Author: Smarter Language
Whether you’re planning to travel, becoming bilingual for your job, or just want to broaden your connection to the world around you, finding the right app (or apps) is the first step toward mastering a new language. But the options sometimes feel endless. We can help! Below is a comprehensive list of each of our reviews of language apps we think are worth checking out. From tutoring to flashcards to traditional language learning programs, we’ve presented them in order of their cumulative Smarter Language review scores. (This article was updated on 1/18/2023) Language App Reviews The Smarter Language Review of…
Anki is, hands down, the most effective way to memorize new words you come across when studying a foreign language. Anki works like a super-smart flashcard deck, keeping track of all your vocabulary in one place and using an algorithm to show you reviews right at the point where you’d start to forget. It’s a must-have for any learner looking to make serious progress in a foreign language. Anki: a flashcard program that never lets you forget Anki acts as one big flashcard deck that you can access on your desktop or on your phone (AnkiDroid Flashcards or AnkiMobile Flashcards…
Language learning is a constant process of memorizing new things and trying to review them well enough so that we don’t forget them. It’s also a battle against time, since our brains only store a small percentage of the new information we learn. Spaced repetition is the process of reviewing newly learned material right as we’re beginning to forget it, thus helping our brains build stronger memories and forget less frequently. If you want to make serious improvements in your target language, try employing some of these tips into your language learning routine. Cramming doesn’t work for languages A few…
Memrise is a study tool that uses spaced repetition to help users learn new material and review it over time. It’s primarily intended for learning foreign languages but you’ll find the site offers hundreds of other topics, including math, science, arts, standardized test prep and more. What is Memrise? On Memrise, learners follow virtual “Courses” that lead them through different “Levels” within a set of study material. The platform offers both official Memrise-created Courses as well as user-created Courses, meaning you can find dozens of languages and subjects to study. The official Memrise language Courses include video clips recorded by…
Spanish is one of the most popular study languages in the world, second only to English. If you search the web for “learn Spanish” you’ll find countless resources – apps, classes, books – and the amount of choices can be overwhelming. Language app marketing can sometimes fool people into thinking they can “hack” their way into fluency within a few weeks or months, but learning a language really well involves so much more than just downloading Duolingo and playing study games for 10 minutes every day. To make significant progress, we need to invest time every day (ideally an hour,…
Wyzant is a tutoring marketplace that aims to make personalized learning easier, affordable, and accessible by connecting students around the globe with expert tutors. There are thousands of expert tutors on Wyzant ready to help you learn new languages, master academic and professional subjects, or even pick up a new hobby The platform boasts more than 65,000 tutors covering over 300 subjects and more than 12,000 topics. On Wyzant you can find experienced tutors for both online as well as in-person lessons. Wyzant is different from other tutoring sites, which typically assign tutors to students (instead of helping a student…
SpanishDict.com is by far the most useful resource for Spanish learners today. It features an extensive array of grammar lessons, translation resources, conjugation practice, vocab building tools and much more. It’s free to use (though a Premium subscription is available) and you can access SpanishDict on desktop as well as on a mobile app. What is SpanishDict.com? You can use SpanishDict’s dictionary feature to search for definitions, view context sentences, conjugations and even add words/phrases to custom flashcard decks. SpanishDict has a built-in spaced repetition system (SRS) to help learners memorize vocabulary and review it to build strong memories. You…
Quizlet is a popular flashcards app that enables learners to create custom decks for memorizing vocabulary. It doesn’t have a spaced repetition system like other popular flashcard apps, but its sleek interface, mass-upload functionality and fun activities make Quizlet the perfect choice for learners seeking a seamless and easy-to-use vocab memorization tool. What is Quizlet? Quizlet is a flashcard app that enables users to create custom decks for studying foreign languages and other topics. Decks can be made public and shared with other learners, meaning you can search for and study pre-built decks created by other users. You can import…
Off to parts unknown? Traveling to a country where you don’t speak any of the language can seem rather daunting, but learning a bit of the language beforehand can make a world of difference. You don’t need to be at all fluent in order to get by – often just a few words is enough to make a connection with locals and improve your experience. In this article we’ll cover three apps you can use as a foreign language crash course in the weeks or days leading up to your overseas trip. Learning a few phrases makes a world of…
Rosetta Stone is one of the most well-known brands in the language learning world with millions of licenses sold since its initial release in 1992. Rosetta Stone’s entirely immersive environment teaches learners to speak foreign languages through the use of vibrant imagery, native-speaker audio and voice-recognition activities. In this article we highlight three Rosetta Stone “Units” that are specifically designed to teach users travel-related words and phrases. What is Rosetta Stone? Rosetta Stone (our full review here), once known for its big yellow boxes sold in bookstores and airports, is now available as a browser application as well as smartphone…