Do you want to discover, learn or revise a foreign language, for your studies, your work or your holidays? This is possible on smartphone or tablet, with specialized applications. Small selection of the most famous.
There are apps for everything… and even for learning foreign languages. What are the best apps to revise English or Spanish, or to learn the first basics in German, Chinese or Arabic? We go around the essential platforms on mobile or tablet.
Duolingo: a free app with regular reminders
Duolingo is one of the most used apps: it’s intuitive, free and available on both iOS and Android. For French users, it allows the learning of several languages: English, Spanish, Italian, German or Portuguese. Many other courses are offered to Internet users who are already fluent in Arabic, Chinese or English. Duolingo relies on repetition to revise the basics, learn expressions and new vocabulary…and how to use it. And to leave nothing out, the app sends regular reminders for each lesson.
To download on iTunes for iOS and on Google Play for Android. Free app with in-app purchases (additional paid content).
Babbel: udoes not apply with an annual renewable subscription
The name of the Babbel platform is inspired by the biblical tower, the fall of which caused the confusion of languages among men. There are courses in English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Turkish, Dutch or even Polish and Russian… in short, everything you need to revise or learn the most spoken languages . Course content for beginners or intermediate levels is available by subscription. It takes between €4.95 and €9.95 per month depending on the duration of the commitment.
To download on on iTunes for iOS and on on Google Play for Android.
Rosetta Stone: un subscription and support from tutors
The Rosetta Stone (or Rosetta Stone) is a fragment of an Egyptian stele which made it possible to decipher hieroglyphics. On the same principle, the Rosetta Stone application offers learning based on an association of sounds with images. The application is paid, with a subscription that starts from €10 per month (and €46 per month for the most expensive). 24 languages are offered, and the application uses a voice recognition tool to improve pronunciation. Above all, Rosetta Stone has the advantage of offering more extensive support, in particular with tutors and private lessons.
To download on Google Play for Android Where on iTunes for iOS.
Memrise: une app to repeat and learn vocabulary
Like Duolingo, Memrise offers learning based on memorizing words. This memorization involves repetition as well as associations of ideas. One of the goals, for example, is to learn five new words a day (and not forget them). Memrise also includes short videos shot by native speakers, to better understand pronunciation and recognize the terms they use. Ideal for enriching their vocabulary and their ability to converse in English, Spanish, Italian… or even in Japanese, Korean, simplified Chinese and Russian.
The application is free and offers additional paid options. To download on on iTunes for iOS and on Google Play for Android.
LingQ : an application to learn uncommon languages
LingQ is a lesser-known platform, but it offers an interesting learning process. It is indeed a question of appropriating a foreign language starting from contents which make you want. A book for example, newspapers or cultural sources. It is also one of the platforms that turns the most towards uncommon languages: Greek, Czech, Norwegian, Ukrainian or even Esperanto… nearly 24 languages, from the most common to the least practiced, are referenced. The community aspect is also more developed, between users or with a tutor.
The application is free but offers more developed content on premium subscription. To download on on Google Play for Android and on iTunes for iOS.
