Josiah – Perapera

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Filipino

Josiah — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 23:33:27 +0000

FlipinoPod101 boasts an enormous selection of video/audio lessons and a fully customizable syllabus.

100% audio based, Pimsleur helps you to achieve an intermediate conversational level very quickly.

Highly gamified & fun to use, Ling is packed with dozens of short ‘mini-lessons’ with interactive dialogues

For many, the Philippines is a place of paradise. Friendly locals, dreamy beaches and exquisite cuisine makes this unique country an ideal destination for travelling, with over 7000 islands to explore boasting some of the best natural beauty on Earth. But how important is it for you to learn the Filipino language?

Whilst it’s true that English is widely spoken in the cities, once you get outside the urban areas and really start to explore the country you’ll quickly discover that everyone speaks Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines.

Tagalog is a fascinating language, with a complex grammar system that’s vastly different to English. And yet, those who take the plunge and commit to studying it soon discover that it’s well worth the journey.

So, what’s the best way to learn Tagalog without actually being in the country? Which apps & language programs are the most effective and affordable to quickly get up to speed with Tagalog? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Read on to discover our list of top five apps for learning Tagalog (and a few more runners up at the end).

Are you ready to check out the best apps for learning Filipino?

‘Tara na!’ (it means ‘Let’s go!)

1. Filipinopod101

Best Overall – Most Comprehensive

Overall, the best app by far is FilipinoPod101. A subscription to the app grants access to an enormous library of video and podcast lessons, ranging in topic from travel to dating. The company behind FilipinoPod101, Innovative Language, has been around for a long time and it shows. Not only do you get high quality video lessons with full dialogues & transcripts, but a myriad of extra learning tools all tied up nicely into an intuitive and easy-to-use app.

FilipinoPod101 gives you the ability to fully customize your own learning by selecting specific learning ‘pathways’ from their vast lesson library. The pathway guides you through each lesson, completing exercises & focusing on specialised topics. Alongside the lessons you’ll find frequency word lists, flashcards, topical vocab lists, a word bank, and more. Plus, you can sign up today using our unique coupon code and get up to 77% off.

Click here to read our full FilipinoPod101 review.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

2. Pimsleur

Most Effective Conversational App

The Pimsleur app isn’t for everyone. It’s a rather heavy & intensive course that gets you up to a basic conversational level of Tagalog in a very short space of time. Each 30-60 minute lesson first introduces you to an authentic dialogue and then proceeds to deconstruct it into it’s basic phrases, words and sounds, whilst testing you throughout with a spaced repetition system of learning. It’s not cheap either, but it’s backed by decades of research and is a very effective tool for developing a fluent conversational level very quickly.

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 2/5

 5/5

 4/5

3. Ling

Most Fun & Interactive

Ling is a highly gamified app for learning over 50 different languages (including Tagalog). It motivates you with the possibility to earn bananas, compete with friends and unlock new levels to complete, similar to how Duolingo operates. The basic version is free, and beyond that you’ll need a monthly subscription granting access to a whole library of lessons, games, activites and reading/writing exercises.

The lessons all incorporate high quality audio files, which includes the interactive chatbot that allows you to ‘talk’ with the app by selected pre-programmed responses. Overall, the effectiveness of the app is up for question since it’s mostly just passive learning (without any actual speaking or writing practice) however it certainly is very engaging & motivating, which is an essential ingredient to long term language success.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

4. Learn Tagalog by Dalubhasa

Most Cost Effective

Sometimes the best apps are those that are developed by native speakers, and certainly ‘Learn Tagalog by Dalubhasa‘ is well worth checking out. The app teaches basic vocabulary, phrases and grammar. It’s split into 5 levels, from beginner to expert, with the first two levels being completely free (after this you’ll need to buy a subscription). Whilst it starts off with very basic topics like colors, numbers, pronouns and conjunctions, the content quickly transitions into more colloquial Tagalog which is far more useful for everyday life & speaking like a local.

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 4/5

 3/5

5. Italki

Best for Conversational Practice

Italki is an absolute godsend when it comes to developing natural, conversational Filipino language skills. Students who use italki regularly find that their speaking confidence skyrockets and they end up enjoying the learning process much more, and therefore keeping up their motivation to maintain a study habit.

You can browse through the many hundreds of available tutors, book a trial class and get speaking right away. Don’t worry if you are just a beginner, the tutor will adjust their level to cater to your experience. Lessons are affordable and can be carried out on zoom, google or using their own built-in learning platform.

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 4/5

Runners-up for Best Filipino App:

Maybe these top five apps didn’t quite satisfy your tastebuds? Here’s some additional runners up that you might find more useful.

Memrise

Memrise is a very popular option for learners of all sorts of languages, from Chinese to Hungarian. They’ve recently widened their market to loads of new langauges – including Tagalog. You can expect videos of native speakers, natural dialogues, gamified quizes & a nice user interface.

