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Spanish

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. 🙂

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.

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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Upper Intermediate Spanish Practice – Long Walk To Freedom

Long Walk To Freedom (1994) is one of the most powerful autobiographies of all-time. Mandela tells his story, from his beginnings in the South African countryside, his time at school and becoming a lawyer, to his work as an anti-apartheid freedom fighter, his 27-year prison sentence, and finally his eventual release.

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Upper Intermediate Spanish Practice – 7 Habits Of Highly Successful People

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People (1989) is among the most popular self-help books of the past 25 years. It’ll teach you the principles needed to become an effective person. These habits will help you to become more successful in both your personal and professional life.

This simplified summary is written and narrated in Venezuelan Spanish.

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Upper Intermediate Spanish Practice – Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can (1980) gives you the opportunity to hear about Frank Abagnale’s life as a conman. His cons included posing as a pilot, lawyer, and professor. The story would go on to become an award-winning film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

This simplified summary is written and narrated in Mexican Spanish.

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Upper Intermediate Spanish Practice – Fluent In 3 Months

Fluent In 3 Months (2014) was written by Benny Lewis, a polyglot who runs the most popular language learning blog on the internet. He gives actionable strategies to learn to speak a new language quicker than most would think possible.

This simplified summary is written and narrated in Mexican Spanish.

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Upper Intermediate Spanish Practice – Open: An Autobiography By Andre Agassi

Open (2009) is the eye-opening autobiography of Andre Agassi, one of the best American tennis players of all time. It’s a revealing look into his tumultuous life. You’ll learn how Agassi strived for balance and a self-understanding while living in the public spotlight.

This simplified summary is written and narrated in Mexican Spanish.

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An Honest Review of Drops App With Image of Woman on Phone

Drops App Review – Decent As A Supplementary Resource

Drops App

Rating 3.9

Summary

Drops is a phone app for iPhone and Android that covers 33 languages. Daily games test the user on thousands of vocabulary words, and many of these words are ideal for everyday use. Drops has an entertaining, user-friendly interface, but it also lacks grammar lessons, and it works better for some languages than others. For anyone looking to supplement their vocab lessons, this app is worth considering; however, the free version might be more worthwhile than the paid version.


Quality 4.0

Though cute and easy to use, some visuals are hard to distinguish.

Thoroughness 3.0

Drops will teach you thousands of words and phrases, from transport and hobbies to astronomy and spices. Some languages, such as Japanese, have extra modules for culturally specific vocabulary.

Value 3.0

The free app is a great supplementary tool to help round out your vocabulary, but the paid app doesn’t offer many useful extras.

I Like
  • The daily reminders keep me accountable.
  • If you already know a word, you have the option of swiping up and removing it from your lessons.
  • Though the app works better for some languages, the sheer amount of languages is a plus.
I Don’t Like
  • It can be difficult to tell certain images apart, which means you’ll likely identify them incorrectly during your review.
  • Some of the categories seem to include random, unrelated words.
  • In languages where a noun’s grammatical gender or case isn’t obvious from the article, you won’t learn that information.
  • Drops only teaches you vocabulary, not grammar.
Price

A monthly subscription costs $9.99, a yearly subscription is $69.99, and a lifetime subscription is $159.99. You can use the app up to five minutes every ten hours for free.

I’d previously heard about Drops on Reddit, where it achieved rave reviews and some pointed criticism.

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