This blog post was updated on June 24, 2024.
Pronunciation gaffs and tongue twisters frequently become realities for the traveler in foreign lands. Trying to learn a new language or even just a few words and phrases to get by can be a challenge when you are thrown right into a country speaking a language very different from your own. However, not all language apps and tools are worthy of holding your attention. If you need apps to help you learn a foreign language but seek something a little bit different, these language apps provide a unique means to learn or brush up on your destination’s language!
Memrise
Language experts frequently point out that much of learning a language is memorization. Memrise hones in on memorization techniques to help the user learn a new language. The app features over 200 different languages with even more out there additions like Esperanto. With over 500,000 courses to choose from, the goal behind the app is to help the user memorize their way into a new language. Free to download and available for the iPhone and Android, Memrise even adds a dash of humor to help the user remember different words and phrases.
Busuu
If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to learn a new language, Busuu delivers by adding community to the lesson plan. Because many travelers struggle with pronunciation, Busuu address those concerns thanks to its large community of active users. Honing in on the speaking component, users can practice their pronunciation not with automated prompts but rather native speakers. Busuu supplies language learning in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Turkish. For those that like to socialize with people from around the world, Busuu has the social aspect built in to create a very different language app. At the same time, Busuu does cover the basics of vocabulary and grammar with over 150 topics and 3,000 words!
Travel Phrasebook
Not all language apps can help a traveler when they are actually traveling and interacting in new languages. However, Travel Phrasebook by Bravolol aims to help those on the road with their language skills. With over 800 commonly used phrases and vocabularies, the app features countless languages including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic and Vietnamese. Phrasebook also doesn’t require an Internet connection so that a traveler can look up what they need to when they need it. In addition to being more unique in that it is geared toward travelers, Phrasebook uses a parrot to help you learn to pronounce those words and phrases correctly. You can record and compare your pronunciation to avoid any slips of the tongue while abroad. While a bit cartoonish, it’s hard not to resist learning a new language with the help of a parrot!
Babbel
If you want to learn a new language but don’t have a lot of free time, Babbel has you covered! Each of the app’s lessons are just 15 minutes long, which makes them easy to fit into a busy schedule. The lessons may be short, but that doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. Styled after an online classroom, Babbel will teach you about verb conjugation, walk you through pronunciation, and help you learn the difference between formal and informal phrases. Babbel currently offers a variety of subscription options and courses in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Norwegian, Indonesian, and Danish.
Pimsleur
Most language apps only cover the world’s most popular languages. Pimsleur offers the standard Spanish, French and German, along with less common language options like Czech, Armenian and Pashto. Geared towards people who learn well during auditory lessons, Pimsleur is a language-learning app that is presented like a podcast. Each of Pimsleur’s 30-minute lessons is downloadable so that you can listen to them even when you’re offline. This app offers a free one-week trial, after which you can choose from a basic subscription that only includes their audio lessons or a premium service that includes reading lessons, flashcards, and chances to practice what you’ve learned.
Mondly
Because all of the languages in this app’s catalog are taught by native speakers, Mondly is an excellent choice for people who want to learn to speak a new language without a very noticeable accent. The app offers you more than just the chance to hear native speakers though. It also uses speech recognition software and artificial intelligence chatbots to evaluate your progress and provide you with targeted feedback about how you can improve your new language skills. With monthly, yearly, and lifetime subscription options, Mondly makes it easy for you to learn a new language at a price that fits your budget!
Rosetta Stone
One of the most famous language programs in the world, Rosetta Stone has a reputation for being both technologically advanced and user-friendly. Rosetta Stone’s app boasts speech recognition software, augmented reality vocabulary lessons, and live-streamed language classes led by professionals. This app is designed to help you learn a new language at a slow and steady pace, one or two words at a time. Each of the languages offered by the Rosetta Stone app has monthly, annual, biennial, and lifetime subscription options. The app also has an optional unlimited upgrade available to give anyone who has a longer subscription free access to all of Rosetta Stone’s language courses.
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HelloTalk
If you enjoy chatting in messaging apps, HelloTalk may be the best language-learning app for you. This unique app helps you connect with native speakers of the language you want to learn, so it’s an awesome way to practice from even before you book your flights to that exotic destination you always wanted to visit. The app’s voice chat and texting features both have a built-in correction tool to make it easy for you and your new friends to tutor each other. Even better, the app has drawing tools and translation software that can be used to bridge any language gaps that you and your friends may experience. HelloTalk is free to download, but it does have a range of in-app purchases that you can use to enhance your learning experience.
Do you know any other app to master foreign languages? Let us know in our comments section below!
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