However, the app now allows you to choose from several difference courses that are created by independent course creators. This means that whilst the amount of content & variety is awesome, the quality does vary somewhat. So be a bit careful with this one. It’s also a bit pricer than the other apps we’ve mentioned so far.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

Tandem

If you like the idea of practice with native speakers then you’ll love Tandem. Along with other similar apps (like Hellotalk), Tandem creates a digital space for language exchange students to connect. Rather like a social media site, you can fill in your own profile about your own interests and learning goals and then start messaging other students who share your same interests. The app will automatically pair you with someone looking to learn a language you already possess (English or maybe Russian, for example).

The app makes it easy to spend equal amounts of time speaking each others target language and even suggests conversational promts and questions to ask. It has a built in error corection feature to allow you to correct mistakes, plus a translate button – very handy! It can get quite addictive, I often have many language partners all on the go at the same time, but it’s a great way to get real exposure to the native language and make meaningful cultural exchanges.

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 5/5

 3/5

 5/5

Language Drops Tagalog (Filipino)

Drops is a fun app for learning new vocabulary through games & activities. It follows a predominantly visually-based method of learning by assosiating words with images. Whilst there’s not much in the way of grammar, the short puzzles & word games can be a great way to build up your Filipino vocabulary.

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 4/5

Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Filipino

If you’ve get anything out of this article I hope that it’s the fact that there’s loads of really cool apps out there for learning Tagalog. Now you have literally no excuse to get out there and start learning this beautiful language.

To recap, overall we recommend checking out FilipinoPod101 as our choice for the best app for learning Filipino. It’s both entertaining & very effective for learning Tagalog, providing you are disciplined enough to follow the learning paths through to their end. Couple this with an app for speaking like italki and your all good to go!

But most of all, try to find out which method works best for you, and have fun!

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Vietnamese

Josiah — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 23:26:33 +0000

The most comprehensive app on the market. Highly engaging & varied content.

A great option for beginners to learn basic vocab & phrases. Gamified & fun.

Practice with native speakers with this affordable & flexible tutoring service.

Vietnamese is a notoriously difficult language to learn, with a complex system of grammar and 6 different tones to master, but don’t let that get you down. In this day and age there’s a myriad of research-based language learning tools that are structured to your needs, using modern techniques to break down the Vietnamese language in a way that’s easily digestible and fun!

There’s apps for learning daily conversation & dialogues, for memorizing the most common vocabulary, for intuitively learning how the grammar works, and to even to converse with real life native speakers! All this through the convenience of your smartphone or tablet.

In this article we’ve done the hard work for you and tested out all the most popular apps on the market (that we could find) and provided you with a condensed list of only the very best apps for learning Vietnamese. With the right tools and some time & effort, anything is possible.

So, without further ado, let’s dive right into the 5 best apps for learning Vietnamese.

Đi thôi! (‘Lets go!’)

1. VietnamesePod101

Best Overall – Most Comprehensive

The winning app on our list is VietnamesePod101, a well established language program with it’s own dedicated app for learning Vietnamese. The lessons are predominantly video & audio lessons delivered by a variety of native tutors. They cover all sorts of topics from ordering food at a restaurant to Vietnamese customs and traditions. Many students love the cultural emphasis of this language app, with lots of cultural nuances being dropped in throughout the lessons, keeping it interesting and engaging throughout.

Alongside the lessons, you’ll be granted access to a whole range of extra learning tools that really help to supplement your learning. You can look things up in the grammar bank, save new vocabulary in your personal word bank or create a flashcard set. Plus, there’s frequency word lists and topical vocab lists to broaden your Vietnamese vocabulary.

Overall, there’s enough material to keep you engaged and progressing in the language for years to come, plus you can also snap up a nice discount by using one of our unique coupon codes (get up to 77% off).

Click here to read our full VietnamesePod101 review.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

2. Memrise

Most Engaging & Fun

Compared with other apps on this list, Memrise is like the new kid on the block. They use a similar teaching method to the more popular Duolingo, only far better. Firstly, with each lesson you’ll get an immersive experience into a real world dialogue with native speakers. The lessons then revolve around these short video clips, testing you on the meaning and pronunciation.

The only thing to bear in mind is that Memrise has now created a platform where other users can now create their own language courses. In many ways this is an awesome thing, allowing for much more varied topics such as ‘cool expressions’ and ‘basic pronunciation’, all included within the subscription. However, the quality does vary, and it’s not uncommon for errors and typos to creep into the lessons.

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 3/5

 4/5

3. Italki

Best Conversational App

One of the very best ways to learn any language is to get talking with locals as soon as possible, even if you can barely string together a sentence. Italki has revolutionised the way we now learn languages, granting us access to hundreds of professional native language tutors at an affordable price, from anywhere in the world. You can practice everything you’ve learnt and get instant corrections and speaking practice from your own smartphone.

The process is simple, you find a tutor you like, book a trial lesson and get talking! Don’t worry if, like me, your an introvert who shivers at the thought of making idle conversation in broken Vietnamese. The tutors are always lovely people who have lots of conversational topics that are catered to your level. I recommend making best use of the learning program by making lots of notes, and expect lots of corrections!

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 4/5

4. Pimsleur

Most Effective App

Perhaps learning how to read and write in Vietnamese is not so important to you, and what you are looking for is only a basic conversation level of the language. For this, Pimsleur is your best bet. It uses modern & research based techniques to teach you how to speak Vietnamese with a native accent and understand what you hear.

