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An Honest Review of Language101.com With Image of Woman on Computer

Language101.com Course Review – The Worst I’ve Ever Tried!

Language101.com Course

Rating 0.6
★
★★★★★

Summary

Language101 (not to be confused with LanguagePod101) is the worst course I’ve ever tried. The platform has ten different languages for you to choose from and focuses on teaching speaking and comprehension. Consequently, you likely won’t learn how to spell, write or translate the language, or even learn any of the grammar. I found the courses to be poorly designed — each ‘lesson’ is identical in form, and the fast-paced learning method seems inefficient; it is doubtful whether even beginners will learn much. To make matters worse, the price is obscenely expensive.

Quality 1.0
★★★★★

Easy enough to use, but I thought the content was severely lacking.

Thoroughness 1.0
★★★★★

There are virtually no explanations at all. You just learn to parrot and memorize words and phrases.

Value 0.0
★★★★★

Terrible value in my opinion. It honestly feels like a scam. Not worth using even if it were free.

I Like
  • They provide you with a literal translation of the phrase you are asked to produce.
  • Despite coming away thinking this is a terrible product (and it is), I liked being asked to produce words and phrases.
I Don’t Like
  • I don’t agree with their ‘teaching’ method which basically asks you to produce words and phrases in a language you have never learned before as quickly as possible.
  • The ‘courses’ are a muddled mess, I didn’t see any logical progression, and there is only one exercise for you to do ad infinitum until you lose your mind.
  • It is insanely expensive. My god. It is insulting how much money they are charging for a product this terrible.
Price

Language101 has lots of different subscription plans for you to choose from. A one-time payment for access to all of its languages costs $727 or $97/month if you opt for the monthly installments option (that would end up working out at $1,164 if you chose the latter!!).

For ‘1 Package’ of the language of your choice it is then $227 for lifetime access or $527 if you want all 3 packages in a given language.

VISIT LANGUAGE101

Alternatives: Literally anything else on the Internet (or in a bookstore) would be better!

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An Honest Review of Memrise With Image of Man Holding Phone

Memrise Review – Useful But Don’t Overuse It

Memrise

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

Memrise is a super popular language-learning app available online and on mobile. It functions much like a gamified flashcard app, and it offers a lot of content for free. A lot of the content is user-created, and there is a premium subscription that provides access to additional features. Memrise can be a great tool in your arsenal, but you’ll need more to learn a language seriously.

Quality 4.0
★★★★★

The mobile app looks great and is easy to use, but the website is clunky. Works very well for memorization.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

There are quite a few official Memrise courses, and the number of user-created courses is massive, but you’ll benefit from using additional resources.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The free version of the app provides a lot of value, but the paid version doesn’t offer much more.

I Like
  • The spaced repetition software is effective for memorization
  • The huge range of available content
  • It’s more interactive than other flashcard apps
I Don’t Like
  • It’s not enough for continued language learning
  • Website navigation is clunky
  • Premium version isn’t much more valuable than the free version
Price

For the full version of Memrise, the subscription prices are:

$8.99/monthly $59.99/annually $119.99 – lifetime subscription

Signing up for a free account with Memrise automatically gives you access to limited versions of their official courses.

Visit Memrise

What do you get when a Grand Master of Memory and a Princeton neuroscientist team up to create a language learning app?

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Memrise Review – Useful But Don’t Overuse It Read More »

An Honest Review of Fluenz With Image of Woman on Floor With Computer

Fluenz Review – Academic Approach With Thorough Explanations

Fluenz

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

Fluenz is a language learning software that is available on most devices and offers offline functionality. Its primary objective is to simulate the one-on-one tutor experience with the use of video tutorials that break down the language you’re learning. There are ample explanations of language concepts in English, and the instruction is very thorough. It’s designed for the user with a bigger budget that’s looking for an in-depth and serious learning experience.

Quality 4.0
★★★★★

The activities are easy to use and very effective, but they can be a bit dry.

Thoroughness 4.5
★★★★
★
★

Extremely thorough. Frequent video tutorials and podcasts provide in-depth explanations and lots of practice.

Value 3.5
★★★
★
★★

Maybe not the fastest way to learn a language, but there’s a great deal of content. Made for those who prefer an academic approach.

