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Author name: Kay H

Kay really enjoys learning new languages, and so far she has dabbled with Korean, French, and German with NUMEROUS language programs. Her mother tongue is Japanese, and her English is near native, yet English articles and uncountable nouns still trip her often. She derives great joy in communicating in a local language, and haggling successfully (very subjective...haha) with street vendors.

LanguagePod101 — All Languages, Pod101 and Class101

Updated November 20, 2023

If you want a language learning podcast that consistently adds new content to keep you motivated, you will find the “Pod101” and “Class101” series quite useful.

One great thing about LanguagePod101 programs is that they do publish new content ALL THE TIME. And their pricing structure allows language learners of any mastery and commitment levels to find contents that are useful. The pricing starts at a mere few dollars per month, and the top subscription called Premium PLUS gives learners personal feedback and a personalized program to follow.

Visit Language Learning Programs in the LanguagePod101 Series

Click the icon to visit the site for the language you want. Purchase or just check it out. Happy Learning!

You can also read ALR independent reviews for each language’s program in the following section.

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LanguagePod101 — All Languages, Pod101 and Class101Read More »

LanguagePod101 — All Languages, Pod101 and Class101 Read More »

Entiende español como un C1 (Understand Spanish Like a C1) Mini Review: Excellent resource for learning different Spanish dialects

Entiende Español Como un C1 (Understand Spanish Like a C1)

Price:

$197 USD

Summary

Are you an upper intermediate or above level Spanish learner? Is understanding Spanish speakers your goal? Here is the resource that may help you overcome your comprehension difficulties regardless of the accent or speed of the speaker.

With UNDERSTAND SPANISH LIKE A C1 you will enhance your listening comprehension of 20 different dialects. You will learn accent traits and pronunciation particularities that can make it difficult for you to understand when you listen to a native Spanish speaker speak naturally. You will have five types of active listening practices with audio of real speech at natural speed, for a total of 400 exercises that will sharpen your ability to understand when you listen to Spanish. The training covers the most widespread varieties of Spanish, with 400 practices that progress progressively from the clearest to the most challenging, so that you continually improve. More than 65 hours of lessons and practices for less than what you pay for 12 hours of individual lessons.

It offers video explanations of pronunciation features which should help discern many different Spanish dialects. The courses are challenging, suitable for B2 or above Spanish learners only.

Visit Entiende Español Como un C1 (Understand Spanish Like a C1)

To see all of our self-study guides, favorite programs, online subscriptions, apps, podcasts, and YouTubes for the language you’re learning, look for your language in the table below.

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Entiende español como un C1 (Understand Spanish Like a C1) Mini Review: Excellent resource for learning different Spanish dialects Read More »

Babbel Review Portuguese

Babbel Portuguese Review: Budget Friendly and Solid Program for Brazilian Portuguese

Babbel Portuguese

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Babbel is an online language-learning platform with over 1 million active users. The Babbel Portuguese app aims to get learners to a conversational level as quickly as possible through the use of a variety of exercises and spaced repetition for review. The courses are well put together and relatively inexpensive.

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

It’s well-designed and the content is immediately useful.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

The material provided is effective and covers a lot, but isn’t ideal for advanced levels.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The price is relatively low for what’s offered, but you’ll have to purchase each language separately.

I Like
  • The content is practical for real-life use
  • It’s easy to use
  • The lessons are fairly short
I Don’t Like
  • The exercises can get repetitive
  • The review exercises don’t include grammar concepts
  • Speech recognition isn’t the best way to learn pronunciation
Price

Babbel uses a recurring subscription model and offers a 20-day money-back guarantee. Price per month depends on the length of the subscription and includes access to all languages. Monthly – $17.99/mo Every 3 Months – $15.25/mo Every 6 Months – $13.45/mo Every year – $8.95/mo. The prices listed here are for customers in the United States; they otherwise vary by region.

Labor Day Sale! Get Lifetime for $199. See details on the website 9/7/2026

Start Babbel Portuguese Risk Free

Babbel Portuguese Overview

Babbel is an online language learning platform that offers courses in various languages, including Portuguese. With over 10 million users worldwide, Babbel is known for its interactive and practical approach to language learning.

It is important to note that Babbel specifically teaches Brazilian Portuguese, which is the most widely spoken variant of the language. The course focuses on both spoken and written Portuguese, covering vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and conversation skills.