The lessons are comprised of 30-60 minute audio podcasts that prompt you to repeat and respond to the native dialogue. It’s an immersive and thorough technique that systematically deconstructs each individual phrase, word & sound, and then reconstructs its all again, all whilst testing you on your understanding and fluency.

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 5/5

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5. Lingodeer

Best Option for Beginners

Lingodeer is a great option that doesn’t seem to get the same amount of attention as the other more popular apps. It’s quite inexpensive, yet packs a punch. Starting with the Vietnamese alphabet the course will get you learning from a series of ‘mini-lessons’, each focused on a specific topic like ‘animals’ or ‘food’.

Generally, it’s not bad in it’s approach – it teaches full sentences and places appropriate focus on the pronunciation and grammar, but there’s not enough emphasis on speaking & listening (unlike Memrise, for example).

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 4/5

 3/5

 4/5

Runners-up for Best Vietnamese App:

Here’s a few more apps for those looking for more options to study Vietnamese.

Simply Learn Vietnamese

On a budget? Simply Learn Vietnamese might be your best bet. It contains thousands of useful phrases and vocabulary, grouped by topic and tested methodically through their spaced repetition system. Believe it or not, the app is actually free, funded only by advertising. Though it’s quite limited in terms of actual lessons, the vocab is very useful, and the audio is high quality which is definitely a plus.

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 5/5

 3/5

Ling

Do you struggle to keep up the motivation for learning? Whilst it’s true there’s a lot of very effective apps that work effectively like Pimsleur & VietnamesePod101, sometimes it can be hard to keep up the daily study habit. This is where Ling excels.

Their app is packed full of fun & interesting features that are specifically designed to keep you hooked on learning more. You earn virtual bananas as you navigate each level, completing quizzes, games & even communicating with chatbots! (You can select pre-set phrases for a dialogue to review what you’ve learnt).

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 3/5

 4/5

Glossika

Ever thought about programming your brain to be in tune with the Vietnamese language by ‘working out’ your brain in the same way you would do at the gym? No? Just me then… Glossika is based upon this exact concept – by completing daily ‘reps’ and teaching your brain to intuit the Vietnamese grammar and to daily train your vocal muscles to sound like a native speaker.

After completing a short placement test the app will feed you a series of sentences that systematically expose you to new words, sentence structures & sounds. It then proceeds to test you on them with a spaced repetition system & feed the results into the AI algorithm.

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 3/5

 5/5

 3/5

Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Vietnamese

Which ones do you think are the best apps for learning Vietnamese? Let us know in the comments below!

At the end of the day, everyone has their own learning preferences and study techniques. You can’t really go wrong with our list of best Vietnamese apps. To recap:

For affordable speaking practice with native speakers we recommend italki. For those who prefer a more gamified style of learning we recommend Memrise or Ling.

And finally, our best overall app for it’s quality of content & range of learning tools and video/podcast lessons, has to be VietnamesePod101.

Have fun learning and good luck!

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Cantonese

Josiah — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 23:17:37 +0000

A comprehensive language app with an enormous library of practical & trendy topics.

Excellent for focused conversational practice with a wide range of native speakers.

A free app that is packed with thousands of useful phrases with accompanying audio.

So, you’ve decided to brush up on your Cantonese language skills, and you’re looking for the best apps to learn Cantonese. Firstly, congratulations! Cantonese is a beautiful language spoken by over 80 million people – that’s more than Korean or even Persian. It’s practically the main language spoken in Chinatowns across the world and is a hugely advantageous language for both business & commerce. So, you’re definitely onto a winner!

But how exactly can you manage your time and study most effectively? Which programs will get you to fluency the fastest? Luckily for you, there’s a whole host of mobile apps that’ll boost your Cantonese language skills, your range of vocabulary, and even your confidence in speaking. But finding the right ones can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

That’s why we’ve done that hard work for you and curated a list of only the very best language apps for learning Cantonese, based on their effectiveness, affordability & how comprehensive they are as an established language learning program.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 best apps for learning Cantonese!

1. CantoneseClass101

Best Overall – Most Comprehensive

Coming in at number one on our list of best apps is CantoneseClass101, one of the most established language courses on the market, boasting a vast library of short video & podcast lessons, all bundled up into a well built app.

Unlike other courses, CantonesePod101 gives you, the user, full control over what you learn. You can search through the entire lesson library and filter based upon your level, skill type and interests. The lessons are then packaged up into learning ‘pathways’, guiding you through each lesson and learning exercise.

The lessons are fun and engaging, delivered by young and lively native speakers. They are constantly dropping in interesting cultural notes throughout each lesson and explaining the nuances behind each dialogue. Alongside the core syllabus you get a bunch of extra learning tools, from flashcards to grammar banks.

Overall, there’s really everything you need to progress in the Cantonese language. Plus, right now you can use our unique coupon code at checkout to get up to 77% off your subscription fee.

