Lingolia Mini-Review: Clear Grammar Explanations

Lingolia

Rating 4.0

★★★★★

Price:

10.49€/quarter, 20.99€/half-year, 41.99€/year

Summary

Lingolia is a reference site that supports you in understanding grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation for school or work; it can be used as a tool to support your language studies when you require clearer explanations of these concepts. English and German are currently the only languages that contain additional sections on vocabulary with listening and reading exercises, although it’s possible that the Spanish and French sections will develop these in the future. Each page provides a simple explanation of your chosen topic, and then an exercise (or more if you get the premium plan) to practice your comprehension. The best part about the exercises is that they give you immediate feedback about whether or not your response was correct, providing you with the opportunity to reflect on your mistake and correct it. If you don’t want to invest in a premium plan, you can use Lingolia’s free exercises and then check out other resources that provide similar exercises for free, such as SpanishDict or Conjuguemos. Unfortunately, there is no audio on the site to train pronunciation, but Lingolia does seem to fulfill its mission of providing simple explanations to support your learning.

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Speed Learning Languages Mini-Review: Nope, Nope, Nope

speed learning languages

Rating 2.0

★★★★★

Price:

2 levels cost $197, 4 levels cost $394

Summary

Most of Speed Learning Languages’ content, except for perhaps the Italian course, seems to be a refurbished version of the 100% free FSI courses. This program is only recommended if you want to pay almost $200 for a clearer font and a few extra resources. Since Speed Learning Languages and the FSI courses seem to be essentially the same program, it should be noted that both will help you learn the language quite effectively; they are intensive programs that place a strong focus on listening to train your ear to understand native speakers, in addition to extensive exercises for grammar and vocabulary. If you follow along with the audio and respond to the prompts in each drill, you will also develop more confidence in speaking. Each full language course takes about 250 hours to complete, with each unit taking about 3-5 hours. Unfortunately, a lot of vocabulary is outdated, including both sexist and obsolete language. Additionally, the course was created for diplomats, so some topics are less relevant to most people’s everyday life. If you are interested in using Speed Learning Languages, use the free FSI courses instead for (comparatively) infinite return on your investment. Here’s the link again – all you need is an email address: FSI Language Courses

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50 Languages Mini-Review: Basically an online phrasebook

50Languages

Rating 2.8

★★

★

★★★

Price:

Free

Summary

It is clear that 50Languages aims to make language learning accessible to anyone with an internet connection There is no signup required to use the site, so its resources are both free, and anonymous. You can find 100 free downloadable audio files of native speakers and ‘lessons’ in over 50 languages, in addition to vocabulary, alphabets, quizzes, and games. Unfortunately, none of these resources follow a cohesive learning path, nor does the platform help you memorize any of the information provided. Only one section, the Translation Trainer, aims to help you retain phrases. However, if you have saved phrases in multiple languages, all of them will be bunched together into one review without an indication of which language you should be translating into. The audio files and phrasebook lessons contain a series of phrases that do not seem to build on what you have previously learned; learning from this website is essentially like referencing a phrasebook you might buy for a trip to another country. 50Languages has a lot of information available, but it doesn’t seem like it can be used as a standalone language resource. Perhaps you can take phrases and vocabulary that interest you and compiled them into an Anki deck to help with retention.

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Wlingua Mini-Review: A Clear Learning Path

wlingua

Rating 4.0

★★★★★

Price:

Freemium, $10.99/mo, $21.99/quarter, $64.99/year

Summary

Wlingua relies on two methodologies for learner success: staggered repetition and progressive exposure. Staggered repetition seems identical to typical spaced repetition methods, while progressive exposure ensures that all new words and concepts are based on what you have previously learned. This ensures that there are no gaps in knowledge when it comes to tackling more advanced lessons. Additionally, each lesson focuses on one concept at a time in order to avoid overwhelming the learner, and there is a clear path for what you will be learning from beginner to the end. Each new word is “linked to its precise meaning or use” so that you can use them in context. The program consists of new vocabulary, grammar, exercises, reading practice, and audio by native speakers with different accents. The downside is that there seems to be more focus on reading and comprehension than on listening and speaking. Only Spanish and Russian are currently available from Beginner to Upper-Intermediate. Other languages are available at the beginner and elementary levels. You can use the app without registering for an unspecified number of days. There is limited basic content available for free, while the premium plan offers unlimited access, practice reviews tailored to your learning, and downloadable PDF lessons.

