5 Game Apps Designed for Addictive Language Learning
Looking to improve your language skills? Game on!
With so many cool video games out there, it’s no wonder that language learners have gotten in on the gaming trend.
Of the many popular apps out there, some of the most exciting options have games tailored for foreign language learners.
So, give these five fun game apps a try and level up your language skills!
Contents
- 5 Language Learning Game Apps That Play to Your Strengths
- How to Get the Most Out of a Language Learning Game App
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
5 Language Learning Game Apps That Play to Your Strengths
Lingio
If you’re looking to build your vocabulary quickly and painlessly, look no further than Lingio!
The Lingio app features 12,000 words organized into 300 topics. Since the words are organized thematically, it’s easy to choose an area in which you want to build your vocabulary and start learning more.
The app features audio along with written words to ensure that both your spelling and your pronunciation are on point.
A variety of games, tests, quizzes and flashcards encourage you to learn words and perfect your spelling. Plus, there’s a lot of incentive to keep you motivated. Games are scored, and some pit you against the clock. As you succeed in games, you can also level up. A competitive streak will definitely keep you motivated, even if you’re just competing against yourself.
With three difficulty levels, Lingio is appropriate for any level of language learner, and it’s free to download!
At the moment, Lingio offers English, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic and Farsi/Persian.
WordUp!
Available: iOS
Word games are fun in any language. That’s a fact.
And the WordUp! app offers a fun word game that will help you build your vocabulary in any foreign language.
You’ll be presented with a grid of letters and a blank space in which to spell a word. It’s up to you to figure out which combination of letters makes a word that’s the correct length!
There are three levels, so the app is appropriate for beginning through advanced students.
If you like the WordUp! app but need more word games, you might also try FlashAcademy (available for iOS or Android) from the makers of the WordUp! app. The FlashAcademy app contains additional games, including quick-fire word games and matching activities.
WordUp! and FlashAcademy both offer Spanish, French, German and Italian.
The apps are free to download with additional in-app purchases to unlock more material.
StudyCat
Available: Android
Sometimes, you just want to feel like a kid again. StudyCat has you covered on this one.
While StudyCat apps are designed for children ages 3 to 10, they’re also fun for beginning language students.
StudyCat apps offer an array of colorful learning games and activities. In total, there are six different games per lesson. These games are quite varied, including mazes, matching games, spelling games, coloring activities, whac-a-mole style arcade games and so much more. These games will teach you basic vocabulary like colors, numbers, animals and the like. Plus, since there’s such a huge assortment of games, you’ll never get bored!
StudyCat offers English, Spanish, French, German and Chinese.
Apps are free to download with in-app purchases to unlock additional material.
Overpass Apps’ Bubble Bath Games
Who doesn’t enjoy a good bubble bath?
Overpass Apps’ Bubble Bath games might not be quite as soothing, but they certainly provide more language education than your standard bubble bath (and bonus: no finger pruning).
Each app has over 600 words divided into over 60 themed categories. These include useful phrases, verbs, numbers and more. The goal of the game is to pop the bubble with the correct word. As you play in each category, the levels get more and more difficult as more and more options are presented. Additionally, some levels contain only audio while others contain only printed words. This way, you won’t inadvertently lean on just reading or just listening.
Overpass Apps’ offers its Bubble Bath game in dozens of popular languages in addition to less common options like Somali and Bengali.
Apps are free to download with in-app purchases available to unlock additional content.
MindSnacks
Available: iOS
MindSnacks is the perfect app to feed a language-hungry mind.
Each MindSnacks app offers nine fun games, including balloon games, spelling games and more. While most language game apps focus on building vocabulary, the MindSnacks apps focus on building both vocabulary and conversational skills. Sure, you’ll learn over 1,000 vocabulary words, but you’ll also learn how to conjugate verbs. With upgrades, there are a total of 50 lessons and up to 40 hours of material designed by Ivy League instructors.
MindSnacks offers apps for beginning to intermediate Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese learners.
The apps are free to download but require additional in-app purchases to unlock the full array of games and lessons.
How to Get the Most Out of a Language Learning Game App
To get the most out of game-based language learning apps, it’s helpful to use them in addition to other learning options. Game apps are wonderful for additional practice and reinforcement of skills, but when used alone, you may miss out on valuable grammar rules and other skills. Pairing game apps with more structured or formal learning materials provides a well-rounded learning experience that fuses conventional study with fun practice. It’s the best of both worlds!
Some of these materials may still be language learning programs and apps! And even though they may be targeted for more serious learners, they can still be engaging in their own ways. For example, FluentU lets you learn languages with authentic videos that are equipped with interactive tools, like clickable subtitles, multimedia flashcards and personalized quizzes. It also offers reward points for your studies and tracks your daily progress.
It’s also helpful to use game apps to break up conventional learning methods. If you study for too long in a stretch, you may get a sort of “learner’s fatigue.” Studying for long periods of time is exhausting, and all the material can start to blur together. However, playing games is a good way to break up conventional studying while still keeping the learning train on the tracks. Plus, games will help you look at words you may already know with fresh eyes—and in a whole new context—which will make them more memorable.
Another key to success with game apps is to find a learning game you really enjoy. If your language learning game app is as addictive as Candy Crush, you’ll never forget language practice again.
Don’t get pwned by lackluster apps that don’t improve your language skills.
Upgrade your fluency with these enjoyable language learning game apps!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