I Like
  • I found the thorough explanations to be very helpful.
  • The video tutorials were engaging and added a lot of value.
  • The podcasts are great for more passive practice.
I Don’t Like
  • The pace of the activities can be slow.
  • Some of the activities feel too repetitive.
  • It’s expensive.
Price

Except for Mandarin, each language is available in five levels of difficulty. The full five-level course is $408 (currently discounted at $378). The Mandarin course contains three levels of difficulty and is available for $322 (currently $308). For each language, you can buy a smaller bundle of levels based on your ability.

Visit Fluenz
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Fluenz Review – Academic Approach With Thorough Explanations Read More »

An Honest Review of Fluent Forever App With Image of Man Holding Tablet

Fluent Forever App Review – Lots Of Potential But Not There Yet

Fluent Forever App

Rating 3.2
★★★
★
★★

Summary

The Fluent Forever mobile app is a language learning program currently available in eight languages. The approach it takes is based on the methodology described by Gabrial Wyner in his book, Fluent Forever. It uses flashcards and a spaced repetition algorithm to help the learner create meaningful connections with the language and commit language items to long-term memory. It’s best for people who are able to dedicate ample time and supplementary resources to learning a new language.

Quality 2.5
★★
★
★★★

I noticed some spelling errors in the language I was learning. The activities aren’t super intuitive.

Thoroughness 3.0
★★★★★

Pronunciation is explained very well, but I was hoping for some grammar explanations as well. Some features are still in development.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The price is reasonable, and the time spent using the app is productive.

I Like
  • Creating my own flashcards was usually easy, fun and memorable.
  • The pronunciation activities were enlightening and practical.
  • Using the same sentence to learn multiple words got me speaking longer sentences quickly.
I Don’t Like
  • I wanted to have more control over what I practiced and when.
  • Creating flashcards was sometimes time-consuming and difficult.
  • There are no explanations for grammar points.
  • There’s no offline functionality, and the app is only supported on mobile devices
Price

$9.99/month when paid on a monthly basis. $53.94 for a 6-month subscription ($8.99/month) $95.88 for a 12-month subscription ($7.99/month) $167.76 for a 24-month subscription ($6.99/month)

Visit fluent forever

My first introduction to the world of Fluent Forever was a TEDx talk done by its Founder, Gabriel Wyner.

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Fluent Forever App Review – Lots Of Potential But Not There Yet Read More »

An Honest Review of uTalk with Image of Person on Computer

uTalk Review – For Beginners Who Want To Learn Key Words & Phrases

uTalk

Rating 3.7
★★★
★
★★

Summary

uTalk is a software program and mobile app offering learning material in over 140 languages. Its approach is based on learning keywords and phrases through gameplay. It covers a wide range of phrases, each spoken by a female and male native speaker, consequently offering listening and pronunciation practice. uTalk is most useful for beginners who want to get started in a language by learning key phrases. It could also be useful for intermediates looking to fill gaps in their vocabulary and pronunciation, but it does not offer any in-depth language instruction or grammar explanations. It’s also worth mentioning that for some languages, such as Basque, the occasional overly literal translation leads to small errors and unnatural phrasing creeping in. However, we haven’t seen instances in which this would result in you being misunderstood, and there’s no denying uTalk’s value for languages with fewer learning resources.

Quality 3.5
★★★
★
★★

The app is very user-friendly, and the content is mostly useful, but little variation in practice activities can become repetitive.

Thoroughness 3.5
★★★
★
★★

The app does a good job of teaching key words and phrases, but review opportunities aren’t as transparent or comprehensive as they could be.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The price is very low, there’s a lot of content, and the right learner could get some serious practical use out of the resource.

I Like
  • The number of languages on offer is staggering.
  • Each phrase is recorded by a male and female native speaker. This was especially helpful in learning pronunciation.
  • You frequently get to hear recordings of yourself producing the language. I found this motivating and informative.
I Don’t Like
  • The Memory Game exercise felt like a waste of time. It’s difficult to get a perfect score even if you know the language well.
  • I kept wishing there was a way to choose which phrases I could practice in games instead of them being randomly selected.
Price

$11.99 a month that can be cancelled anytime. 6 months costs $59.99 and for one year it is $99.99. 

