Sometimes, you need a jump start.
Maybe it’s because the frigid cold temperatures killed your car battery.
Maybe it’s because you left your headlights on to create a spotlight for your one-person puppet show.
But when your language education needs a jump start, there’s a convenient tool that you don’t even have to pop the hood to use.
We’re talking about language apps. Popular apps for language learners provide a wide array of learning options covering virtually any language you could image. Whether you use iPhone apps or prefer a different device, there are plenty of options out there.
Innovative language apps use clever new strategies to help you improve your language skills. Language learning game apps provide a fun, interactive way to upgrade your fluency. Apps for kids offer a cute and easy option for learners of all ages.
With so many language apps on the market, it can be hard to sort through all your choices to pick the best one. Luckily, you don’t have to! Here are 29 apps to mix and match to jump start your road to fluency!
Why Use More Than One Language App?
When learning a new language, pairing multiple apps is both fun and useful. There are many reasons why you might want to try using several apps at once.
For instance, each app has a different focus. Even seemingly similar apps offer slightly different approaches. Some apps may be better for reading practice, others may improve your listening skills while others may help you build your vocabulary. Plus, using different apps will help you see the language in a different context, making your skills more flexible and applicable in the real world.
Plus, each learner responds differently to each app. Everyone learns differently. Some people are visual learners. Some people prefer audio. Some learners like to study in short bursts while others like longer study sessions. If you only use one app, you might not ever find your app soul mate, and you might miss out on valuable learning.
Even something as little as not liking an app’s color scheme might make you subconsciously avoid using it. There’s nothing wrong with using multiple apps at the same time to help you find an app you click with on all levels.
Finally, variety is the spice of life. Using multiple apps keeps things interesting. Think of one app as the cheese sandwich of language learning. It’s good every once in a while, but if you eat it every day, you’ll get bored fast. If you open yourself up to all the sandwiches in the world, though, chances are you can enjoy a sandwich every day without getting bored.
29 Cool Language Learning Apps That Make Studying Fun
General Learner Apps
FluentU
FluentU is an entertainment lover’s dream come true. It uses real-world videos, like inspirational talks, movie trailers and music videos, in a new context. Each video is captioned and the captions are annotated, giving you easy access to any word’s definition, an associate image and example sentences. Plus, you can click on any word to see how it’s used in other videos.
FluentU also offers “learn mode,” which incorporates video clips, pictures and example sentences into engaging exercises and flashcards.
What’s more, FluentU is fully personalized. An algorithm takes into account a learner’s history to present questions based on what you’ve already learned. Plus, you select your pace and what videos you watch.
FluentU offers Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish.
Duolingo
Duolingo. If you’ve ever studied a language online or used a language learning app, chances are the name rolls off your tongue with ease. That’s because Duolingo is one of the hottest language learning products on the market. The app offers over 20 different language options.
The app aims to help you improve your vocabulary and grammar through daily lessons and quizzes. Quizzes cover vocabulary recognition, listening activities and even voice-enabled speaking practice. The app is free to download and additional in-app purchases are available.
busuu
The busuu app is a versatile language tool for language learners at any level.
To start out, you’ll take a placement test to ensure the lessons you’re taking are appropriate to your current proficiency level. There are 150 units per language, so there’s a strong chance that there’s something that even nearly fluent learners will benefit from.
Plus, busuu offers you the option of having your exercises corrected by native speakers to give you an edge up.
The busuu app offers 12 language options.
Mango Languages
The Mango Languages app is a colorful choice that offers a nice array of languages—70 to be exact. This makes Mango Languages a terrific choice for students looking to study less common languages.
The app offers all the features a language learner could hope for, including activities, grammar and vocabulary lessons, voice-enabled speaking practice and more.
Babbel
Babbel aims to improve your confidence and comprehension through interactive courses for beginning through advanced students. These courses offer exercises for reading, writing, listening and speaking for a well-rounded language education.
Plus, activities are broken down into 10-15 minute chunks to make them easy to fit into even the busiest schedule.
Babbel offers 14 language options.
Memrise
Memrise offers a fun app for beginning through intermediate language learners.
Through a variety of games, videos featuring native speakers and simulated text-message conversations, you’ll use your target language in a number of different entertaining contexts.
Memrise offers over 20 language options.
