The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for 2023
The 10 Best Language Learning Apps for 2023
The digital age continues to reshape the way we learn, communicate, and interact. Some of the leading beneficiaries of this transformation are language learners. Today, with a smartphone in hand, anyone can embark on a linguistic journey from the comfort of their home.
Language learning apps, filled with intuitive features and adaptive content, have made this process more accessible and engaging than ever. Whether you’re a travel lover, a business professional, or simply a curious soul, the right app can unlock the doors to a multilingual world.
In this article, we’ll explore the best language learning apps that stand out in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
1. Busuu: Best for interacting with native speakers
Busuu has carved a niche in the language learning world by emphasizing the importance of interaction with native speakers. The app offers structured lessons across 12 languages, catering to learners from beginner to advanced levels.
With both a free and premium option, Busuu delivers a variety of activities and quizzes. Its crowning jewel is a social platform for language exchange, allowing users to connect with natives to improve their speaking abilities further.
The premium version of Busuu offers users the option to complete language mastery exams and certifications for varying levels of proficiencies, which coincide with levels of the Common European Framework of Reference. This app also partners with the New York Times and Economist to offer a variety of business language courses.
2. Beelinguapp: Best for storytelling learning
Instead of traditional lessons or quizzes, this app harnesses the power of stories, offering texts in two languages side by side, and making for an immersive reading experience.
From fairytales and news articles to scientific papers, Beelinguapp boasts a range of genres catering to different tastes and proficiency levels. Each story also comes with audio narration by native speakers, enhancing pronunciation and listening skills.
By merging the joy of reading with the intricacies of language study, Beelinguapp offers a relaxed yet effective learning avenue. For those who love literature and stories, Beelinguapp is a wonderful companion in your language learning journey.
3. Duolingo: Best for gamification-style learning
With its vibrant and iconic green owl mascot, Duolingo has become synonymous with digital language learning for many. Its gamified approach continues to captivate millions, making the journey of acquiring a new language feel less like a chore and more like an engaging game.
A truly global app, Duolingo provides over 100 language courses, each offering the option to select a route that considers the user’s native language. The app also promotes a sense of community with leaderboards where users can compete with friends and global learners.
By blending education with entertainment, Duolingo has democratized language study, making it accessible and appealing to people of all ages.
4. Babbel: Best for a structured approach
Prioritizing real-life conversation skills, Babbel is designed for those who want to speak a new language confidently in everyday situations, whether traveling, working, or socializing.
With lessons that are only 10 to 15 minutes in length, the app is also rather convenient for learners on the go. Babbel utilizes an immersion technique, encouraging learners to develop vocabulary and structural components through everyday conversation.
The app designs each course based on the individual’s native language and personal interests, which allows them to deliver an efficient path for learners looking to quickly acquire common phrases and greetings in their target language, from ‘thank you’ to ‘can you please tell me the time?’ and beyond.
In addition to everyday language instruction, Babbel also features Babbel for Business, courses designed for professional development.
5. Rosetta Stone: Best for an immersive experience
Named after the iconic stone that helped experts read ancient Egyptian, Rosetta Stone is a pioneer in the realm of digital language education. With its distinctive approach of full immersion from the get-go, the app aims to mimic the natural way we learned our first language.
One of the app’s more powerful features is TruAccent speech recognition, which helps users fine-tune their pronunciations by comparing their spoken words to those of native speakers.
Beyond just language, Rosetta Stone incorporates culture into its curriculum, providing insights into customs, traditions, and etiquette.
6. Mondly: Best for innovative learning methods
Mondly emerged as a modern contender in the digital language learning space, mixing traditional lessons with the latest technological advancements. From Augmented Reality (AR) to chatbots, Mondly sprinkles a futuristic touch into the linguistic journey.
The app offers instruction for just over 40 languages with exercises for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Mondly includes interactive exercises with real dialogue and a personalized character that allows learners to engage in a fun and real-life learning experience that can be accessed anywhere at any time.
Best used as a study aid in conjunction with teacher-led training, the app reinforces basic vocabulary and language concepts, as well as business communication lessons, through a gamified approach.
7. Memrise: Best for acquiring vocabulary
Faithful to its name, Memrise is an app that emphasizes the role of memory in language acquisition. By employing scientifically-backed techniques to boost retention and recall, Memrise ensures that language learning becomes a lasting part of a user’s cognitive repertoire.
The app takes a playful approach to learning languages, using memes to introduce vocabulary while deemphasizing grammatical rules. Memrise also utilizes a three-step method that first focuses on everyday vocabulary, followed by immersion which involves the use of audio and video segments created by native speakers, and then finally brings the learner to the end goal, learning to speak with confidence.
This approach is used not only to better everyday conversational skills but also to boost the user’s understanding of business and finance terminology in the target language. By making learning fun and engaging, this app fosters speed and recall of vocabulary, and with the free version, users have access to over 200 languages.
8. Drops: Best for visual learners
Drops takes a visually-driven approach to language learning, breaking down the barriers of lengthy sessions with its short, impactful five-minute lessons. The app is a testament to the power of focused and consistent microlearning.
So how does it work? Drops uses intuitive illustrations to represent words and concepts, aiding in memory and comprehension. It also employs a tactile learning method where users swipe, drag, and drop to match words with their corresponding images.
And for those looking to focus on food, travel, or business-related vocabulary, Drops offers specialized packs that allow learners to zero in on specific areas of interest.
9. HelloTalk: Best for real-time language exchange
HelloTalk transcends traditional language learning paradigms by connecting learners directly with native speakers around the world. The app fosters genuine, real-time conversations, making language practice as authentic as it gets.
The entire app is built around the idea of language exchange. Users can teach their native language while learning another. Beyond text chats, users can engage in voice and video calls, further enhancing pronunciation, listening skills, and cultural exchanges.
10. Lirica: Best for music lovers
Lirica brings a melodious twist to the world of language learning by using the universal language of music to teach new tongues. Drawing from popular songs, it breaks down lyrics to not only teach words and phrases but also immerse learners in the culture of the language.
Using each song’s lyrics as a baseline, Lirica offers exercises to reinforce the language structures and vocabulary introduced in each section. To test retention and understanding, Lirica presents interactive quizzes that challenge learners to recall and apply what they’ve absorbed from the songs.
Language Learning Apps are Only the First Step in Your Journey
While all of these apps provide support in helping you learn a new language, no app can replace one-on-one training. Whether in-person or virtually, learning with an instructor gives the invaluable opportunity to learn the ins and outs of a language. This includes learning the unspoken elements of communication such as the different levels of formality and the impact of body language on the delivery of one’s message.
And, most importantly, apps cannot offer the real-life experience of practicing communication with another human being. For these reasons, we recommend individualized instruction with one of our expert elt language trainers in combination with a learning app like Busuu that offers both conversational and business instruction with the option for completing mastery-level certification courses. Together, they can help you achieve the fluency you desire!