us, shouldn’t we? 🙂
Thanks for your comment JJ and enjoy learning!
I like Duolingo. Off and on over the last year my mother, brother and I have been using it to learn French. We started out all at the same pace and completing the same levels each day but over time our progress got more separated from each other. We tried to all keep the same pace but we have ended up just going at our own speed and then doing some Skype little events now and then to do some French activities with each other. Sometimes we will just watch a French movie with no subtitles! Recently we did this with La Femme Nikita. Anyways, we have really enjoyed Duolingo and it’s a good pick for anyone looking for one of the best language learning apps of 2019.
Yes, I like Duolingo too, I used it to learn Spanish. But I got bored with it eventually because it’s the same all the time. Now I’m into Mooveez, I love listening to the native speakers in movies and repeating the sentences after them with the same intonation 🙂 I think films and TV series are perfect for learning.
Thank you so much for this. I travel often to Spanish speaking places and would really like to improve my Spanish language skills. I love the idea of the Mooveez app with video lessons and review cards. Thanks for really going through details on cost and features of each of these language learning apps — it’s definitely helpful and time-saving versus trying to figure it out on my own!
Thank you Aly, I’m crazy about languages and I would like to learn something all time but then I would do nothing else than that! Yes, Mooveeez is terrific, I was so amazed when I saw it for the first time. I think learning with films helps a lot. So have fun with Spanish!
Hi and thank you for this informative article. I am considering improving my Spanish. I speak very little and I think it would benefit me since I work with many Spanish speaking people. Do you feel that one of htese apps is better for Spanish or are they consistent across different languages? Thank you for your expertise and advice. Michael
At the moment, LinguaLift doesn’t offer Spanish, they are preparing it for release this year. As to the others, I’m afraid I’m biased because I got bored with DuoLingo 🙂 If you are intermediate, I would recommend Mooveez, if you want lessons with a tutor as well, then Rosetta Stone. HelloTalk is great in addition to any of them to practise what you’ve learned.