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Search Results for: pimsleur

An Honest Review of Italianpod101 With Image of Italian City

ItalianPod101 Review – Solid But Has Room For Improvement

ItalianPod101

Rating 3.5
★★★
★
★★

Summary

This online tool is useful for people who already have a basis in Italian. It can be a great way to improve vocabulary and pronunciation, but beginners might want to look for alternative resources when it comes to learning grammar and the basics. ItalianPod101 comes in handy as a complementary tool to a more structured learning plan.

Quality 3.5
★★★
★
★★

The platform is easy to use and well designed, but the structure of the modules is not the best.

Thoroughness 3.5
★★★
★
★★

It covers vocabulary and pronunciation in depth, grammar less so. There are no exercises aside from a vocabulary quiz.

Value 3.5
★★★
★
★★

It’s useful, but there are better resources out there for the money.

I Like
  • Plenty of audio files to practice pronunciation and comprehension
  • Downloadable materials
  • Thematic conversations and vocabulary structure
  • Cultural elements explained in every lesson
I Don’t Like
  • Lack of exercises
  • Not a sufficient stand-alone resource for beginners
  • Less than logical lesson progression
  • Lots of unnecessary talking in English at lower levels
Price

Free trial for 7 days. If you pay for one month at a time, the Basic plan costs $8/month, the Premium plan costs $25/month, and the Premium+ plan costs $47/month. There are varying durations with lower prices for longer commitments which extend up to two years.

Use the promo code “ALLLANGUAGERESOURCES” to save 25% on a subscription to ItalianPod101.

Try a free 7-day trial to ItalianPod101

ItalianPod101 – A Podcast-Style Italian Course

ItalianPod101 is a user-friendly online platform that can help you improve your Italian – emphasis on improve.

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ItalianPod101 Review – Solid But Has Room For ImprovementRead More »

ItalianPod101 Review – Solid But Has Room For Improvement Read More »

An Honest Review of iTalki With Image of Man Working on Computer

italki Review – The Good, The Bad, & The Just Alright

italki

Rating 4.5
★★★★
★
★

Summary

italki is the most flexible and affordable place to find a tutor for the language you’re learning. They have a huge number of teachers offering classes to students of over 100 different languages. As a learner, you’ll be able to find a tutor that best fits your learning style, schedule, and personality. Teachers are able to set their own prices and make their own schedule.

Quality 4.5
★★★★
★
★

You’ll find everyone from long-time professionals to brand new teachers.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

The overall platform has tons of useful features but also some room for improvement.

Value 5.0
★★★★★

Huge number of teachers, low prices, and flexible scheduling.

I Like
  • There are large numbers of teachers available even for less common languages.
  • You can find skilled teachers even at low prices.
  • The flexibility to schedule lessons whenever convenient. The huge number of teachers guarantees you’ll find someone to fit your schedule.
  • The extra features in the italki Community make it easy to ask questions, get your writing checked, and find a free language exchange partner.
I Don’t Like
  • Community features are only available through the app.
  • You may need to try several tutors before finding one that fits your learning and personality style.
  • It’s easy to not take classes as often as you should.
Price

The prices vary by teacher and language with some being as low as $5 and others as high as $60 per hour. Most will fall somewhere near the $10 per hour range. Right now italki is offering a $10 credit with your first purchase.

BUY 1 ITALKI LESSON GET 1 FREE

It’s very rare for me to recommend a particular resource for everyone, regardless of the language that they’re studying. Usually each language will have their own unique resources that are great specifically for students of that language.

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italki Review – The Good, The Bad, & The Just AlrightRead More »

italki Review – The Good, The Bad, & The Just Alright Read More »

An Honest Review of PortuguesePod101 With Image of Portuguese City

PortuguesePod101 Review – Great for Beginner and Intermediate Students

PortuguesePod101

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

PortuguesePod101 is a great option for anyone looking to learn Portuguese. The platform offers its users a wide range of lessons (in podcast format) that delve into Portuguese grammar and explore the rich culture of Brazil. While the Beginner lessons are mostly in English and focus on grammar and vocabulary, the Advanced options are entirely in Portuguese. A downside is that there is no speaking involved unless you pay for the Premium Plus plan.

Quality 3.5
★★★
★
★★

It’s confusing to navigate on all the interfaces (PC, mobile and app), but the high production value makes up for it.

Thoroughness 4.5
★★★★
★
★

A huge range of lessons explore a plethora of subjects as the presenters explain the vocabulary and grammar.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

Great value for vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and learning about the culture. Not so good for speaking and writing.

