The Best Language Learning Apps

DuoLingo

Price: Free

DuoLingo turns learning language into a game. Each lesson is broken down by subject matter, and users must complete exercises that integrate (综合) reading, writing, listening and speaking to advance to the next level. The app records your progress and uses smart phone notifications to encourage regular use.

Its chat robot may help test what you’ve learned. You’ll even see suggested phrases if you’re at a loss for words.

Babbel

Price: $12.95—$83.40

What sets Babbel apart is its course customization, letting you make lesson plans to focus on vocabulary and conversation topics relevant to your specific needs.

Babbel draws on (利用) what you’ve already known about your native tongue, and new lessons are introduced through conversation. Babbel reintroduces vocabulary and grammar through reading, speaking and listening exercises over time to make sure you’ve got everything kept in mind.

Memrise

Price: Free

Memrise uses an understanding of brain science and learning to make sure you’re truly absorbing new linguistic (语言的) concepts. Courses are broken into different levels, which are all available for offline use on the app.

To keep the program sharp, Memrise collects information from its graduates and integrates performance data to improve lessons.

Rocket Languages

Price: $99.95 and up

If you want to learn about a language and its place in the world, take a look at Rocket Languages. Relying on speech exercises and vocabulary flashcard drills, their curriculum is built for people who have grasped various languages to pick up new languages quickly.

And unlike other language programs, there are culture lessons here showing you how the language changed over time and what kind of role it plays today.

I’m a strong believer that learning different languages makes you look quite good when you’re in a foreign country and can understand and speak the language. Here are 4 apps that will help you learn a foreign language! You can download them for free.

Babbel — Learn Languages

Babbel is an excellent language tool to help you progress step by step while learning a new language. It helps you learn grammar along the way as you work your way through the tasks and assignments (作业). You need to pay every month, but this will still be cheaper than taking physical lessons with a teacher!

Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

The app has many languages to choose from and will work through the basics all the way to advanced words and sentences. It’s all completely free too! It’s well designed, looks great and will help you learn, remember and progress with just a little bit of time every day.

Tandem: Language Exchange

Rather than have you work through tasks and memorize different things, the app lets you match with people who share your interests but speak the language you want to learn. You can then have text, voice and video conversations with people who want to learn your native language, and in return you learn theirs, all by simply communicating with each other. It’s a great way to learn with only $1 a day.

Learn English — busuu

This app is perfect if you want to learn English. There are all sorts of audio and visual learning aids. You’ll find yourself working through interactive (互动的) tests and learning tools for vocabulary and dialogue.

There are many useful suggestions and pieces of advice that can help one to improve English. Here are some useful suggestions and new tips to increase one’s English language vocabulary.

Learning English vocabulary is about much more than just learning the right words. A broad grasp of vocabulary in the English language is based on understanding important expressions.

Learning a word will not help very much if you quickly forget it. Research shows that it takes from 10 to 20 repetitions to really make a word part of your vocabulary. Since most words are learned from how they are used in context, the more words one is shown, the better vocabulary one will have. Keep a piece of paper close to you. When you read, pay more attention to the word you do not know, write the word down and try to figure out its meaning from the context. Then look up the word in a dictionary.

Remember that if you do not use English words that you have just learned in conversation or writing, you will forget them very quickly. So the best way to learn new words effectively is just by trying to use them in conversation and writing. Remember also that practice is the key to fluent spoken English.

Building vocabulary is a life-long task. Remember, “In the beginning was the word.” Your future could depend on how rich your vocabulary is. It will also determine the quality of your communication.