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Spanish

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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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).

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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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Dreaming Spanish Mini-Review: Free Immersion From Zero

Dreaming Spanish

Rating 4.2
Price:

Free

Summary

Dreaming Spanish is a series of Youtube videos that have been transformed into a language-learning platform. Each video provides full Spanish immersion, even from the Super-Beginner level. Additionally, the speaking pace in each video increases depending on the level, which allows you to progressively improve your listening comprehension. The creator, Pablo, states that through listening, you will be able to naturally develop the accent, vocabulary, grammar, speaking abilities, and comprehension of a language. Dreaming Spanish publishes a new video every 3 days. The website automatically tracks how long you have spent watching its content, and you can sort by level, topic, or by which of the 15+ guides are presenting in the video. For those of you looking for a free, immersive method to study Spanish, you should definitely check out Dreaming Spanish.

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Accelerated Spanish Mini-Review: Learning Through Mnemonics

Accelerated Spanish

Rating 4.0
Price:

Freemium, Paid plans start at $87/mo

Summary

Accelerated Spanish is unique to other programs in that it emphasizes learning through mnemonic techniques, helping organize Spanish vocabulary in a ‘Memory Palace’ and fitting every word you learn into a natural sentence construct. The program itself consists of 12 free comprehensive beginner lessons in neutral Latin American Spanish, with quizzes, practice materials, flash cards, and a workbook. At the end of these lessons, there is an option to pay for more personalized content with their coaching program, which provides pronunciation feedback, assignment corrections, and custom lessons. The Coaching program will help you develop concrete goals, guiding you to expressing yourself like a native speaker, even if you do not yet have an extensive vocabulary. This may seem counterintuitive, but the program provides you with a strong enough foundation that you will be able to use Spanish to describe the words you have not yet learned. Accelerated Spanish is part of Master of Memory, which researches effective learning methods and sharing their discoveries with the world.

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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

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LyricsTraining Mini-Review: Listening Practice Through Songs

LyricsTraining

Rating 3.3
Price:

Free

Summary

Lyrics training is a free app that claims to improve your ability to recognize the different sounds in your target language. Through listening to different songs, you can reinforce vocabulary, expressions, and grammar concepts. Although it does not provide any translations or explanations for these skills, it does seem to train listening comprehension and memorization. While listening to your chosen song, you will be provided with a choice of 4 words to help fill in an increasing percentage of lyrics; by the advanced level, you will be responsible for filling in 100% of the lyrics. Each of the 14 languages available seem to have a wide variety of song choices, and even if you don’t understand what the lyrics mean, you will probably be able to sing along. If you would prefer an app that focuses more on comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar, check out Lirica.

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LangCorrect: Unlimited, Free Writing Practice With Feedback

LangCorrect

Rating 5.0
Price:

Free

Summary

LangCorrect is a free community-driven writing site where users can both contribute to editing others’ work and receive feedback on their own writing. After writing your piece, you may submit it to receive feedback from other site users. In order to ensure accurate feedback, multiple users can cross-check the corrections that were made and add comments. Volunteers and Patrons have access to writing in up to 10 languages, but typical users can write in a maximum of two languages at a time. Everyone is encouraged to both write and correct others’ work on the site. If you are looking to improve your writing skills in one of the over 100 languages available, trying out this resource is a must! However, if you’re studying a less common language and not finding many users to give you corrections, consider trying the exercise section in italki’s community features.

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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Hotel Borbollón Mini-Review: Stories and Algorhithm-Based Assessment

Hotel Borbollón

Rating 3.0
Price:

Subscriptions start at $65/mo

Summary

Hotel Borbollon provides immersion-style Spanish education. Unlike most apps, which offer unlimited learning upon purchase, Hotel Borbollon delivers 15 minute lessons to your email, 4 times per week.  During each lesson, the AI will assess and adjust your skill level based on your responses to the last 150 questions. The lessons are designed for individuals who have a basic grasp of the language, and can understand grammar explanations in Spanish without translation.
The daily lessons follow a humorous storyline, in addition to providing iconic songs or movie clips relevant to Spanish culture; they emphasize listening comprehension, grammar drills, new vocabulary, comics, and culturally-relevant videos. Unfortunately, with an exorbitant price tag and limited lessons per month, it’s more economical to experience the free trial and then look for an alternative resource.
*Note: This app was tested while in the Beta phase

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