I Like
  • The in-depth exploration of grammar points is very useful.
  • You learn a lot about Brazilian culture in a short period of time.
  • They look at a huge range of topics and real-life situations that will come up.
  • Good progression from the Beginner modules to the Advanced lessons.
I Don’t Like
  • I found it quite hard to use the platform. It often took me a few tries to find what I wanted.
  • There is no way to practice speaking unless you pay for the Premium Plus plan.
Price

The free version allows access to most features but is limited in some ways. Paid subscriptions vary by length and type; the monthly plan is $4 for Basic, $10 for Premium, and $23 for Premium Plus. Monthly prices drop for longer subscription plans.

Use the coupon code “ALLLANGUAGERESOURCES” to get 25% off your subscription.

Try a free 7-day trial to PortuguesePod101

Another great feature is that below each audio lesson, you will find a list of the vocabulary used. If you are struggling to remember some of the words or find some of them particularly useful, you can simply add them to one of your ‘word banks’ where you can then memorize them later on.

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PortuguesePod101 Review – Great for Beginner and Intermediate StudentsRead More »

PortuguesePod101 Review – Great for Beginner and Intermediate Students Read More »

An Honest Review of FrenchPod101 With Image of Paris

FrenchPod101 Review – Not Perfect But Offers Good Value

FrenchPod101

Rating 4.2
★★★★
★
★

Summary

If you want to learn French from the comfort of your own house, then Frenchpod101 is definitely a site worth visiting. It is a comprehensive learning tool that has lessons catered to your needs, whether you want to master the language or just learn a few common phrases. With engaging content in all forms of media, though primarily audio, this is a great way to learn the language of love.

Quality 4.0
★★★★★

The website is easy to use, but the pathways could be improved.

Thoroughness 4.5
★★★★
★
★

This website covers almost everything there is to know about the French language and culture.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

A subscription is required, but it offers great value for the money.

I Like
  • The use of audio and video files to enhance the learning experience.
  • You’ll learn a lot about French culture.
  • The different types of lessons available based on your needs.
I Don’t Like
  • There is no feature that keeps you motivated to keep going back to learn more the next day.
  • The app isn’t designed all that well.
  • The normal quizzes are too easy.
Price

If you choose to opt for just a one-month subscription, you’ll end up paying $4 for Basic, $10 for Premium, and $23 for Premium Plus. Use the promo code

“ALLLANGUAGERESOURCES” to save 25% on a subscription to FrenchPod101.

Try a free 7-day trial to FrenchPod101
…

FrenchPod101 Review – Not Perfect But Offers Good ValueRead More »

FrenchPod101 Review – Not Perfect But Offers Good Value Read More »

An Honest Review of Teuida App With Image of Korean Architecture

Teuida App Review — Learn Korean with a K-Pop Star

Teuida App

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

Teuida is a Korean learning app that’s available for iOS and Android, with instructions in English or Vietnamese. The app takes a unique approach to language teaching by simulating conversations, including some featuring K-Pop star Nancy from Momoland. Users of the app have the opportunity to get lots of speaking practice and feedback on pronunciation through voice recognition technology.

Quality 4.3
★★★★
★
★

The design is superb, and it’s easy to use, but the voice recognition isn’t perfect.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

It offers lots of speaking practice as advertised, but it’s lacking detailed pronunciation training.

Value 3.3
★★★
★
★★

There aren’t a lot of similar alternatives, but there are definitely more efficient ways to get real speaking practice.

I Like
  • Quality design and user experience.
  • It’s super engaging.
  • It teaches useful language.
  • There’s lots of speaking practice.
I Don’t Like
  • Pronunciation practice and instruction could be better.
  • No comprehensive review option.
  • You’ll mostly learn set phrases.
Price

The first lesson of every chapter on Teuida is free; a subscription is required for access to the full app.

1 Month: $14.99
3 Months: $20.99
12 Months: $79.99

You can use the coupon code ‘ALR003‘ to get the 3-month subscription for $18.99.

Note that iOS users will need to enter this code as the “Referrer ID,” either when signing up or under Settings > Account > Referrer ID.