Mondly
Mondly aims to help you hit the ground running by memorizing key words right off the bat. By focusing on useful phrases, Mondly’s goal is to prepare you for real conversations with native speakers. While this makes Mondly an excellent tool for beginners, the app also caters to intermediate and advanced students.
The Mondly app features audio by native speakers, voice recognition for speaking practice, a dictionary, a verb conjugation tool and more.
The Mondly app offers 33 language options.
Daily Dose of Language
If you want to learn a language but don’t want to put much time in each day, the Daily Dose of Language app might be your soul mate.
It aims to deliver language lessons in as little as a minute a day. Lessons focus on vocabulary, phrases, slang and culture.
Plus, Daily Dose of Langue is an Innovative Language product. While you can get a free one-minute daily lesson, you can also purchase the premium version to access full Daily Dose lesson and membership to the affiliated Pod101/Class101 website.
The Daily Dose of Language offers 10 languages with another 19 in the works.
Rosetta Stone
If you’re interested in language learning software and haven’t heard of Rosetta Stone, chances are that you’ve been living under a rock (quite ironically).
Rosetta Stone is a big name in language learning, and its app lives up to its reputation. The app doesn’t require a huge time commitment (just a few minutes a day), but there are plenty of learning options to pack into those minutes. Rosetta Stone uses practical scenarios to help teach you usable language skills.
Plus, speech-recognition technology aims to help you improve your accent. A lot of materials can even be downloaded so that you can use them without burning through data.
The Rosetta Stone app offers 24 language options.
TripLingo
TripLingo is designed with travelers in mind, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great tool for language students!
In fact, TripLingo’s focus is primarily on useful phrases, so if you’re interested in travel, it might be just the crash course you need to pique your interest in additional language study. It features thousands of phrases (including slang), a translator, audio lessons, flashcards and more.
TripLingo offers 13 languages.
Lingvist
Lingvist is an app with busy learners in mind, whether those learners are beginning, intermediate or advanced.
By focusing on the most common vocabulary, Lingvist aims to equip you with highly usable language skills. Plus, the app adapts to your needs in an attempt to maximize your learning.
Lingist offers English, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
Awabe
Need to improve your vocabulary? Awabe offers over 4000 common words and phrases.
Plus, Awabe doesn’t focus on flashcards alone. It also offers voice recording to help you practice speaking. Compare your pronunciation to the audio provided to see how you’re doing! There’s even video content to help you upgrade your skills.
Awabe offers over a dozen languages.
50languages
The 50languages app is one of the few learning options that allows you to pair whatever languages you wish.
This means that as long as your native language is offered, you can receive instruction in it. Additionally, if you’re studying multiple languages, you might try receiving instruction in one of the languages you’re studying while you take lessons in another language.
Lessons focus primarily on useful, thematically grouped vocabulary. The app also offers games and quizzes to help you practice what you’ve learned.
And, if you were wondering, 50languages does indeed offer 50 languages.
LingoDeer
Besides having an adorable name and logo, LingoDeer has some great content.
Interactive lessons aim to help you improve your reading, writing, speaking and listening with a minimal time commitment—just 10 minutes a day. There are a number of different fun, helpful features to help you get the most out of your learning time. For instance, LingoDeer offers a placement test, grammar lessons, flashcards, quizzes and more. Plus, with 2000 words in the app, your vocabulary has plenty of room to grow.
LingoDeer offers Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
LingQ
LingQ aims to immerse beginning through advanced students in authentic content, including books, podcasts, lessons and more. Plus, transcripts are available to help you read along with audio content. With integrated dictionary resources, you can even look up words in a flash.
Plus, you’ll never be short on content—LingQ offers thousands of hours of audio that you can download to listen to anywhere.
LingQ offers 25 languages.
Flashcard Apps
AccellaStudy
Want to learn a language quickly and easily? AccellaStudy wants that for you, too.
Over 2000 basic through advanced words are offered in more than 60 thematically-grouped categories. Plus, audio by native speakers helps ensure you get the pronunciation right.
AccellaStudy apps come in over a dozen languages, including pairings that aren’t frequently offered, like Italian and Polish.
AnkiApp
AnkiApp is a flexible flashcard app for any material you want to learn. That’s because it allows you to create your own flashcards—perfect for learners who have specific sets of vocabulary words they want to learn.
