Useful
4 Great Free Apps for Learning Languages
Make the most of summer and your extra free time by spending your days productively! Are you close to graduation but still don't have your language certificate? Planning a vacation soon but your English is a bit rusty? Looking for an internship at an international company and want to prepare for it? Or do you just want to learn something new?
Fortunately, it’s never been easier to learn a new language or strengthen an existing one. Beyond language schools, we now have a completely different tool at our disposal in 2019: language learning apps. Our student union has gathered the best ones for you, so you just have to take advantage of these great 21st-century opportunities. 😉
The Fun One: Duolingo
What better way to start our list than with one of the most popular free options. With this app, you can learn the basics of many languages besides English, such as Spanish, Greek, or even Hindi. The app helps expand your vocabulary, practice speaking, and understand listening comprehension in a fun way.
In the app, you can choose which new language you want to learn and also select the language of instruction, allowing you to practice two different languages at once. With this great app, you can learn phrases tailored to your goals and level through well-structured materials.
The Chatty One: HelloTalk
Another free app that allows you to chat with native speakers from many countries around the world. The app primarily suggests chat partners who speak the language you want to learn fluently and who are learning Hungarian (or another language you speak well). This way, both of you win: you can learn new conversational expressions while your partner can correct your sentences if there are mistakes.
Beyond text messages, the app also allows voice messages, voice, and video calls. This app provides a great opportunity to get to know other cultures, meet new people, and even make new friends from around the world.
The Flashcard One: Lexilize Flashcards
With this great app, you can create flashcards for yourself with the new words you’re learning, which help with retention using different patterns and associative images. No need for a separate notebook: just pull out your phone on the bus or metro and review a few words in 10 minutes. The app also helps with pronunciation practice.
This app is free and can be used offline, so it won't consume your data. You can import words for your flashcards from Excel files, saving you a lot of time. You can also share your flashcards with others, so if you’re learning with someone, you can both be more effective in vocabulary learning. 😉
The Video One: FluentU
A unique app for those looking for a more interactive and entertaining learning method. This app offers thousands of fresh, thematic videos, including music videos, movie trailers, news, inspirational talk show clips, and funny commercials. The interactive subtitles help with language learning: click on any unfamiliar word in the text, and the definition, example sentences, and explanatory images appear.
The app also includes quizzes to help you learn the words featured in the videos, and it tracks your progress and interests. This means it will always suggest the most relevant videos for you, providing a completely personalized learning experience.
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