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Babbel Portuguese Review: Budget Friendly and Solid Program for Brazilian PortugueseRead More »

Babbel Portuguese Review: Budget Friendly and Solid Program for Brazilian Portuguese Read More »

Babbel Review Russian

Babbel Russian Review: We Actually Really Like It

Babbel Russian

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Babbel is an online language-learning platform with over 1 million active users. Babbel Russian aims to get learners to a conversational level as quickly as possible through the use of a variety of exercises and spaced repetition for review. The courses are well put together and relatively inexpensive.

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

It’s well-designed and the content is immediately useful.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

The material provided is effective and covers a lot, but isn’t ideal for advanced levels.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The price is relatively low for what’s offered, but you’ll have to purchase each language separately.

I Like
  • The content is practical for real-life use
  • It’s easy to use
  • The lessons are fairly short
I Don’t Like
  • The exercises can get repetitive
  • The review exercises don’t include grammar concepts
  • Speech recognition isn’t the best way to learn pronunciation
Price

Babbel uses a recurring subscription model and offers a 20-day money-back guarantee. Price per month depends on the length of the subscription and includes access to all languages. Monthly – $17.99/mo Every 3 Months – $15.25/mo Every 6 Months – $13.45/mo Every year – $8.95/mo. The prices listed here are for customers in the United States; they otherwise vary by region.

Labor Day Sale! Get Lifetime for $199. See details on the website 9/7/2026

Start Babbel Russian Risk Free

The Russian course offered by Babbel is designed to help users develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in the Russian language.

…

Babbel Russian Review: We Actually Really Like ItRead More »

Babbel Russian Review: We Actually Really Like It Read More »

Babbel Review German

Babbel German Review: A Solid Option for Value Seekers

Babbel German

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Babbel German is an online language-learning platform with over 1 million active users. The app aims to get learners to a conversational level as quickly as possible through the use of a variety of exercises and spaced repetition for review. The courses are well put together and relatively inexpensive.

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

It’s well-designed and the content is immediately useful.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

The material provided is effective and covers a lot, but isn’t ideal for advanced levels.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The price is relatively low for what’s offered, but you’ll have to purchase each language separately.

I Like
  • The content is practical for real-life use
  • It’s easy to use
  • The lessons are fairly short
I Don’t Like
  • The exercises can get repetitive
  • The review exercises don’t include grammar concepts
  • Speech recognition isn’t the best way to learn pronunciation
Price

Babbel uses a recurring subscription model and offers a 20-day money-back guarantee. Price per month depends on the length of the subscription and includes access to all languages. Monthly – $17.99/mo Every 3 Months – $15.25/mo Every 6 Months – $13.45/mo Every year – $8.95/mo. The prices listed here are for customers in the United States; they otherwise vary by region.

Labor Day Sale! Get Lifetime for $199. See details on the website 9/7/2026

Start Babbel German Risk Free

Babbel is an online language learning platform and app that offers a variety of courses for different languages, including German. The Babbel German course is designed to help learners of all levels improve their proficiency in the German language.

…

Babbel German Review: A Solid Option for Value SeekersRead More »

Babbel German Review: A Solid Option for Value Seekers Read More »

Rosetta Stone Review Mandarin Chinese

Rosetta Stone Mandarin Chinese Review: Check Alternatives Before You Commit To It

Rating 3.2
★★★
★
★★

Summary

Rosetta Stone is one of the most well-known resources for learning languages. It takes an immersive approach to teaching and is widely used by corporations and individuals alike. High levels of repetition and an absence of translations or explanations are hallmarks of the course. Rosetta Stone course could be most suitable for learners that don’t mind repetitive exercises and prefer to learn from pictures and context rather than translations and explanations. It’s probably not a good option for anyone wanting to significantly improve their speaking or writing skills, or those looking for an engaging course.

Quality 3.0
★★★★★

The platform is a bit clunky on desktop, but the material is accurate and presented clearly; lesson mechanics are fairly intuitive.

Thoroughness 3.0
★★★★★

Without much opportunity to build your own sentences, I don’t think you’ll reach a conversational level with any notable speed.

Value 3.5
★★★
★
★★

Rosetta Stone’s Lifetime Subscription ($199 on sale) is quite attractive if you like the Rosetta Stone Method. Shorter subscriptions are quite reasonable, too.

I Like
  • The audio quality is very good.
  • Lessons progress naturally and logically.
I Don’t Like
  • It’s repetitive and boring.
  • You don’t get to generate your own sentences.
  • Speech recognition doesn’t work very well.
  • No grammar explanations in core material.
Price

For Rosetta Stone Classic, a three-month subscription to one language is $44.99.
A year-long subscription to one course is $109.99.
Lifetime access to all Rosetta Stone language courses is available for $399.
Rosetta Stone Sapphire costs 19.99/month and $159 yearly.

