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Japanese

Story Learning Review Japanese - FINAL 23

Storylearning Japanese Uncovered Review

StoryLearning Japanese

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

StoryLearning Japanese Uncovered comes from Olly Richards, the creator of the super popular polyglot blog. It’s quite a bit different than most courses as it revolves around an engaging story. It can be a bit more challenging than other courses, as you begin reading somewhat long texts right off the bat. Overall, I found it to be a more fun way to approach language learning that will be great for some but not ideal for others.

Quality 4.0
★★★★★

The instruction is clear but can have too much information crammed into a single lesson.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

You’ll practice every aspect of the language.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

It has a pretty high price, but if you stick with it, you’ll get good value from it.

I Like
  • Centering the lessons around a story makes learning more fun.
  • Good clear instruction with lots of opportunities to practive what you’ve learned.
  • Gets students to actively participate and take control of their own learning.
I Don’t Like
  • Too many unrelated grammar points are included in the grammar lessons.
  • The review quiz is too short.
Price

$397 with a risk free 30-day money back guarantee.

Black Friday sale! Get all Beginner/Intermediate Uncovered courses for $97 each. Or a $200 discount (66% off) on all courses. See details on the website. Ends on 11/27/2023.

Start Japanese Uncovered

The StoryLearning Method involves teaching grammar, vocabulary and writing in context. Stories weave Japanese vocabulary and grammar points together so that connections can be made between what a word means and how it is used, which research into language development shows is more useful than learning random, individual words from a vocabulary list.

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Pimsleur Review Japanese - FINAL 23

Pimsleur Japanese Review – Updated in 2023

Pimsleur Japanese

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Pimsleur is one of the most popular and longest-standing resources out there for learning a foreign language. Its courses place a strong emphasis on aural and verbal communication skills, paying less attention to grammar explanations and reading or writing skills. There are over 50 language courses available with Pimsleur, and the bulk of the material is taught with audio lessons.

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 4.0
★★★★★

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

Pimsleur Cyber Sale! Get 50% off on the first month of All Access.

Get 50% off on the first month of All Access after a 7-Day free trial! See details on the website. Offer ends on 11/29/2023.

Limited Time Offer. Get the Annual All Access Subscription at 20% off! See details on the website. Offer ends on 11/29/2023.

Start Pimsleur Japanese

The Pimsleur Japanese course is a language learning program based on a method that was developed by Paul Pimsleur in the 1960s. It is a language learning program that uses a method called “spaced repetition” (graduated intervals between being taught vocabulary and revisiting it) to teach Japanese to English speakers. The course consists of 30 lessons, each of which is about 30 minutes long. The lessons are audio-based, with native Japanese speakers teaching vocabulary and grammar through conversation.

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Learn Japanese Fast - FINAL 23

learn Japanese Fast – Ultimate Guide

Learning any language takes time and dedication, and Japanese is no exception. However, Japanese isn’t as complicated as people think, and with the right approach and resources, it is possible to learn Japanese quickly and effectively. In this article, we will give you some hints and tips on how to learn Japanese fast, so you can impress your friends and navigate your way around Japan with no problems.

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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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An Honest Review of Speechling With Image of Girl Looking at Phone

Speechling Review – I Didn’t Know I Was Saying That Wrong!

Speechling

Rating 4.3
★★★★
★
★

Summary

Speechling is a website and app that makes it easy to improve your speaking skills in several languages. The free version is an incredbily valuable resource that makes it easy to practice mimicking native speakers. The Unlimited Plan provides unlimited corrections of your recordings by a teacher.

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

Speachling makes it easy to improve your speaking rhythm and pronunciation.

Thoroughness 4.5
★★★★
★
★

Lots of different ways to practice speaking.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

The free version is better than most paid resources and the paid version provides outstanding value.

I Like
  • An excellent method to improve your speaking abilities and get feedback from a real teacher.
  • Answer the Question, Describe the Image, and Freestyle mode are great for higher levels.
  • You can switch languages at any time. I like seeing translations in my second language while studying my third language.
  • Truly unlimited recordings with quick feedback.
I Don’t Like
  • Absolute Beginners should learn the basics elsewhere first.
  • You’ll need to learn how to make the sounds of your target language on your own.
  • The amount of time given to record sentences can be too short.
Price

The Forever Free Plan is complete free. A monthly subscription to the Unlimited Plan costs $19.99 per month.

Click the link to save 10% on Speechling’s Unlimited Plan.

Visit Speechling

Speechling has quickly become one of my favorite language learning resources. The free version includes a ton of useful features and the premium plan is great value for the cost.

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Bilingual Oxford Dictionaries Mini Review: Handy Apps

Oxford Dictionaries

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★
Price:

Free

Summary

Oxford Dictionary has published numerous bilingual dictionaries over the years, many of which are not designed to be comprehensive. While some are “complete” dictionaries, others are called “mini”, “concise”, “essential” or even “shorter”. Even the smaller ones are pretty thorough, however. The Oxford Mini Greek dictionary contains 40,000 words and phrases, many of which also contain multiple translations. It’s a lot shorter than the Oxford Hindi dictionary, at 100,000 entries, or the New Oxford American English Dictionary at 350,000 – but it’s still got a wider vocabulary than the average English speaker. You can purchase the books themselves, but most learners will prefer the convenience of the apps with their regular updates and learner-friendly features. Search Autocomplete, Fuzzy Filter, Wild Card and Voice Search help you find words you don’t know how to spell. Favourites help you save useful words and phrases, while Word of the Day will introduce you to new words. Some dictionaries also contain audio recordings and thesauruses. And the freemium Oxford Dictionary with Translator will translate words and paragraphs to and from 14 languages. For some languages, learners already have plenty of free, thorough dictionaries available to them. Spanish learners, for example, will probably prefer to combine the free apps SpanishDict and Diccionario RAE (Google Play, App Store). Mandarin Chinese learners will likely find Pleco more useful. But for some languages, these dictionaries may well be the most thorough and reliable ones available.

The rating is our best guess, but we haven’t yet had the opportunity to fully test and review this resource.

 

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