Read our full CantonesePod101 review.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

2. Italki

Best App for Conversational Speaking Practice & Cultural Exchange

Where would we be without italki? The number one go-to app for communicating with real native speakers. Oftentimes when we first start learning a language we quickly absorb new vocabulary & basic phrases very fast but soon forget them without having the opportunity to practice and thus engrain them into our long term memory.

This is mostly the case when learning a new language without living in the native country. Italki gives you the chance to practice everything you’ve learnt in a natural setting with a real native speaker, for a very affordable price – awesome!

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 4/5

3. Simply Learn Cantonese

Most Affordable Option

Believe it or not this app is completely free, paid for only by the ads that occasionally pop up which you are using it (which can be disabled by buying the pro version). The app is essentially a glorified phrasebook with thousands of phrases and vocabulary, each with their own audio files, recorded by native speakers in Hong Kong. You can split the learning down into manageable chunks by taking their quizzes & tests, or by using their premade flashcards.

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 5/5

 3/5

4. Pimsleur

Most Effective (for Conversational Cantonese)

Pimsleur has become something of a household name in the language learning industry, well-known for it’s research-based memory techniques and unique learning style. Whilst the enjoyability of the course is up for dispute, the method certainly works – many can testify. The method is purely audio based, broken down into 30-60 minute lessons that each use authentic dialogues and spaced repetition to get you recalling and producing language on demand.

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 2/5

 5/5

 4/5

5. Skritter

Best App for Learning the Cantonese Writing System

Of course, for complete fluency in Cantonese you’ll need to get familiar with reading and writing the Cantonese script. Cantonese uses largely the same characters as Mandarin Chinese, however Cantonese mostly uses the traditional characters over simplified. For studying these characters, we reccomend the app Skritter. It’s generally everyone’s go-to app for learning Chinese and Japanese characters, with a very clever system of studying them.

First it’ll teach you the meaning, then it’ll sound it out with the correct tones, then it’ll teach you the stroke order and how to draw it. You’ll be identifying and writing thousands of new characters in no time!

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 3/5

 4/5

Runners-up for Best Cantonese App:

Looking for more? Well you’re in luck. Check out these apps that didn’t quite make it onto our top 5 list but still deserve a mention.

Ling

‘Learn Vietnamese in only 10 minutes per day with Master Ling’ the app website proudly proclaims… So is Ling a good option for learning Vietnamese? Well, it’s definitely got a lot going for it. The app, which can be downloaded for free, revolves around a set of dialogues grouped by topic. You can interactively select the correct answers and hear the audio played to you. Each lesson then concludes with a short quiz and the awarding of bonus points (or bananas).

Overall, it’s not a bad option as a free resource, but to unlock more than just a few lessons you’ll need to sign up for the pro version which is quite costly and the content doesn’t go much further than a basic beginner’s phrasebook.

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 3/5

 4/5

Pleco

A solid dictionary app is essential when learning a new language, so you can quickly look up new words, save them & remember them for next time. For Cantonese, google translate just doesn’t cut it. Instead we recommend the app Pleco, an app that is predominantly focused on Mandarin but has awesome Cantonese capability too.

The app allows to you quickly look unknown words or phrases by using the live camera, importing documents, or even writing the characters with your finger. You’ll get an audio recording from two voices, pronunciation & grammar guide, and you can even save the new words to a flashcard deck of your choice.

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 4/5

 5/5

Memrise

Memrise is a very popular app for learning a whole range of languages, and they’ve now added Cantonese to the mix. The lessons are short and varied, with lots of real-use dialogues with videos of native speakers. It’ll then test you on the words and phrases in a duolingo-like fashion. However, unlike Duolingo, Memrise teaches you useful phrases from the get-go, and is far more engaging.

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 3/5

 4/5

Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Cantonese

So there you have it. We hope this list has been of some use to you. Do bear in mind that there are many ways to learn a language, and no real ‘correct’ way to do so. For this reason, it’s important to try out lots of new apps and techniques and see what works best for you.

For studying Cantonese, we personally found that CantoneseClass101 was the best option for studying the language due to its sheer volume of high quality lessons and wide range of extra learning tools that are available. However, you may also want to supplement your learning with speaking practice on Italki, and develop your knowledge of the Cantonese writing system with Skritter.

And finally, we wish you the best of luck on your journey to Cantonese fluency. 你得嘅！(nei5 dak1 ge3, you can do it!)

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Thai

Josiah — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 11:32:21 +0000

A sleek, well-designed app that features a massive library of video/audio lessons.

Highly gamified and fun, Ling teaches the basics using native dialogues and quizzes.

The best option for learning how to read and write all 72 letters of the Thai alphabet.

Learning a new language can be an exciting endeavor, and learning Thai is absolutely no exception. It can open doors to wonderful new travel experiences – whether it’s navigating the depths of Bangkok’s exotic food markets, or getting local recommendations for the most off-the-beaten-track island beaches, the Thai language is a powerful entry point to experiencing Thailand’s wonderful culture and friendly people on a whole new level.

But it’s not easy. And without the right tools it can feel like hitting your head against a brick wall, with all it’s complex tones and confusing characters. But here’s the good news – there’s a TON of amazing apps out there to get you up to speed quickly, reading street signs and conversing with locals. Whether you’re a seasoned polyglot or just looking to know a few phrases to avoid being ripped off, there’s an app for everyone.