ALR Readers Exclusive Holiday Deal!! Get the Lifetime Subscription for 25 languages for $179 (everywhere else it’s $199 right now!).

Visit Rosetta Stone
…

Rosetta Stone Mandarin Chinese Review: Check Alternatives Before You Commit To ItRead More »

Rosetta Stone Mandarin Chinese Review: Check Alternatives Before You Commit To It Read More »

Learn Arabic

Learn Arabic For Beginners – A Self-Study Guide That Will Get You Started

With over 400 million speakers—both native and non-native—and counting, Arabic is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It is spoken in a variety of dialects across many countries and is also one of the six official languages of the UN. This means that learning Arabic can help you communicate almost anywhere! 

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Learn Arabic For Beginners – A Self-Study Guide That Will Get You StartedRead More »

Learn Arabic For Beginners – A Self-Study Guide That Will Get You Started Read More »

Pimsleur Review Chinese

Pimsleur Chinese review: 100% Focus on Speaking So You Can Learn to Speak Mandarin

Pimsleur Chinese

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

Pimsleur Chinese is one of the most popular and longest-standing resources out there for learning the Chinese language. Its courses place a strong emphasis on aural and verbal communication skills, paying less attention to grammar explanations and reading or writing skills. 

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

The platform is extremely well designed and easy to use. The content seems to be of high quality at all levels.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

Timely repetition and active practice work well, and lessons build on each other nicely, but the “intermediate fluency in 30 days” claim may be a stretch.

Value 3.5
★★★
★
★★

The subscription option provides good value for some, but there may be more efficient ways to learn some languages.

I Like
  • The lessons are structured well and are an appropriate length.
  • There are both male and female native speakers.
  • Lessons build on each other nicely.
  • The platform is easy to navigate and visually appealing.
I Don’t Like
  • There’s very little visual content.
  • Lesson speed isn’t customizable.
Price

Subscriptions of either $19.95/month (Premium) or $20.95/month (All Access) are available for all language courses. Overall, prices range from around $20 for monthly subscriptions to over $500 for Lifetime Subscriptions. All purchases come with a 7-day free trial.

Labor Day Offer! Save up to 50% oon ALL Access Subscription. See details on the website. Offer ends 9/7/2026.

GET 1 WEEK FULL ACCESS TO PIMSLEUR FREE

The Pimsleur Chinese course is a language learning program that uses an audio-based approach to teach Mandarin Chinese. The course was developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, an expert in the field of language acquisition, and has been used by millions of people around the world to learn Chinese. The Pimsleur Chinese course is designed to help learners develop their listening and speaking skills through a series of interactive audio lessons. Each lesson focuses on a specific topic or situation, such as ordering food in a restaurant or asking for directions and includes a variety of language exercises to reinforce the material covered.

…

Pimsleur Chinese review: 100% Focus on Speaking So You Can Learn to Speak MandarinRead More »

Pimsleur Chinese review: 100% Focus on Speaking So You Can Learn to Speak Mandarin Read More »

Pimsleur Review Arabic

Pimsleur Arabic Review: Conversational Fluency Quickly

Pimsleur Arabic

Summary

Pimsleur Arabic is one of the most popular and longest-standing resources out there for learning the Arabic language. Its courses place a strong emphasis on aural and verbal communication skills, paying less attention to grammar explanations and reading or writing skills. 

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

The platform is extremely well designed and easy to use. The content seems to be of high quality at all levels.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

Timely repetition and active practice work well, and lessons build on each other nicely, but the “intermediate fluency in 30 days” claim may be a stretch.

Value 3.5
★★★
★
★★

The subscription option provides good value for some, but there may be more efficient ways to learn some languages.

I Like
  • Egyptian, Levantine, and Modern Standard Arabic are available
  • The lessons are structured well and are an appropriate length
  • There are both male and female native speakers
  • Lessons build on each other nicely
  • The platform is easy to navigate and visually appealing
I Don’t Like
  • There’s very little visual content.
  • Lesson speed isn’t customizable.
Price

Subscriptions of either $14.95/month or $19.95/month are available for courses with at least 60 lessons. Outright purchase prices otherwise range from around $20 to over $500. All purchases come with a 7-day free trial

Labor Day Offer! Save up to 50% oon ALL Access Subscription. See details on the website. Offer ends 9/7/2026.

GET 1 WEEK FULL ACCESS TO PIMSLEUR FREE

Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with over 300 million native speakers across the Middle East and North Africa. It is also an official language of the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, giving it significant global importance.

…

Pimsleur Arabic Review: Conversational Fluency QuicklyRead More »

Pimsleur Arabic Review: Conversational Fluency Quickly Read More »