The 5 Best Apps for Learning a New Language

The Path to Fluency Starts Here

One of the best ways to exercise your brain is to learn a new language. Not only is knowing multiple languages is rewarding and stimulating, but it can also be a valuable skill to have in a variety of real-life scenarios. Being multilingual can open up new career opportunities, expand your social life, and make traveling more fun and convenient. These days, one of the most popular methods for learning a new language is by downloading an education app on your smartphone. With hundreds of options, it's hard to know which one is right for you. So, we've carefully selected the five best apps for learning a new language.

Check them out below!

1. Duolingo - Language Lessons

Duolingo is the world's most downloaded education app, and it's all about making learning a new language a fun experience. Featuring more than 35 different languages, Duolingo splits all of its courses into quick, bite-sized lessons. That way, you're constantly getting the endorphin rush and motivational boost after completing a section. When each lesson takes only a few minutes, it's easy for "one more" to turn into "ten more." Before you know it, you'll have powered through an entire language course.

The Duolingo app utilizes lessons that feel like games, featuring fun characters, colorful animations, and interactive activities. It also really works. The courses were designed by language experts who use a science-based teaching methodology. The lessons are designed so that you'll not only digest the information, but you'll also retain it long-term. Duolingo is free, but users have the option of upgrading to Duolingo Plus to unlock several additional features.

2. Babbel - Language Learning

Babbel is an app built by language learning experts that requires only 15 minutes of your time each day. The app features 14 languages, over 6,000 courses, over 60,000 individual lessons, and proven modern teaching techniques. The effectiveness of Babbel's lessons has even been backed by Yale and Michigan State University.

Babbel utilizes short, interactive lessons aimed at helping you achieve fluency in your language of choice. With only a tiny daily time commitment, you'll make steady progress toward learning to listen, speak, read, and write with proficiency. Throughout the engaging lessons, you'll be offered tips and tricks to help you understand and absorb what you're learning. You can also use the app's review feature to go over your previous lessons and make sure that it sticks. Babbel even comes with speech recognition technology that will have you sounding like a native speaker by the time you're finished.

3. Rosetta Stone: Learn Languages

Rosetta Stone has been helping people learn new languages since the 1990s, and their award-winning app has continued that tradition since 2014. Using the Rosetta Stone Dynamic Immersion® method, the app will guide you through interactive and contextual lessons to surround you with the language you're trying to learn.

When you begin a language course with Rosetta Stone, it will create a personalized game plan based on your preferences and learning priorities. The lessons are only ten minutes each, and you don't need to be online to take them, so it's extremely easy to find times to make progress. You can choose between 3-month, 12-month, or lifetime subscription options, and you'll immediately have access to every one of the app's available languages.

4. Pimsleur Language Learning App

Developed by Simon & Schuster, the Pimsleur app puts its focus on teaching you to fluently speak a new language, whereas many other apps focus more on reading and writing. Pimsleur is an excellent language learning option, especially if your primary motivation is having better experiences while traveling. With an emphasis on conversational skills, the app will prepare you for actually engaging with other people in the language you choose to study. In fact, within 30 minutes of learning, you'll be able to hold your first conversation in said language.

Pimsleur will help you move through the learning process quickly to teach you a new language in only 30 days. You can try the app for free, but you'll need to be a premium member to access its 51 available languages and most of its features.

5. Memrise Easy Language Learning

With over 60 million users, Memrise is one of the most popular language-learning apps available in 2022. The app features a user-friendly interface and utilizes short lessons, helpful video clips, and real-life situations. Memrise makes an effort to truly introduce you to the cultural aspect of language learning, using video and audio to bring you into the worlds of native speakers.

Memrise emphasizes teaching you real-life, practical phrases. If you use the app to learn Spanish, you'll know how to order a meal, ask for directions, or make small talk when you travel to Mexico. Memrise makes it as easy as possible to become confident in speaking a new language. To access all that the app has to offer, though, you'll need to become a premium member.

There's No Wrong Choice

These education apps will be a highly-effective tool for learning whichever language you've always dreamed of speaking. You can choose one based on your personal goals or try them out to see which one fits your learning style. What's important is that you don't hesitate to get started on your language learning journey. The sooner you take that first lesson, the sooner you'll be speaking the language fluently and confidently.