But which apps are actually worth your time? In this article, we’ve created our top 5 list of apps for learning Thai. We’ve taken into account everything from effectiveness, user experience and price. Furthermore, we know how important it is to develop all your language skills simultaneously so we’ve included the best resources to improve speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. With this list you can’t go wrong. Let’s dive right in!

1. ThaiPod101

Best Overall – Most Comprehensive

Coming in at number one on our list is ThaiPod101, one of the most comprehensive and regularly updated language courses on the market. And, they have an awesome app. The lessons are mostly based around short podcasts (hence the ‘pod’) however there’s loads of video lessons too, all delivered by native speakers in a relaxed and engaging tone.

The unique thing about ThaiPod101 is the ability to completely customise your own learning by selecting your own ‘pathways’. You can filter by level, category, skill type etc. and add pathways to your dashboard to track your own learning. There’s a ton of interesting content, from food to dating. Plus, the app includes flashcards, word lists, a dictionary, and all sorts of bonus features. The only thing lacking is the speaking element of Thai, and the writing lessons could be better.

Click here to read our full ThaiPod101 review.

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 3/5

 4/5

 5/5

2. Ling

Most Engaging & Fun

Ling is a highly gamified app (much like Duolingo) that offers short themed lessons for over 50 languages, including Thai. It’s not the most comprehensive app out there but it does offer a great entry point into the language and it’s very engaging for new learners to use. Unlike duolingo the activities don’t feel overly repetitive and are generally very varied with everything from dialogues to vocab-matching. We love that they’ve incorporated native voice clips into the activities and best of all it’s free! Note, we did find some mistakes in the material and there’s not much in terms of grammar explanations

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 5/5

 3/5

 5/5

3. Write Me

Best App for Learning the Thai Alphabet

To learn any language, it’s a good idea to start with the alphabet. Once you can read, every street sign, menu or newspaper becomes a language lesson. Plus, you can get locals to write words down for you that you don’t understand, making translation much easier. Write Me does an excellent job at teaching you the Thai alphabet in a pain-free way. This is quite a task given that there’s over 70 letters!

Similar to Ling, it incorporates quizzes and games to keep you motivated to continue – you’ll grow virtual flowers as you progress through the levels. But not only is it fun but seems to be very effective. They’ve incorporated a spaced recognition system to gradually up the ante, until you’re eventually identifying each letter and writing it with precision. The writing software is similar to skritter, giving you real time feedback with handy arrows & animations. It also has voice clips so you can start learning the pronunciation alongside the writing.

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 5/5

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4. Simply Learn

Most Useful for Travel

Planning a trip to Thailand? This app isn’t really a comprehensive course but more of a travel phrasebook that conveniently has all the key phrases you’ll need to get around in Thailand. The app is laid out nicely to make navigation quick and easy, with intuitive categories and search functions. Every phrase has a voice clip by a native speaker and a transliteration to help you. We love that you can favorite specific phrases if you know you are going to use them often.

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5. You too can learn Thai (podcast)

Best for Listening Practice

You too can learn Thai is an absolute gem for Thai language students. It’s designed specifically for learners of Thai by linguist Dr Khru Nan. Every week she releases a new episode on interesting and relevant topics, often with special guests, all in Thai! But don’t fear, she always guides you along with short interjections of English to avoid confusion, and she’ll repeat everything at both slow and natural speeds. It might be a little too much for complete beginners, but it never hurts to listen anyway to get used to the language and pick out the words that you do know.

The podcasts are available on Apple, Spotify or Youtube, and they are free – supported only by amazon affiliate links.

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 5/5

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Runners-up for Best Thai App:

Here’s our list of apps that didn’t make it into our top five but are still worth checking out.

Glossika Thai

This app is best for only upper-beginner to intermediate learners. It’s audio based and focuses on learning key phrases through their spaced-repetition system. It works very efficiently and is easy to use, however you are expected to already have a good grasp of the Thai alphabet since you’ll be expected to write in Thai. It’s very clever how it adjusts to your level, however for beginners we recommend avoiding Glossika and sticking with ThaiPod101.

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 3/5

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Pimsleur

Pimsleur is a well known name in the language learning space, and for good reason! They are awesome at getting you up to a basic conversational level fast. Again, it’s purely audio based which is very handy for when travelling or out and about, and the 1 hour lessons each focus on an authentic dialogue and then breaks it down, prompting you to repeat and ‘participate’ in the dialogue. Many students find it very effective for boosting their speaking and listening skills however it does nothing for reading and writing. Furthermore, their Thai course only has one level, so it’s very limited in scope.

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 3/5

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italki

FInally, this article wouln’t be complete without mentioning italki. It’s always a great go-to resource for getting real conversation practice woth native speakers. The tutors are affordable and lessons can be scheduled to fit around your lifestyle. The only con is that you can’t expect the tutors to do all the work for you – to get the most out of each lesson you should keep it focused and structured.

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 4/5

Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Thai

I hope you’ve found this list useful – now you have no excuse to get out there and start practicing your Thai! And most of, have a lot of fun whilst doing so.