VISIT UTALK

This was my first encounter with uTalk, so I didn’t know what to expect before trying it out. A quick search on the internet showed third-party reviews saying everything from “It’s just ok” to “Become fluent in another language with uTalk.” My experience was something much closer to the former.

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uTalk Review – For Beginners Who Want To Learn Key Words & Phrases Read More »

An Honest Review of Ouino With Image of Man on Computer

Ouino Review – My Experience Testing Their Spanish Course

Ouino

Rating 4.4
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Ouino is a software program and mobile app with more than 500 lessons and 1,000 exercises in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese. It’s curriculum-based with an academic approach (as opposed to relying on gameplay like some other language apps). It covers the basics such as vocab and pronunciation, but can also help you improve your conversation skills and master verb tenses.

Ouino would be great for you if you want to pick a language back up after not using it for a while, if you love structure, or if you want lots of practice. It could also be a good resource for language students who want to keep their skills sharp in between semesters.

Quality 4.2
★★★★
★
★

The usability and content quality are great, but the layout and structure of the exercises take a minute to get used to.

Thoroughness 4.5
★★★★
★
★

The lessons explain the topics in depth and give several examples.

Value 4.4
★★★★
★
★

A lot of solid content and useful exercises are included for a relatively low cost.

I Like
  • Ouino accommodates both auditory and visual learning styles. Each lesson is read aloud as well as shown on screen. Exercises incorporate sound and pictures. Important words are color coded, read aloud quickly, and then repeated slowly.
  • You can access all the lessons at any time. You don’t have to work through a topic you already know if you don’t want to.
  • It’s very affordable, especially if you’re willing to commit to a six-month plan. A subscription gives you access to all courses.
I Don’t Like
  • The pronunciation section doesn’t grade you. You have to compare your recording with a native speaker and decide for yourself if you’re close enough.
  • The structure of the exercises is the same for every lesson in the section. It can get repetitive and boring.
Price

The 3-month plan is a one-time payment of $38.58.
The 6-month plan a one-time payment of $59.94.
The 12-month plan is a one-time payment of $83.88.
The Lifetime plan is a one-time payment of $95.76

Limited time offer. Lifetime Access is only $95.76!! You can get an additional language for 50% off, OR you could get all 5 languages for life for $191.52. You should know that Ouino enjoys one of the lowest product return rates in the industry. 🙂

TRY OUT OUINO RISK FREE

I had never used Ouino before this review and wasn’t sure what to expect as there’s not a ton of impartial information about the program online. So, I decided to try it out.

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An Honest Review of Living Language Online Course With Image of Man on Computer

Living Language Online Course Review – Not Very Good

Living Language Online Course

Rating 0.0
★★★★★

Summary

UPDATE – it appears that the online course Living Language no longer exists. This review covers the old course when it did exist. You can however find a series of books with this name available on amazon.

Quality 3.0
★★★★★

Though the information itself is useful, Living Language’s presentation reads more like a database than an educational/interactive tool.

Thoroughness 3.0
★★★★★

Again, a lot of the information is there, but it’s scattered. Additionally, some of that information appears incorrect.

Value 2.0
★★★★★

Cheaper options offer the same amount of content with more interactive features.

I Like
  • You can hop around between levels and topics, including Beginner and Advanced materials.
  • The subscription comes with a grammar guide, glossary, and forum access.
  • There’s a decent variety of games, including some games I hadn’t played before.
I Don’t Like
  • Although the games are fun, they get stale pretty quickly. It’s easy to guess at answers, thereby completing levels without really having learned.
  • The system doesn’t keep track of your mistakes, so it’s hard to know what areas you need to improve in.
  • I found several translation and presentation errors that made me question the rest of the material.
Price

An annual plan costs $150, and half a year costs $75. Three months is $50 and 1 month is $39.

Visit Living Language

An Overview of Living Language

Living Language offers you the opportunity to choose between over 20 languages. Once you pick your language, you’re taken to the home screen which has options for Essential, Intermediate, and Advanced categories. You can start with any of these options and jump back and forth between them.

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Living Language Online Course Review – Not Very Good Read More »