Learning a new language can open a lot of doors and give you better options when travelling and working. Being able to speak a second language has become a necessity in a competitive job market, even more when there are many people who master several languages. Unfortunately, learning a language can be expensive, so it is not a possibility that is accessible to everyone. Professional courses and top rated programs such as Rosetta Stone are the most popular options to achieve fluency on a language but their cost is quite high. The good news is that there are free language programs and apps that offer a solution that allows you to get the skills that you need without spending any money.
However, it is important to keep in mind that finding the right language learning app can be a challenging task as you need to find an option that adapts to your learning needs, level and goals. There are multiple learning resources available for free and in our list, you will find the best options to help you get started or that will allow you to improve your skills. While some of the apps listed only offer vocabulary support and would not work as a stand alone learning program, every app in our list provides valuable help for anyone that is looking to study a new language.
Duolingo
Duolingo is one of the favourite options for people that want to take advantage of a free program to learn a new language. It is completely free of charge, easy to use and well-organized to let you set your goal and achieve it. Duolingo offers a quality program that can be compared to paid options, thanks to its structured lessons and exercises that aim to help you learn and extend your vocabulary as you get familiar with basic grammar. As you progress, you will have the possibility of apply your knowledge while translating content from real online blogs and websites. Your work will be rated by other users to help you identify the areas in which you need to work. Even though getting to a new level can be difficult due to the challenging exercises, Duolingo also offers great competitions and the possibility to study a language as a group, to make learning fun. At the moment, the languages supported are Spanish, Portuguese, German, French and Italian and you can download the app from Google Play store and Apple App Store.
Busuu
Busuu is a well establish social network website for language learning that made its entrance to the app world recently. Busuu allows you to learn a language ad practice your acquired skills with native speakers. The basic level offers flashcards to help you get started with words and phrases. Once you progress, you will be able to work on your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills with different activities. Busuu offers an interactive learning experience because when you complete an exercise, you will be able to get feedback and comments from native speakers so you will know what you need to improve. With millions of users, this learning community is a great option to stay motivated to work on your language skills, track your progress and get help from virtual mentors. You can download the app from their website (www.busuu.com). Keep in mind that free access only allows you to study one language at a time but there is an option to upgrade for advanced options for $24.99 per month. The languages that you can study include Spanish, German, Japanese, Russian and Arabic.
Byki
Byki is a popular language learning software that is also available as an app for your mobile device. The program allows you to download flashcards that can help you to learn new words in the language of your choice. The free version of the app allows you to access up to three vocabulary lists per language, while the paid version will let you get access to all the lists available for a particular language. Keep in mind that you will have to pay $7.99 for each language for which you want full access but this will allow you to increase your vocabulary and improve your proficiency in the language you select. The flashcards are appealing and are designed to help you learn words and phrases easily. The app supports over 80 languages and it is available fro iOS and Android.
Memrise
Memrise is a learning community that does not only support language learning but can also help you to retain information about History, Geography, Science and more for free. The idea of Memrise is that learning is like planting: you plant the seed, nurture it with water and make it grow. In terms of learning, the grow means that the information will remain in your memory thanks to ingenious mnemonic methods and memes designed to help you remember words and phrases easily. There are also useful quizzes to help you put your memory to the test. You can use the app offline, meaning that you can practice while you are commuting or on an airplane. The default languages available include Chinese, Russian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, with more options accessible from the website. Get Memrise or iOs (Apple App Store) or Android (Google Play Store).
Keewords
Keewords is focused in helping you build your vocabulary using flashcards showing the main words that you need to learn in order to become proficient in a language. The app allows you to access 1500, which according to Keewords will allow you to understand 75% of a new language. Even though the languages supported do not include popular choices such as German and French, it does provide help with other languages that are often regarded as challenging to learn like Greek and Swedish. With Keewords you may be able to build a strong base of language skills thanks to the extensive vocabulary that it provides. It is available in the Apple App Store.