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Mémorable Mini-Review: Enrichment for Advanced Learners

Mémorable

Rating 3.0

★★★★★

Price:

36€/quarter, 60€/half-year, 84€/year

Summary

Mémorable provides 10 minute lessons, 5 days per week, for advanced French speakers (C1 and above). The themes of each lesson consist of topics such as history, economy, politics, art, sports, science, and technology. The premise is simple: you will receive three extracts on a given cultural theme in the form of either infographics, video clips, or readings, and then respond to a series of questions. The questions are based either on what you have read or watched, or on general knowledge about the topic. The goal is to learn, understand, and memorize culturally relevant concepts. In the corrections after each lesson, you will be provided with a series of articles or videos from the subscription-based site Le Monde to enrich your understanding of the theme. Although Mémorable emphasizes learning and memorization, you are mostly expected to achieve these by reading. There are questions that prompt recall, but a large portion consists of re-reading corrections to incorrect responses. Mémorable is recommended for advanced French learners who want to practice their comprehension through condensed articles on a variety of cultural topics. If you enjoy reading the news or history books, then this may be an enjoyable

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Magic Lingua Mini-Review: Pricey But Potentially Worth It

magic lingua

Rating 3.1

★★★

★

★★

Price:

Courses cost between $31.99 and $499.99

Summary

Magic Lingua provides a series of individual courses for language learning. They advertise that you will gain enough confidence in speaking that you will be able to not only start a conversation with anyone, but do so without thinking about grammar and vocabulary. The full courses are offered for beginner, intermediate, and advanced speakers depending on the language (advanced is considered the B1 level). The voice-recognition software seems to do an adequate job of recognizing which words you are pronouncing correctly, and it does appear to help improve speaking abilities by actively reenacting dialogues with you. Therefore, the app alone may help develop your confidence to start conversations in your target language. Although not subscription based, each full course must be purchased individually. The 2-3 week crash courses seem more reasonable for the price, but the full 10 week courses are a hefty $200+. They consist of 10 modules plus hundreds of video lessons and speaking exercises. There is the option to complete the modules with live tutor sessions, or alone. Magic Lingua is probably worth your time if you don’t mind spending a lot on one app, but with the current price it might be better to look for alternatives. There are some free lessons available on their website for you to test out, but check back for more languages and levels in the future.

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The Staircase Method Mini-Review: Simple and Personable

Staircase Method

Rating 2.8

★★

★

★★★

Price:

Temporarily Free

Summary

The Staircase Method seems to put a heavy emphasis on translation from English-French as their learning method. They provide “Courstories” for all levels, which basically consist of a series of translation prompts in the form of a story. Once you have provided your translation, you may both listen to an audio clip and read various acceptable translations. Even total beginners will learn to construct French sentences through these stories and, in theory, because the story guides your learning, you may be more likely to see it to the end. There is no automated software, as the program believes in basing its content on “human intelligence and creativity”. Consequently, when you type in your translations, it’s up to you to decide whether it matches one of the suggested translations. This makes the Staircase Method somewhat unique, as there are often several options you can choose from to best suit your “French voice”. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate in the mail, hand-signed by the author. Although the site is personable and learner-centred, it’s not clear whether the stories will keep you engaged. However, if you manage to check out their site while they are providing free access, it may be worth your time. Their free blog may also be worth checking out, as it provides voice recordings with transcriptions to practice listening comprehension.

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Lingoni Mini-Review: Comprehensive German Lessons

Lingoni

Rating 4.3

★★★★

★

Price:

Quarterly memberships start at 49€, 299€ for lifetime access

Summary

Lingoni evolved from YouTube’s popular channel, German with Jenny. This web application provides video lessons, vocabulary training, and podcasts for A1-B2 German and French learners. Each lesson and vocabulary training is accompanied by a series of exercises, including but not limited to: translation practice, sentence building, listening practice, and correcting mistakes in pre-written sentences. The podcast also includes a worksheet where you can fill in the blanks while listening to improve your listening comprehension. Lingoni encourages 70% comprehension before allowing you move on to the next lesson. Overall, it seems to provide effective support for both beginner and intermediate learners to advance their skills. If you’re interested in checking out Jenny’s teaching style, there are lots of free videos available on her YouTube channel.

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Learn French With Alexa Mini-Review: Video Lessons and More

Learn French with Alexa

Rating 4.3

★★★★

★

Price:

Freemium, Premium subscriptions start at $35/mo

Summary

Subscribing to French With Alexa grants access to both audio and video lessons, quizzes, worksheets, and even live online French lessons where you can ask Alexa questions directly through a chat function. The program provides a course outline detailing 40 core lessons from levels zero to C2. Each core lesson has a number of supplementary videos and exercises to support them. Given the lack of interaction, you will probably need to supplement your studies with oral and written practice through language exchange or tutoring (check out iTalki and Langcorrect for some options!). Alexa’s approachable demeanor and decades of experience teaching French make her a good resource for those wanting a slightly more affordable alternative to in-person French classes. You can also check out her YouTube channel for some free content.

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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

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