The 8 Best Foreign Language Learning Flashcards Apps for Easy Vocab Practice
You may think flashcards are “old school,” but they’re neither dull nor dated.
Language flashcard apps really are a language learner’s best friend—because they work.
They’re designed for fast learning by presenting bites of easily memorized information. And growing vocabulary is a snap with flashcards since they incorporate spaced repetition.
In this post, we’ll explore eight of the best foreign language learning flashcards apps for easily expanding your vocabulary.
Looking to enhance your core vocabulary? Lingvist has you covered!
Using the Lingvist app is a straightforward method to increase vocabulary in a target language. There are no bells or whistles to this app, but it’s a solid option that is beneficial to any language program.
The how-to features are clear and uncomplicated so users can easily navigate through all areas of the app.
Flashcards feature example sentences so learners can see words and phrases used in context. Audio pronunciations help you effectively model speaking practice.
Tracking progress is also streamlined. The graphics clearly show where you’ve been and how quickly you’re moving ahead, and placement tests help measure progress.
FluentU lets you learn languages through authentic videos like movie clips, news videos, inspirational talks and more.
You can hover over or click on any word in each video to see an interactive flashcard.
The flashcards include the word’s definition, an associated image, audio pronunciation, grammar notes, example sentences with audio readings and clips from other FluentU videos where the word appears.
The definitions help you learn words in-context, since they’re not just the dictionary translations. Instead, FluentU shows you the most relevant translation to the video you were watching.
After clicking on a word, it’s added to a flashcard deck and you can take personalized quizzes to test your recall after the video has ended.
The flashcard program also uses a spaced repetition system, so all your flashcards are presented to you in optimal order and at appropriate intervals for long-term memory.
Drops adds a gaming feel to using flashcards for language learning. The screens are bright and the illustrations are fun.
Several languages are offered, including some that aren’t always easy to locate study material for, like Icelandic, Maori, Samoan and Vietnamese.
The app offers more than flashcards. The learning program itself is broken into 5-minute learning sessions, which the developers believe encourage users to tap in—after all, everyone has five minutes to spare so the “lack of time” excuse that’s so common is eliminated!
The program is also fully visual. Words and phrases are illustrated so there’s never any confusion about what a vocabulary word means. Learners see it!
There’s also no keyboarding with this app; it’s all swipes and taps to get the job done. Wonderfully engaging, this is an exciting way to acquire a language.
You may try this one for the flashcards—which are super!—and fall for some of the other energizing features, too!
There’s a wide variety of features available on Quizlet.
Choose from the flashcards already available on the site or create your own sets.
Either way, the flashcards are always available to fill up any extra downtime. Personally, this app has eliminated what feels like hundreds of hours sitting in waiting rooms and standing in long lines!
Quizlet’s flashcards are fun to use. They turn vocabulary memorization into a game by showing learners how they’re progressing—and for some of us, that brings out the drive to do better with each draw of the cards!
Audio features provide the correct pronunciation of words and phrases. Game functions let learners test memorization skills. Learners can also play the “Match” game—a beat-the-clock memory quiz!
Flashcards can be shared with other language learners. Since this also works with words uploaded by individual learners, the potential for learning idioms, regional expressions and even unique phrases is excellent!
The Brainscape flashcard app really checks all the boxes on learning foreign language vocabulary quickly and easily.
The app is formatted clearly and is so user-friendly that using it is an absolute pleasure.
You can use the app’s flashcards or create your own. The material already gathered and available on the app comes from publishers, educators and other learners.
The flashcard decks are shareable and users can work together to develop highly customized content. So if you’re part of a group planning a culinary tour across the globe, you could collectively compile flashcards that feature food-related vocabulary!
Learners can set goals, track progress, shuffle cards, choose specific deck categories to study, etc. This is an app that definitely enhances a language-learning program so well that I found myself looking forward to using it!
The Cram flashcard app is a versatile vocabulary-building tool that has enough options to keep learning fast and fun.
There are multiple study modes depending on whether you download the app for iOS or Android, so there’s a lot happening in this small app.
Card mode brings up a full set of cards for review, while cram mode introduces spaced repetition into the flashcard decks.
Memorize mode removes vocabulary that the learner is familiar with, showing only content that still needs to be mastered.
Lastly, game mode brings a bit of gaming to learning vocabulary with flashcards!
The app keeps track of flashcard decks that learners are currently using and separates them into self-created decks, favorite decks and the decks studied most often.
All in all, this flashcard app is a great way to almost effortlessly get some extra vocabulary work into a language program.
Anki is the Japanese word for “memorization.” And that’s what this program is for.
You can use it to memorize sets of vocabulary, grammar rules, important phrases, pronunciations and more.
It’s media-friendly and can support clips, images, videos and sounds.
There’s a feature where you can download flashcard decks created by other learners, too. This is helpful if you want to study large vocabulary lists (such as the most common 2,000 words) or grammar points without having to manually create the cards yourself.
And because it’s open source, you can customize the features to perfectly suit your learning style.
This app has one of the best interfaces. It’s easy on the eyes and easy to use.
You’ll know right away that the makers of StudyBlue didn’t want you to study alone. You can share your flashcards with everyone in your class, as well as use other peoples’ decks.
You not only get the standard options to add text, pictures and audio to your cards, but you’re also given stats, search options, reminders and a study saver.
Flashcards have grown up, too. They’re not just for childrenanymore.
Learning a new language should be entertaining, and flashcards are lots of fun. Download one or more of these apps to maximize learning time, enhance your core vocabulary and turn study time into playtime!
