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Tanya writes and edits her way around the world, trying to pick up new languages along the way. When not exploring new places or getting tongue-tied over pronunciation drills, she spends her time dancing and reading.
Beginner Latin is an Android app that could help you expand your vocabulary. There’s also a Beginner Latin 2 from the same developer. Beginner Latin shows you a series of words. If you don’t know any, you should add them to your word list, which you can review later. To help you memorize the words, you can play a true-or-false game about their definitions.
Egun on! (Good morning!) is a free beginner’s course from the University of Deusto and the Basque newspaper El Correo. It’s taught in a mixture of Spanish and Basque, and after completing it, you can also do Eguerdi on! (Good midday!) and Arratsalde on! (Good afternoon!). Egun on! is divided into 16 topics and 107 lessons. Most topics contain a short series of lessons, each with one or two exercises; a longer “self-evaluation” set of exercises; and the answer key. The lessons don’t come with much explanation, but they’re accessible for beginners. Some lessons also have audio files.
Norway: it’s the land of jaw-dropping natural landscapes, wild polar bears, some of the happiest people on Earth – and, of course, the Norwegian language.
So you’re considering learning Lithuanian: perhaps you’re planning a trip to Vilnius, the city of angels, hoping to read some of its heart-clenching literature, or simply want to make friends with Lithuanians who live near you.
ELSA, whose name stands for English Language Speech Assistant, is an AI-powered English pronunciation app and a serious contender for the position of your virtual pronunciation coach. It has a free and paid-for version, and is geared toward non-native English speakers who want to talk in a neutral American accent, improve their fluency, and speak with confidence.
Quality 4.0
★★★★★
It will effectively train you on 21 pronunciation skills, as well as syllable stress – although you’ll need to drill connected speech on your own.
Thoroughness 5.0
★★★★★
With 1400+ lessons, ELSA drills both your listening and speaking skills and has a natural progression from easy to difficult.
Value 4.0
★★★★★
ELSA is priced fairly for the value it provides.
I Like
You get instant automated feedback on your recordings, which includes feedback on mistakes and how you can improve.
It comes with a host of well-thought-out supporting features, including an Assessment, Dictionary, and Word Bank.
It has an extensive range of content, with four lesson types – listening, syllable stress, word pronunciation, and dialogue – covering 66 topics and 21 skills.
The app is intuitive and aesthetically appealing.
I Don’t Like
You can pass the syllable stress exercises even when you’re saying the wrong word. “PART-yada-yada,” for example, will get you full marks for “PARTnership.”
While it does a great job at drilling specific phonemes, the app doesn’t cover connected speech and contractions, which are important for a native-sounding accent.
Despite the variety of the content, the four lesson types become repetitive after a while.
Price
ELSA has a free version, but the premium one will give you access to the Dictionary and newly updated lessons.
There are three plans:
1. ELSA PRO: 1-month membership for $11.99 2. ELSA PRO: 3-month membership for $25.99 3. ELSA PRO: 1-year membership for $74.99
Use the code “ALRELSA” to get 10% off your subscription. The coupon is only valid if purchased from the link below and not from within the app.
All the scores come as percentages and indicate how close you are to sounding like a native speaker. By clicking on the question mark next to each “skill,” you can see additional information about it, along with examples.
Welcome to the Malay archipelago: a region of jam-packed cities and mega-diverse jungles, fast-growing economies and shopkeepers who you’ll call “auntie,” historic temples, soaring skyscrapers, powerful artwork, arcades you could get lost in, restaurants you would happily get lost in, and hundreds of languages and cultures living side-by-side – sometimes with friction, but mostly happily.
Afrikaans may not be the world’s most widely spoken language, but it is a rewarding one. With its relatively easy grammar and pronunciation, you’ll quickly be able to express yourself in conversation. And if you’re planning to travel to South Africa or have an interest in its history, understanding Afrikaans will give you extra insight into the culture.
Explore how to learn Afrikaans, how to learn Afrikaans fast, and discover the best way and easiest way to learn the language. Start learning Afrikaans now!
