Best Language Learning Apps for 2022

Screenshot/Babel

I find Babbel to be the most like a foreign language course you’ll see in an online school course. The minimalist layout of Babbel applications helps prevent new languages ​​(French to me) from looking overwhelming without making it boring. Each lesson takes you through a translation, including variations of words or phrases, pictures, and formal or informal translations. If it asks you to spell a phrase, include the letters.

You can also see new words used in common conversations, listen to them (if you choose to turn on audio), repeat phrases, and learn more about verb groups. A 15-minute language lesson fits easily into your day – whether it’s on your commute, before bed or during your lunch break. The My Activity module allows you to keep track of all your progress.

Babbel is free, or you can Subscription plan. A three-month subscription costs $27, a six-month subscription costs $46, and a one-year subscription costs $75.

Screenshot by Mondly/Shelby Brown/CNET

Similar to Drops, Mondry is a fun, colorful app with multiple features that you can use even if you don’t subscribe to the premium version. I tried beginner Hungarian on this app and I like how it shows you the different conjugations if you click on the verb. The app contains images, translations and hearing aids to help with your specific learning style.

The instructor also spoke the words and phrases in a fairly graceful way, which made it easier for me to remember them (even after trying different languages ​​on different apps).

On top of that, Mondly is offering huge discounts on its premium features for the next five days.lifetime access High quality (Including all 41 languages) Normally $2,000 a year, but now down to $90. If you subscribe to the premium version, you also have access to special children’s classes.

Screenshot by Duolingo/Shelby Brown/CNET

As a regular Duolingo user, I love the app’s colorful interface and short, game-like exercises. The app doesn’t limit how many languages ​​you can try to learn at the same time (I personally think two is a good maximum if you want to keep anything). I use Duolingo to practice Spanish and German.

To make sure you don’t get rusty with the basics, even if you “master” a skill by reaching higher levels, the skill can still “break down” if you don’t review it consistently. Practice the skill again and it will repair itself.

I love Duolingo’s user-friendly layout and “continuous” feature, which motivates you to keep going by tracking the number of days to reach your goal. In the app, you can access resources like Duolingo Stories, which are short audio stories that allow you to check your comprehension at any time.i also subscribe High quality For $7 per month, it includes an ad-free experience, downloadable courses, and unlimited Health.

Screenshot by Memrise/Shelby Brown/CNET

One of my favorite parts of Memrise is that the app uses short videos to show how real locals express different phrases in conversation. I tried French lessons, and the first lesson alone allowed me to listen to the tone and casual pronunciation, and showed me a literal translation of the phrase and explained its gendered usage. The app also helps you spot patterns in the language, making it easier to improve your skills.

A few lessons per day are free, but You can click to upgrade in the app And choose from a monthly subscription ($9/month), an annual subscription ($8.49/month), or lifetime access for a one-time payment of $120.

Screenshot from Busuu/Shelby Brown/CNET

When you sign up for Busuu, you can choose the language you want to learn, and the app will help you determine how well you know it and why you want to learn it and at what level. From there, you set daily study goals, and if you subscribe to the premium plan, it creates a study schedule so you can reach your goals by the set date. For example, Busuu says that if I study 3 times a week for 10 minutes a day, I will be proficient in the language of my choice in about eight months.

Premium costs approx. $6 per month for a year. Even without the premium, Busuu provides valuable tools if you want to learn a language. There’s also a Premium Plus option for about $7 a month for extra features.

I tried Italian on Busuu and I love the app’s clean, bright layout. Busuu also provides helpful reminders: the second time I log in, it reminds me of “weak words” that I need to review to improve my vocabulary. In addition to listening to phrases paired with photos of corresponding actions, Busuu also provides helpful vocabulary hints (for example, “ciao” can mean “hello” or “goodbye”).

Screenshot by Lirica/Shelby Brown/CNET

If you listen to enough songs, you will learn all the words through repetition – even if they are in different languages. But how do you understand what they mean?This is Lilica App Come in. This app is unique in teaching Spanish and German. Instead of using traditional language learning teaching methods, Lirica uses pop music from Latin and reggae artists to help you learn language and grammar. In addition to learning the language, you are also immersed in the culture behind it. The app also includes facts about the artist as you study.

Lirica has a one-week free trial, then around $4 per month. Currently, the app is only available in Spanish and German, but its website says it plans to add more languages ​​in the future.

Drip/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

I tried Greek on the Drops app. The app’s fun, colorful layout certainly makes the language (which has its own alphabet) less intimidating. The app shows the user each word in the Greek and English letters, speaks the word and displays an image of it. Drops is constantly adding new languages, and most recently, the app introduced Ainu, the native Japanese language.

if you don’t subscribe $10 monthly premium, you have to wait 10 hours to access another lesson, but you can view your stats (correct answers, wrong answers, and words learned) after you finish the lesson, and tap the words you learned to hear them pronounced again (and see that they are written in Greek letters). This can help you at the beginning of your next lesson.

Screenshot from Netflix/Shelby Brown/CNET

While not technically an app, it’s free Learn languages ​​with the Netflix Chrome extension Can help you become multilingual. Install the extension and click the icon to start Table of contents of Movies and TV Shows options. You do need a Netflix subscription, though.

After launching the catalog, you can choose from hundreds of titles that use movies on Netflix to help teach different languages. For example, if you want to learn Spanish, select the language and the country in which you use Netflix from the drop-down menus. If you’re watching in the US, the extension generates 306 titles. To watch one of these movies, just click the red “Watch on Netflix” button. Depending on the language you want to learn, you may have fewer titles to choose from.

When a series or movie is playing, two sets of subtitles appear at the bottom of the screen. One is your native language and the other is what you want to learn. Words are highlighted as you speak, just like a long karaoke song. You can listen to conversation phrases sentence by sentence, pause and replay as needed, access built-in dictionaries, and more.

Pimsler

Pimsleur is an app that offers 51 language learning, but basically provides information in the form of a podcast. Essentially, you’ll choose the language you want to learn and start a 30-minute listening session (downloadable and Alexa-compatible). The app also has a driving mode so you can improve your language skills during long commutes without looking at the screen.

You will get a 7-day free trial. An audio-only subscription costs $15 per month, while a premium subscription with 12 of the best-selling languages ​​costs $20 per month. Features include reading lessons, role-playing challenges, and digital flashcards.

Screenshot by Rosetta Stone/Shelby Brown/CNET

Perhaps the most famous language learning service, Rosetta Stone has come a long way since its inception in the 90s. My parents still have a box of CDs for learning Spanish somewhere in their house. Using the Rosetta Stone app is much easier now, but you still need at least 30 minutes to complete the core lessons.

I tried Rosetta Stone’s first Irish course, which is mostly auditory through images, although there are ways to customize the app based on your learning preferences. The class started out quite challenging, especially since I’m completely new to Irish. But it does get easier as I go along.

The iOS app was updated last year to incorporate augmented reality. This will enable Seek and Speak, a scavenger hunt-style challenge. Point your phone camera at an object and get a translation in the language you’re learning.

The Rosetta Stone has a Multiple subscription optionsdepending on the language—for example, Spanish for $36 for three months, $96 for a year, or $179 for lifetime unlimited access to all languages.