Visit Teuida
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Teuida App Review — Learn Korean with a K-Pop StarRead More »

Teuida App Review — Learn Korean with a K-Pop Star Read More »

Bluebird Languages Mini-Review: Over 160 Languages Available

Bluebird Languages

Rating 2.5
★★
★
★★★
Price:

Free, Premium subscriptions cost $13.99/mo, $144.99/year

Summary

Bluebird Languages has several types of lessons you can choose from, including a daily lesson, core vocabulary, essential verbs, creating sentences, powerful phrases, and conversation. Each topic seems to have a beginner, intermediate, and advanced lesson, although it’s not clear how advanced “advanced” is. In each lesson, an English-speaking narrator will ask you to listen to and repeat translations of various phrases. The recordings in each language seem to use native speakers’ voices, which is quite the feat considering they have lessons in over 160 languages. Bluebird Languages’ phrases don’t construct a replicable dialogue, so the phrases don’t seem to have a lot of context other than the topic at hand. Furthermore, the topics seem to be identical in all languages, so most of the phrases will not be culture-specific. They also don’t break down complicated pronunciation, but you can try to break it down yourself by slowing down the recording to 0.5x speed. Bluebird Languages seems similar to Pimsleur but appears less organized and will probably not improve your communication abilities as quickly. Nevertheless, it may be a good free alternative for beginners, and the program will probably help you develop some confidence in speaking languages that have less challenging pronunciation. The conversation and personalized lessons require a monthly membership, but there is enough free content that these add-ons may not be necessary.

Visit Bluebird Languages

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Learn Albanian

How to Learn Albanian – A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started

It’s home to the double-headed eagle and the legendary Skanderbeg, where iso-polyphonic singing can still be heard if you’re lucky. Albania is a country that isn’t on everyone’s radar, but maybe it should be. It’s a country with friendly people, incredible landscapes, and an impressively distinct language.

Explore beginner-friendly resources for learning Armenian online. Explore resources, tips, and tricks to kickstart your language learning adventure today!

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How to Learn Albanian – A Beginner’s Guide to Getting StartedRead More »

How to Learn Albanian – A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started Read More »

Learning Spanish Like Crazy Mini-Review: Use Audible Instead

Learning spanish like crazy

Rating 3.8
★★★
★
★★
Price:

Audiobooks cost between $5.99 and $29.99, or 1 Audible Credit

Summary

Learning Spanish Like Crazy is an audiobook series on Audible, created in collaboration with Spanish teachers from Latin America. It emphasizes learning to communicate confidently with native Spanish speaking friends, customers, or neighbours, as opposed to focusing on how to order fish in a restaurant or book a hotel room for a family vacation. There are brief grammar explanations followed by extensive speaking practice — you will find that you get to practice speaking almost as much as the narrators.
Each lesson has a specific grammar goal. The narrators will take a grammar structure and help you practice it from different points of view and with different vocabulary words. For example, you may be asked to translate, “I asked him to not wrinkle his tie” then “I begged him not to wrinkle his tie”. Or, “Did you ask them to unplug the iron?” then, “did they ask him to unplug the toaster?”. Although this may seem repetitive, you will most likely become confident in creating your own sentences quite quickly.
Although the branding is outdated, Learning Spanish Like Crazy seems like an excellent introduction for Spanish learners. It may move a bit fast for some, but you can check out a free sample of the first lesson on Audible to see if it suits your learning style. Some alternative options are Pimsleur, Paul Noble or Language Transfer (free).

Visit Learning spanish like crazy

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An Honest Review of Assimil With Image of Woman Reading Book

Assimil Review — A Fresh Look at a Longstanding Resource

Assimil

Rating 4.0
★★★★★

Summary

Assimil is a French company that has been selling language-learning resources since 1929. Assimil materials are available as books, CDs, and downloadable e-courses; there are a variety of available course types, and instruction is based on interacting with phrases in the target language. The popular Sans Peine or, With Ease, courses are for absolute or false beginners that would like to reach the B2 level, but we think you’ll need to incorporate some other study materials to make this happen.

Quality 4.0
★★★★★

The language materials are reliable, the audio is high quality, and the program is fairly easy to use after a bit of practice.

Thoroughness 4.0
★★★★★

Assimil is chock-full of explanations and thorough translations for all material, but you might need more to reach the advertised B2 level.

Value 4.0
★★★★★

There are cheaper resources out there, but Assimil provides super solid instruction for the price.

I Like
  • The audio quality is great.
  • The culture notes add a lot of value.
  • There are plenty of grammar explanations, but they aren’t a focus.
I Don’t Like
  • The mobile app isn’t super intuitive.
  • The pronunciation feedback method could be better.
  • The exercises aren’t especially engaging.
Price

Prices vary by course. The Spanish e-course is €49.90, the Spanish With Ease book (no audio) is €26.90, and the Spanish With Ease Superpack is €74.90

Try Assimil
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Assimil Review — A Fresh Look at a Longstanding Resource Read More »