To recap, serious Thai learners should consider a ThaiPod101 subscription, the number one app for learning Thai. For those just looking to wet their feet we reccomend having a play around with Ling or Simply Learn. For writing, we strongly reccomend the Write Me app, and for listening you should check out the ‘You too can learn Thai‘ podcast.

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Chinese

Josiah — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 10:54:24 +0000

A fully comprehensive course with a well developed app. Lessons are taught by a range of engaging native speakers.

Olly’s course is based upon his unique ‘storylearning’ methodology. His method is fun and effective.

A well-structured course with a linear syllabus, perfect for beginners due to it’s thorough explanations and detailed notes.

Learning Chinese is no easy task, and with an endless choice of apps on the market it’s hard to know where to start. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled this list of our 5 best apps for learning Chinese, based on our experience personally using them and testing them all out.

Each app has its own unique style – some are best for just learning the Chinese characters whilst others are just great all-round courses. Whichever app you choose to go for, bear in mind that everyone has their own preferences and specific learning styles when learning a language, so what works for us might not be your best fit.

So without further ado, let’s jump right into it! Coming in at number one on our list is our personal favorite – ChineseClass101.

1. ChineseClass101

Best Overall

ChineseClass101 is technically an online course, but their mobile app has everything you need to access their comprehensive library of lessons, and more! The instructors at ChineseClass101 teach you Chinese through a series of professionally-made video and audio lessons. What’s unique about ChineseClass101 is the fact that you are not limited to a set syllabus but can actually pick and choose your lesson ‘pathways, as they call them, to fully customise your own syllabus based upon your goals and interests.

It comfortably hits the number 1 spot on our list for one main reason – it covers everything. For a beginner or intermediate in Chinese, we feel it is the best option to keep you engaged and learning, providing you with an enormous array of useful content – up to date cultural information, a focus on listening skills (in addition to reading, writing etc.), and the use of authentic dialogues and videos from real native speakers.

Click here to read our in-depth review of ChineseClass101.

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 4/5

2. Olly Richards’ Chinese Conversations (Intermediate)

Most Effective

This one’s really only useful if you’re already at an intermediate level of Chinese, so if you’re just starting out it’s best to skip this one for the time being (but keep it in mind for later). We kept this option on our list because we just love the teaching methodology, making it one of the most effective techniques for rapidly improving your Chinese language skills.

Olly Richards is a well-acclaimed polyglot, having taught himself over 8 languages and developed a massive range of language courses, each one modelled on his own method he developed for learning languages – through stories. His intermediate conversation courses are a little different, and instead focus on authentic dialogues covering loads of useful topics.

However, the central methodology is the same – to immerse you in as much new language as possible. Only after spending plenty of time with the audio does he then give a comprehensive, line-by-line breakdown of the entire audio clip. You are sure to learn loads from this course, plus everything can be accessed on mobile or downloaded offline.

Note: 'Chinese Uncovered' for beginners will be released this year (2021) and will follow the popular story format as all the other 'uncovered' language courses.

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 3/5

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3. Yoyo Chinese

Most Comprehensive

Coming in at number 3 is Yoyo Chinese, a comprehensive video course that takes complete beginners right through to an intermediate level using a very effective and highly engaging teaching style, delivered by the founder (and course designer), Yangyang Chen.

The course is broken down into multiple sub-courses that each focus on a different skill – reading, writing and conversational skills. It’s ideal for anyone who easily gets overwhelmed since everything is explained in very easy to understand terms, using clever analogies and memory techniques that are suited to the native English speaker. In the custom-built app you’ll find flashcards, downloadable lesson notes, review quizzes and more – and better still, the first 45 lessons are free!

Click here to read our in-depth review of Yoyo Chinese.

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4. Duolingo

Best Budget Option

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s unlikely you haven’t heard of duolingo, everyone’s favorite go-to option for language learning. Despite having it’s flaws, it’s still a great entry-level option for anyone starting Chinese, especially if you’re on a budget. The course is logically structured and gets harder as you progress through all the levels, covering everything from family to eating out.

The main benefit with duolingo is its ability to keep you engaged and motivated – it’s highly gamified. You’ll earn ingots and be able to spend them on bonus levels and all sorts of goodies, and the friendly old owl will be your personal cheerleader throughout every lesson.

Click here to read our in-depth review of Duolingo Chinese.

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 5/5

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5. FluentU

Most Immersive

We LOVE FluentU, it just had to make it onto our top 5 list. Whilst it’s not strictly a language course, there’s a ton of value to be had from it as a supplementary learning tool. You can think of FLuentU as youtube for language learning. You can binge watch your way through thousands of level-appropriate video clips that are nicely categorised into such things as movie trailers, music videos, vloggers, instructional videos, interviews etc. The interactive platform then gives you an instant translation when you hover your mouse over a word in the subtitles, and even tests you on your newly learnt vocabulary.

As mentioned, it shouldn’t be used as a primary learning source, but rather an additional extra to improve your listening skills and to boost your vocabulary. We love how the app automatically logs all the words you know or don’t know, and then gives you a nice indicator for each video to tell you how many words you already know and how difficult it’s likely to be, before you even begin the video.