Plus, you can search decks that other users have created for a huge wealth of options in a variety of languages.
Tinycards
Tinycards is a flashcard app with a special twist from a familiar name in language learning.
Like some other flashcard apps, it allows you to create your own decks or access decks made by other users.
However, there’s a twist: Tinycards is brought to you by the makers of Duolingo, so Tinycards also offers flashcards of vocabulary words from your favorite Duolingo courses!
Language Exchange Apps
HiNative
Have a pressing question you’d like to ask a native speaker? HiNative can hook you up!
HiNative is a Q&A app that allows you to ask a native speaker your language questions. Plus, you can post audio, pictures or text-based questions to get the help you need.
HiNative offers over 100 languages.
HelloTalk
HelloTalk helps you find and connect with native speakers for language practice.
You can search for your perfect partner by language, location and more. Once you find him/her, the app can also help you connect through text, audio or video. Plus, you won’t be thrown in without language support—HelloTalk also offers translation, transliteration, grammar correction and more.
HelloTalk supports over 150 languages.
Tandem
Looking to connect with a native speaker who shares your interests? Tandem can help you find your partner in crime (or at least in language-learning).
You can search the Tandem community for users who speak your target language and share your interests. Once you find that special someone, you can text or do audio and video chat through the app. You can even send pictures!
If you need more professional help, you can also connect with professional tutors.
Tandem offers over 150 languages.
Speaky
Want to text a native speaker right now? Speaky has you covered.
Speaky only shows you the profiles of language learners that match your needs. Plus, when you search, you’ll see users who are online first, making it much easier to connect quickly. You can also “friend” people to connect with them later.
Speaky currently focuses on text messaging, though audio messaging is in the works.
Speaky offers over 100 languages.
Lingbe
If selecting a language exchange partner seems too challenging and time consuming, Lingbe can connect you with just the press of a button.
That’s right: just press a call button to be connected to someone you can practice with right away. After the chat is over, your partner will provide feedback on how well you did.
Plus, you and your partner both have the option to “like” the experience. If you both mark “like,” you can chat again. It’s kind of like language exchange and speed dating had a baby.
Hello Pal
When you want to dive into language exchange but don’t have the vocabulary, Hello Pal is a supportive, entry-level app.
Hello Pal will help you find a language exchange partner and connect through voice chat, video chat and text. But what sets Hello Pal apart is the supportive resources it offers. It offers 30 phrasebooks and 2000 phrases to help guide you along.
Game Apps
MindSnacks
MindSnacks offers the sort of snack that feeds the brain. That’s because it’ll satiate your learning hunger with fun games!
Each app offers between eight and nine games that teach vocabulary and conversation skills. With over 40 hours of content, there’s enough to keep even the most passionate gamer busy.
MindSnacks offers Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Lingio
Like games? Enjoy a good quiz? Want to work a few flashcards into the mix? Lingio offers the sort of material that’ll make you want to learn.
Lingio’s games can help you learn thousands of words and phrases, all while having fun. You’ll be filling in letters, matching words with their meanings and more.
Lingio offers Arabic, English, Farsi, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.
Studycat
If you have a dual passion for adorable animated cats and language learning, there’s finally an option for you!
Studycat fuses conventional course material with learning games to keep you engaged. It might be designed for children, but that doesn’t mean adult learners won’t enjoy any of the six learning games offered. The vocabulary used is pretty basic, so this is a good app for beginning learners.
Studycat offers Chinese, English, French, German and Spanish.
Fun Easy Learn
Who doesn’t want his/her learning to be fun and easy?
Fun Easy Learn offers seven test games with three difficulty levels to help you have an enjoyable learning experience. Plus, apps feature 6000 words with audio, images and translations. That’ll pack a learning wallop!
Fun Easy Learn offers over 50 languages.
Other
Google Translate
Google Translate might not be designed exclusively for language learners, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t indulge in the fabulous app.
Since Google Translate offers quick, easy translations, it’s perfect to use whenever you encounter a word you don’t recognize in your target language. Using Google Translate regularly might make your vocabulary grow faster than you’d think!
Don’t leave your language skills out in the cold. Mix and match these 29 hot apps to jump start your road to fluency!
If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn languages with real-world videos.
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