Learning foreign languages is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life. There are many ways to improve your linguistic skills. You can attend courses, invite a tutor, and educate yourself..
But how do you use your smartphone to maximize knowledge acquisition? Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to improve your English, we've rounded up the best Android and iOS mobile apps to help you do just that.
Duolingo
If you want to learn English from scratch, the popular Duolingo app might be your go-to choice. It uses interactive games to help you learn up to 23 different languages, including English..
If you are a beginner, the program will focus on lessons with phrases, sentences and verbs. For advanced users, there are lessons in writing, speaking, lexical nuances.
At the very beginning, you will need to choose two languages: your native language and the one you want to learn. Also indicate if you want to learn the language from scratch or improve on existing skills..
Depending on your choice, the program will offer you a simple test. It will help you assess your level of knowledge of English. Study materials will be selected according to the test results.
If you make a mistake, the app will remember it and offer other tutorials to fix it. This is how all problem areas are identified. As an experiment, we took two tests in Spanish. It took us almost 10 minutes to complete them. After the tests, some phrases in Spanish remain in my memory.
In the free version of Duolingo, you'll have to watch ads to support the developers, but there is also a premium version without ads. It also allows you to download lessons for offline use, without an internet connection on your phone. All in all, you can completely learn the language for free. To do this, you just need to stay on the Internet and have nothing against advertising.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
Memrise
Memrise first shows you a few words and then asks questions about them. After you see and hear a word a few times, it will start popping up in the following questions about words you haven't learned yet. This way you will constantly practice the words you already know. For each word, a small plant icon appears in the upper right corner, and it will grow as you study it.
When you start learning, you must start with the first lesson. Subsequent lessons will remain locked until you complete all previous lessons. In addition to basic courses, there are more specialized courses such as slang or 1000 of the most common English words.
Memrise won't let you speak a foreign language fluently, but it's a great help for a beginner.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
busuu
busuu is very similar to Memrise in that the courses are also created by community members. First, select the required level of difficulty and the program will select the appropriate lessons for you. When you choose a language to study, you have the opportunity to take a test of its knowledge.
Busuu has two plans: free and premium. The free version has many limitations, but it will suffice if you only use busuu to improve your vocabulary with flashcards for one language. With the premium plan, you get more than just vocabulary flashcards. Grammar exercises, quizzes and feedback from other users, as well as the ability to download lessons to learn even when there is no internet.
Having a clear structure in language learning is of great importance. busuu is very well organized in this regard. Each lesson has a time estimate next to it so you know roughly how long it will take.
In order for the learning to progress faster, you will not need to often type each word for an answer, but instead, you can choose the correct answer from the proposed options.
Some exercises will ask you to say something or write something to send it to the community for review and correction. busuu works as a social network where people can communicate in different languages and share their knowledge. The service will find someone who speaks the language you are studying, and this person will provide you with their comments about your answer.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp uses audiobooks to help you learn different languages. Just listen to stories and novels in the language you want to learn. And in parallel, you can read the translation in your native language.
This application will surely interest audiobooks and literature lovers in general. You will be able to simultaneously learn new words and enjoy an interesting work. There are tons of free audiobooks to hone your skills. But some are still paid.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
HelloTalk
HelloTalk is similar to Lingbe. This app also connects you with native speakers from different countries. But this program has some additional functions as well. You can view user profiles and manually choose the interlocutor you want to contact. You can also send text and audio messages, as well as make video calls.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
Lingbe
Sooner or later, you need to start honing your speaking skills in the real world. And that's exactly what Lingbe is for. This app is powered by a community where native speakers help other people learn it. Thanks to Lingbe, you will interact with real people who understand the language you are learning very well.
Lingbe operates on a service exchange system. To get a teacher, you first need to talk to someone in your own language. In a community, each person can be both a teacher and a student. In addition, you can find new friends and get to know more about the culture of different countries.
There are many similar applications, but we decided to choose Lingbe due to a very simple and intuitive interface, as well as the absence of complex rules for users. You just need to choose two languages: yours and the one you want to learn. Also, tell us a little about your interests. This information will not be visible to other users. It will be used only for automatic selection of interlocutors.
The main interface consists only of a button for calling, as well as a button to confirm that you can receive calls at the moment. You can like the interlocutor and later add him to your friends list.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
Awabe
Completely free app with over 4000 common phrases. The program works offline, it does not require a permanent internet connection to use it. The database contains a lot of useful information for study. You are provided with translations, audio and video lessons, as well as many language learning games. There are also daily tests, lessons for speaking.
The app can only be downloaded for Android .
Learn English Daily
The creators of this app decided to take a simple approach to language learning. You just need to listen and talk. The database contains thousands of words and phrases recorded by native speakers.
You can listen to these words and phrases to memorize them and thus improve your pronunciation. Every day you will receive reminders to repeat phrases to improve your conversational English.
The app is only available for Android .
English Speaking Practice
This tool will help you improve your pronunciation and become more confident when communicating with native speakers. The application database stores hundreds of hours of recorded conversations in a foreign language. You can listen to them and then create your own audio recordings for other people. Compare your pronunciation with that of a native speaker to identify and address your weaknesses.
The app is available for Android and iPhone .
If you're just getting started with learning English, we recommend giving Duolingo a try and then moving on to Hello English. To improve your fluent English, Lingbe or HelloTalk are good choices.