Click here to read our in-depth review of FluentU.

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Runners-up for Best Chinese App:

Our list wouldn’t be complete without at least giving these runners up a mention, which are still 100% worth checking out.

Rocket Chinese

Rocket Chinese is a very comprehensive language course which covers everything from writing to speaking. They’ve incorporated a handy voice-recognition software into the lesson dialogues which is a nice touch since many language programs are lacking when it comes to speaking. The lessons are primarily audio-based but come with plenty of supplementary notes and loads of memory based games and quizzes.

Rocket Chinese is a very comprehensive language course which covers everything from writing to speaking. They’ve incorporated a voice-recognition software into the lesson dialogues which is a nice touch since many language programs are lacking when it comes to speaking. The lessons are primarily audio-based but come with plenty of supplementary notes and loads of memory based games and quizzes.

Click here to read our in-depth review of Rocket Chinese.

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 3/5

Skritter

All the other apps we’ve mentioned so far use quite generic methods for learning the Chinese characters. They work, but it’s certainly not the best way to learn. Chinese has thousands of characters, and memorising them all can be quite a challenge. This is where Skritter comes in. It’s a brilliant tailor-made tool for learning Chinese characters that utilises research-based methods such as active recall and spaced repetition to create a very effective learning tool.

There’s no other app that has such a smooth on-screen handwriting tool, and the way it curates purpose-made example sentences for each character is a huge bonus – one that really enhances your ability to retain the new information. Skritter is for learning characters only and doesn’t provide anything on grammar, conversation or reading.

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Pimsleur Chinese

Pimsleur has been around for a long time, but it’s effectiveness still endures. It gets you using useful phrases from the very beginning through a structured syllabus of 30 minute audio lessons. It’s immersive so don’t expect to see any grammar explanations or much English being spoken. Instead, you are first introduced to a native speed conversation and then prompted to repeat each phrase, each sound being meticulously broken down to get you speaking with the right pronunciation. You can then participate in the dialogue when prompted.

Many students feel that their speaking and listening skills have massively improved since taking the Pimsleur Chinese course. It’s a great option for those looking to quickly get conversational before a trip to China, but not if you are looking to get a high level understanding of how the language actually works, or are looking to be able to read and write Chinese.

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italki

Last on our list is italki, an app we always recommend to students who need extra speaking practice. It’s perfect for connecting you with an affordable native tutor who can work around your schedule and adapt to your needs. It’s the perfect complementary app to use alongside a structured course or textbook.

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Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Chinese

So, there you have it. Overall, it really depends on what you are looking to improve to be honest. For a complete beginner looking for an all-encompassing course that’ll keep you engaged and progressing, we recommend checking out ChineseClass101. Likewise, Yoyo Chinese will give you everything you need, but with a more structured approach.

For those already with an upper-beginner/intermediate level of Chinese, check out Olly’s conversational course, and for a quick and easy way to achieve a basic conversational level, we recommend Pimsleur. Unsure which to start with? Give Duolingo a try. Bonus points go to FluentU (awesome for vocab) and Skritter (for learning Characters).

We hope this list helps you decide which Chinese-learning apps are right for you, and we wish you the best of luck along your language learning journey! 再见! (zài jiàn)!

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.

The 5 Best Apps for Learning Korean

Josiah — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 17:45:16 +0000

When trying to learn to speak Korean on top of your busy life, you may want to find some helpful apps and programs that are convenient, easy-to-use, comprehensive and hopefully, inexpensive. With the dizzying array of resources available, it can be tough to figure out which one will be best for you.

Have no fear; we are here to help. We’ve compiled this list of what we think are the 5 best apps for learning Korean. Keep in mind that not all the apps are structured to teach Korean, and some will simply offer supplemental information alongside some more structured courses. We’ve included some top runners-up at the end of the article, but let’s start with our Best Overall pick, KoreanClass101.

1. KoreanClass101

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
Basic membership starts at $8/month, Free 7-day premium trial

Best Overall

KoreanClass101 gets our Best Overall nod for meeting all aforementioned criteria for the best Korean app. There are four monthly-subscription levels including a free account. Each level consists of both video and short podcast lessons complete with full transcripts and quizzes. You will even find a variety of learning games and tools to explore. New content is added regularly, so as long as you maintain your membership, it is unlikely you will run out of new material.

Designed for both casual and serious speakers, from absolute beginner to advanced speaker, KoreanClass101 offers a variety of situational pathway lessons like Speaking Perfect Korean in a Restaurant or Top 10 Lines For Introducing Yourself. Additionally, you can use their guided lesson pathway that is structured to align with the CEFR Levels (Common European Framework for Reference).

Check out our full KoreanClass101 review here.

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 3/5

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2. Korlink

(Android only)
Free

Most Comprehensive

The Korlink App gives you on-the-go access to TalkToMeInKorean.com. Available as a download on Google Play, sorry iOS users, Korlink is currently only available for Android devices and laptops. It offers video lessons of dialogs, lesson notes, quizzes, lesson recommendations and completion certificates.

