After taking Spanish for two years in high school, I often regretted not studying Spanish more deeply. Sure, you could ask for directions or order a specialty girlfriend coffee in Mexico or Spain, but whenever you travel to a Spanish-speaking country, wish I learned more. Whether you’re like me and want to lay the foundations, or you’re starting from scratch, diving into learning a language can seem like a noble task.
But if you have a smartphone, you can download free apps to hone your skills and learn how to converse in another language in just a few minutes a day. Over the course of four days, I tested several companies. Most of my picks also have paid versions, but if you don’t want to pay a dime, here’s what I liked (and didn’t like) about the top five free language learning apps.
Note: I tested and ultimately did not recommend the free version of the app, which requires an upgrade after a short trial. He also tried HelloTalk, which has a free version and a paid version with no ads, but found the networking to be scary, especially since as soon as he joined he was inundated with “waves” of hellos from other people (mostly of the opposite sex). Ta. However, users rave about the personal connection aspect.
Duolingo
In 2017 I tried Duolingo, but quickly deleted it. I felt guilty when I was notified every day.But after giving it another chance, I get Love that. (This time I deleted the daily reminder.)
A fun and interactive way to learn. For example, cute characters such as a bear wearing a blue scarf or a man wearing 80s-style training clothes will clap and dance when you answer correctly, making it a visually fun way to practice. Earn experience points by answering correctly, completing lessons, and continuing to practice. Points are not a physical reward, but they provide extra motivation to use them every day.
Duolingo also teaches languages through reading texts, listening to and speaking the language. I thought it was a balanced approach.
language: Over 40 including Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Latin, Russian
Strong Points: Gem rewards keep you motivated and also provide access to paid-only features. You will have the opportunity to review missed lessons to correct incorrect answers. There is also an end-of-year review summarizing all progress.
Cons: Speaking section is not appropriate. For example, the first time I was asked to speak, I said, “I have no idea what I’m doing,” and strangely, the app said it in Spanish when I was asked to repeat it. It counted as a correct pronunciation of the phrase. But since then, the app seems to have become more accurate.
Likelihood of continuing to use this app: The probability is 100%. I think this is one of the best free language learning apps out there.
drop
What I was impressed with when I signed up for Drops was that it asked questions like my age and interests so that it could tailor the content to the words I was likely to use. My lessons featured pets and travel, and I listed both as my interests. The lessons focus on vocabulary retention through reinforcement and are perfect for beginners.
If you’re interested in reading and writing, the app encourages users to drag and drop parts of words to form a whole and highlights the correct spelling.
language: 45+ (includes Irish, Italian, Japanese, Samoan, Vietnamese)
Strong Points: Retention of the words was higher because the words were presented in multiple ways, such as by completing word chains and by placing word parts in the correct order. I also found this app to be one of the least stressful apps. For beginners, we introduce words rather than phrases.
Cons: If you want to learn a language fast, know that the free version of this app only allows you to practice for 5 minutes per day. If you want to use Drops longer, you can upgrade for $99.99 per year.
Likelihood of continuing to use this app: I like it so much that I’m continuing with the supplementary lessons without upgrading to the free version.
memrise
If you benefit from learning through videos and real-life scenarios, Memrise is worth considering. Featuring filmed conversations, funny and sometimes corny situational videos, and word identification exercises, this app is a practical way to immerse yourself in the language and prepare for your trip.
Memrise allows users to practice recalling words presented in a video until they understand the word or phrase accurately. Although it was frustrating at first, I ended up appreciating it because it helps me retain information.
language: Currently 23 people including Danes, Koreans, Mongolians, Portuguese and Swedes.
Strong Points: The videos feature a variety of actors, and linguistic nuances such as rhythm and pitch help ensure memorization sticks in realistic situations.
Cons: There are several prompts to upgrade to the pro version which can be distracting and cause you to lose focus during the lesson.
Possibility to keep this app on your phone: I didn’t stick with Memrise because the videos aren’t as helpful for learning as other app styles, but it might be a good fit for you.
Busou
Busuu is another app with videos of real people saying words and phrases to help users prepare for their trip and hear different voice inflections. Each lesson is just a few minutes long and focuses on perfecting phrases by allowing you to hear, read, and speak them. One of the perks is that this app combines both language learning and social networking. Community features allow you to connect with native speakers, hone your accent, and get feedback.
language: Currently 14 (including Arabic, French, Mandarin, Polish, Turkish)
Strong Points: The videos are short and sweet, and the phrases are presented in easy-to-remember units to avoid overwhelming new learners.
Cons: The free version is annoying because you have to watch ads (usually game videos) to progress through the lessons, wasting time that could be spent learning.
Possibility to keep this app on your phone: I deleted it immediately, but felt guilty because connecting to the community made my experience better.
lead rung
If you’re like me and constantly face storage limitations on your phone, you can still use your smartphone to learn via Readlang. Readlang is an intuitive phone-friendly website that teaches languages by translating content written in your native language into your native language. I’m trying to learn. Choose a fiction or nonfiction story, song, YouTube video, or inspirational talk and listen to or read the words in the language of your choice. The terms you choose to translate are automatically added to the list and written on flashcards for further practice. Not only is the premise creative, but it’s easy to reinforce what you’ve learned.
language: 45+ (includes Greek, Italian, Swahili, Ukrainian, Welsh)
Strong Points: There are a variety of works in each genre, so you can choose a theme that interests you.
Cons: I think this is for more advanced players or those who find it easier to learn by listening to many words rather than learning a few words at once with a drill.
I’ll probably continue using this on my phone: Since I’m a beginner, I’ll leave it at that for now. However, I might come back when I understand more Spanish.