All Language Resources

In-Depth Reviews And Recommendations - Without The BS

Mondly Review – Far From My First Choice For Learning A Language

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review

Summary: Mondly is a below average online language learning resource. It does some things right and other things poorly. It’s pretty cheap, and a decent enough crash course that could help you before a trip abroad. Still, it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Quality 

Both the interface and the course itself could be designed better.

Thoroughness 

It’s decent for learning vocabulary but a lot of material isn’t explained very well.

Value 

It’s fairly inexpensive.

I Like…

Daily lessons, weekly quizzes, and monthly challenges – these functionalities encourage you to practice every day.

The vocabulary included is useful and drilled in an effective way.

It’s fairly inexpensive.

I Don’t Like…

The content and exercises are the same for all levels and languages.

The exercises are mostly passive and won’t help you use the language.

The order of lessons and topics isn’t very well thought out.

The interface is not user friendly and the platform is visually unappealing.

Price: There are three plans…
$9.99 per month for one language
$47.99 per year ($4/mo) for one language
$47.99 per year ($4/mo) for all languages

Strangely, I was able to access multiple languages even though I only signed up for one month at $9.99.

Visit Mondly
Most Recommend Resources By Language
Chinese
Spanish
German
French
Italian
Portuguese
Korean
Russian
Japanese
Arabic
[Read more…]

Lingodeer Review – A Better Alternative To Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, etc.

by 4 Comments

Quick Review

Summary: Lingodeer may not be as well known as other language learning apps, but it’s actually better and cheaper than most of them. You’ll practice the language by completing lots of different types of exercises. They also include plenty of grammar explanations and opportunities to review what you’ve studied. All in all, it’s one of the better options for getting started learning a language.

Quality

It has a great design and everything works well with only a few minor issues.

Thoroughness

Not as thorough as some other courses but it’s good for what it is.

Value

Quite a bit of content is free and the premium plan is very affordable.

I Like…

Lots of different exercise types in the lessons.

Detailed grammar explanations.

Clear audio recordings.

Inexpensive!

I Don’t Like…

The content isn’t always ordered well with some unusual words thrown in too early.

Not sufficient for developing oral communication skills.

Not yet available in lots of languages.

Price: $8.99/mo, $19.99 for 3 months, $41.99 for a year. There’s also a lifetime option for $69.99.

Languages: Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Vietnamese are all taught in English. There are also some courses not taught in other languages.

Save 15% on any subscription to Lingodeer by using the coupon code “ALR123”

Visit Lingodeer

[Read more…]

Review Of Transparent Language – Their Courses Are Awful!

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: The Transparent Language Essentials Courses aim to get absolute beginners engaged and interacting with the language they’re learning and speaking the basics in no time at all. While there are lots of different exercises for you to work through, the material isn’t all that helpful and it does get very repetitive. Although the courses aren’t all that useful or in depth, with over a hundred languages on offer it might be worth checking out if you want to learn the very basics of a more obscure language such as Buriat, Kazakh or Turkmen. But, even then, I’d try to find other resources first.

Quality
While the exercises are for the most part well-designed, diverse and easy to use, it is the core material itself which is lacking.
Thoroughness
There are hardly any explanations at all, you just have to endlessly memorize words and phrases.
Value
I would only consider using if it were free and I was studying a very rare language.
I Like
I really like the fact that they offer up courses in languages that are usually overlooked.

It’s pretty well-designed, easy to use and has lots of different activities to work through.

I Don’t Like
The core material is severely lacking and you won’t learn much grammar or how to form even a basic sentence yourself.

It gets very repetitive and so I didn’t find it that fun to work through.

You learn virtually nothing about the different cultural contexts of the languages you’re learning.

 Their teaching methodology is the biggest issue, leaving you memorizing lots of words and phrases in isolation. 

Price: There is a free two-week trial period for you to try it out. Otherwise, it is $24.95 per month or $149.95 for a whole year if you just select one language. If you want access to all of the languages it is then $49.95 per month and $249.95 a year.

Visit Transparent Language
[Read more…]

Language Transfer Review – Better Than A Lot Of Expensive Courses

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: The Language Transfer’s courses approach language learning with what has been coined as “The Thinking Method’. These audio courses serve as a great introduction to the nine languages currently available. They go into lots of depth on how each language works, teaching you all of the main grammar points and giving you the tools needed to learn independently and intuitively. For beginners looking to learn a language, these free courses are an effective and efficient way to start your journey.

Quality 
Might look a bit basic but the content is very well designed.
Thoroughness 
The courses don’t follow the traditional learning path but have a lot of depth.
Value 
It’s completely free and better than most paid resources.
I Like
Lessons are efficient in that they cover a lot of material in a short amount of time.

The lessons teach you a mix of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation each time and so you really come away understanding how the language is formed.

Mihalis (the founder) presents everything in a very calm and relaxed manner, thoroughly explaining everything as he goes while encouraging the student who answers his questions.

 For each language, the course is created independently and follows its own learning path.

I Don’t Like
While the content is very good quality, it could maybe do with varying the presentation a bit as there are no exercises, quizzes or work for you to produce.

The lessons kind of progress in a strange manner as you don’t follow a traditional language learning route, such as starting off with greetings, etc.

You won’t hear any native speakers on most of the courses and you don’t ever actually hear a conversation.

Price: Completely free, but if you find the courses to be useful, consider making a donation.

Visit Language Transfer

[Read more…]

Lingoda Review – Positive Experience But Room For Improvement

by Leave a Comment

Quick Review
Summary: Lingoda is an online language learning platform where you can take private or group classes at any time of the day. They offer lessons in Spanish, German, French, and English. There are a large number of lessons available for everyone from absolute beginners to more advanced levels. It’s a good option to get the structure of a course with the guidance of a teacher, at an affordable price.

Quality
Both the platform and the content itself are easy to use and presented well.
Thoroughness
Although there are hundreds of lessons, they could use a bit more variety and you’ll need to study them with a teacher to get much benefit.
Value
It’s an affordable option that gives you access to good teachers and a comprehensive course.
I Like

The flexible hours mean that you can pretty much take a class whenever suits you – whether that’s 3am or 3pm!

Right from the start, the teachers speak almost entirely in the language that you’re learning.

There are hundreds of different classes covering different subjects for all levels.

I Don’t Like

You will sometimes have to wait a while for your chosen class to appear at a time slot that is convenient to you which limits the flexibility.

The quality of your class and how much content you cover relies to a large extent on the other students. This also impacts how much time you actually get to speak.

The lesson materials all look quite similar and there is not much variation between lessons.

Price: There are lots of different plans available. A 7-day trial package that gives you access to 3 group classes costs $23.99. For group classes, there are three plans costing $109, $199, and $259 per month which gives you access to 10, 20, and 30 classes. For private classes, the plans cost $139, $259, and $379 per month which gives you access to 5, 10, and 15 classes respectively.

Visit Lingoda

[Read more…]

Privacy Policy

Affiliate Disclaimer