Additionally, you can download lesson notes to look over whenever you need a review. You must be connected to Wi-Fi or have a data plan to use this app. There are also a few hard-copy books for analogue learners including Real Life Korean Conversations for Beginners and Real Life Korean Conversations for Intermediate.

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 5/5

 4/5

 3/5

3. iTalki Korean

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
Free, tutor price varies

Best Korean Tutoring Service

iTalki is a great way to connect with a native Korean speaker right from your phone without the international calling fees! The best part is that you get to look through a list of potential tutors and choose which one is best for you.

Each tutor offers an introduction that includes their main focus while teaching, how much Korean or English they use and their hourly prices. Simply schedule an appointment right on the app, and you only pay for the time you speak with the tutor.

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 4/5

4. Duolingo Korean

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
Free, Duolingo plus costs $6.99 per month (with 7-day free trial)

Best for the Casual Learner on a Budget

If you want a structured, grammatically-focused and in-depth course in Korean, Duolingo is NOT the app for you. However, if you want to brush up on your Korean or learn some casual travel or business phrases, Duolingo is a fun way to do so. It is also an excellent supplemental study-guide for someone already enrolled in a Korean class in a school.

The game-like approach to language learning offers you a variety of activities including matching words to pictures, organizing words to form sentences and even some speaking practice. Duolingo encourages users to keep up a daily study time and rewards lingots (to be spent in the Duolingo store for items like extra lives) for level completion and usage streaks.

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 5/5

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 5/5

5. Learn Hangul

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
Free – available through the YouTube app

Best for Learning Hangul

Yes, we know this isn’t technically an app, but you can subscribe to Learn Korean with GO! Billy Korean on your YouTube app, and that is good enough for us! Each video in the 14-part series is between five and seven minutes long.

The videos begin with simple letters and gradually build upon those letters to make syllable blocks. Vowels and consonants are thrown in eventually. As you progress, you will learn about double consonants, strong consonants and dipthongs (two vowels in a single syllable). The series wraps up with a variety of sound rule changes and irregulars to offer one of the most comprehensive Hangul writing lessons.

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 5/5

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 4/5

Runners-up for Best Korean App

The following runners-up might not have every single bell and whistle of our Top Five, but still deserve an honorable mention.

Rocket Korean

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
$99.95 for lifetime access, or 6 payments of $19.00 /month

Rocket Korean offers one course that promises to take you from beginner to intermediate Korean speaker. There are over 120 hours of lessons, thousands of voice-recognition phrases to practice, 27 writing lessons and 28 language and culture lessons.

Unlike a monthly subscription program, you only pay once for Rocket Korean. This is great if you don’t like the idea of a monthly bill but want to own the content. Unfortunately, the materials are not regularly updated, so you won’t find new lessons. Essentially, what you buy is what you get.

Check out our full Rocket Korean review here.

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 4/5

 3/5

LingoDeer Korean

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
$11.99/mo, $29.99 for 3 months, $55.99 for a year. There’s also a lifetime option for $119.99

LingoDeer is similar to Duolingo in its game-like structure and cute mascot guiding you through the course. It differs in that it offers much more grammatical explanations throughout the activities. Activities include filling in the blank, matching words to definitions and speaking practice. It also offers Learning Tips which helps to explain the history of the language.

LingoDeer is available on a monthly subscription service, but you do not need to be online to use the app. The price point is a bit on the high side when compared to our Top Five. Additionally, some lessons feel a bit out of place. For example, the lesson about Nationalities is first, while Greetings is further down in order.

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 4/5

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 4/5

HelloTalk

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
Free – language exchange app

HelloTalk is an app for both Android and iOS. The free version comes with the beloved advertisements and one language. If you want to be able to communicate in more than one language, you’ll need to sign up for the premium subscription.

HelloTalk will not actually teach you to speak Korean, but it will connect you with native Korean speakers to practice what you already know. Because many language learning programs and apps lack extensive speaking practice, this app is a must for anyone learning Korean.

Additionally, the value of HelloTalk is highly dependent on mass participation. You will be matched with a speaker of your language if there is one available.

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 5/5

 3/5

 4/5

Mondly

(Android, iPhone, iPad)
$9.99/month or $47.99 for one year of Korean, 7-day free trial

Mondly is slightly different from other programs and apps in that it encourages you to learn to speak a new language from your native tongue. So, if you are a native French speaker, you will go between French and Korean. The lessons are not structured in an orderly manner, so this is most likely a better app for casual learners wanting to study travel phrases or greetings.

Mondly excels at enhancing your vocabulary, so serious students may consider it as a supplemental resource only. This monthly-subscription program gives you access to a variety of lessons, monthly challenges and weekly assessments.

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 4/5

 3/5

 4/5

Conclusion: The 5 Best Apps For Learning Korean

Well, there you have it. KoreanClass101 gets the nod for best overall, Korlink for most comprehensive, italki and Duolingo come in a respectable 3rd and 4th place, and rounding out the top 5 is the best app for learning to write, Learn Hangul.

What are your favorites? Did they match ours?

Josiah

Josiah is a digital nomad with a passion for language learning and adventure travel. He’s taught English as a foreign language for many years and is currently learning Georgian, French and Chinese.