Top 10 apps to learn a language

Would you like to speak a new language for a next trip or simply for your personal culture? Here is our top 10 apps to learn a language!

Learn a foreign language has many benefits. Talking a new idiom opens many opportunities and allows to exchange with the premises of a country visited. This also stimulates cognitive abilities. In addition, local populations will appreciate that you speak to them in their mother tongue.

If it takes perseverance, a lot of method and rigour, becoming a second language speaker also gives great satisfaction. At first, basic notions will suffice to cover the majority of the current vocabulary. According to Pareto’s law, it is enough to learn 20% of the lexicon of an idiom to cover 80% of its most common vocabulary.

Are you planning a trip abroad? Download a mobile app to learn a language is a good alternative to individual language courses. But in the world of languages, the offer of online courses is considerable. It can be difficult to choose the right method. Here is our selection of best apps to learn a language.

1. Babbel

Babbel is the world reference for learning a language whatever it is. The application allows you to learn English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Polish, Dutch, Indonesian, Turkish, Danish, Norwegian and Russian.

Featuring a playful interface, Babbel wins year-to-year, and offers two training modules for learning: vocabulary or tools . Whether you play from a basic or advanced level in Spanish, Babbel’s mission is to make you a perfect bilingual.

To do this, the application is using interactive activities articulated around oral and written exercises, and a very simple method that reminds the translator of old: a word in French and his translation into Spanish.

The rates range from 12,99 € for one month, 10 € per month (quarterly subscription), 7,50 € (for 6 months) to 5 € (one year).

2. MosaLingua

MosaLingua is a mastodon of language learning applications, and already has courses for English, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese. In addition, the app offers specialized courses such as a Spanish “special business” or a “special TOEFL” English.

This small cross-platform application provides courses according to a method that has proven its evidence at the scientific level , the rehearsal spaced. The purpose of the application is to help you memorize words using vocabulary exercises.

To do this, MosaLingua uses some 3,000 cards with words as well as key phrases, which will be repeated unexpectedly through your evolution in levels, to help you memorize the maximum possible words.

For this application, you will have to pay 9,99 € per month , or opt for the formula 12 months to 59,99 € (or €4.99 per month) !

3. Mondly

In a few years, Mondly has become one of the real reference applications to learn a new language! Designed in 2013, the application is already complete for 33 languages.

Mondly’s real advantage is that she perfectly combines Babbel’s learning method with Duolingo’s, while presenting her own features! Here, you will learn your skills in written understanding as oral, vocabulary and grammar.

In addition, you can choose the setting in which you want to learn the language of your choice. Going on vacation, learning for work or simply improving your skills, you have a choice! The real plus of the application lies in its intuitive chatbot, which will guide you throughout your learning process.

Price level, you will have the choice between a subscription 9,99 € for a month, and 47,99 € For a year. The application also offers many offers throughout the year. Otherwise, you can also choose the "subscription for life" version. 60 € , to never have to spend any more money.

4. FluentU

FluentU is the most in phase application with its time in our ranking. In fact, it breaks with the learning codes by offering to learn a language (Spanish, French, Mandarin, German, Japanese, and English) through podcasts and other digital information formats. This is the most innovative application of our ranking.

Several types of tools are available within FluentU, ranging from videos to fairly vulgar subjects such as music clips, to more formal topics such as news and advertising. This type of training is challenging one of the issues of language learning. Indeed, after days and days of learning, when we are put into real situations, we rarely have "white" moments during the conversation phases, to let us think.

To help you step by step, each video has a detailed script in English and Spanish, so that you know what each term means. Only flat, the application has a cost, since only the first two weeks of use are free. So we'll have to pay you later. 15 € per month or 120 € per year to continue accessing it.

5. Busuu

Busuu has also imposed itself in the landscape of language learning applications. Indeed, weighing only a few megabytes, this app offers courses like in school, which will provide you with the notions of vocabulary and grammar, dialogues in the format of stories to be read or audio documents that will facilitate the understanding of the phonetics of words.

For each language that the application proposes, 150 themes are addressed in 3,000 unique phrases to read and listen. Whether it’s about everyday life or more professional and serious subjects, Busuu is the ideal accompaniment tool for Duolingo, even if learners at the intermediate level can use it to perfect their knowledge.

The flat is a little disappointment... First free of charge, the application becomes paid! On the other hand, the application is fairly economical since you will only have to count 34,99 € year round, for the premium version!

For the premium plus version, you will have to pay about 6,50 € per month. But no worries, it is common that the application offers attractive offers...

6. Memrise

Memrise allows to learn a language by inciting to acquire superpowers to the user. The application has the same languages as Duolingo: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Russian. It follows the same operation of check cards as its consœur Duolingo. The program incorporates short videos recorded by native speakers to stimulate voice recognition. The goal is to learn five new words a day.

A basic version is free. For advanced use, three monthly subscriptions ( $8.99 ), quarterly ( $18.99 ) and annual ( $45.99 ) are planned.

7. Duolingo

Here is an application launched in 2011 that claims 200 million users. Duolingo is a reference for learning a language. In French, you can learn English, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese Brazilian. The English version gives access to many more languages: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Irish, Welsh, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Esperanto, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Hungarian, Swahili, Romanian. It is important to have English knowledge to attend these courses.

The Duolingo method is based on the accumulation of points at the end of each validated lesson. The user plays on cheating cards with the technique of spaced repetition. You practice 10 to 20 minutes a day to advance in expression and pronunciation, grammar and spelling.

The app is free, but a paid version – Duolingo Plus – allows to use it offline, and without advertising. The cost is $12.99 for a month, $6.99 per month for 12 months and $7.99 per month for 6 months.

8. Tandem

This is a much different application from all you know so far! Here you learn the languages you already master, then the ones you want to learn. Then, you indicate some of your interests, topics of discussion that you like to discuss on a daily basis.

Finally, Tandem will offer you profiles of people who want to learn your language, and who master the one you want to know. The advantage here is that you can chat with people from all over the world, and thus exchange on your cultural differences.

Fully free, Tandem is a real opportunity to learn a language while meeting (virtually) new people. So you will be both a pupil and a teacher, all in a stylish and relaxed atmosphere.

9. 50languages

Here is a much less known application to learn a language. As its name suggests, 50languages offers the opportunity to learn 50 languages such as Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German, English, French, Dutch. And other less common languages also: Hindi, Persia or Afrikaans. The 50language applications contain more than 100 lessons to learn or start in a second language.

In addition, they allow to work offline. The learning method focuses on the levels of the European framework (CECRL). It combines texts and recordings to perfection in reading, pronunciation, expression and written and oral understanding.

10. Speekoo

Do you want another solution to learn a language? Would you like to compare a wider range of language applications? Speekoo allows to take courses in a dozen languages: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Russian or Arabic. The platform offers exercises to write and speak in order to work written and oral expression and understanding.

The application has, in a "backpack" button, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation sheets. Each level corresponds to a city. Once validated, his city record informs the learner, who enriches both his general culture: Seville, Montevideo, Buenos Aires or Madrid, etc. for Spanish. London, New York, Auckland, Sydney or Vancouver, etc. for the English course.

Another advantage: the basic use of the application is free! A subscription is required to access all content: 9,90 € per month without commitment, or 3,50 € per month 12 months with commitment.