It takes a good deal of effort to learn a new language. These apps can help you through the process or supplement your existing routine. Some are free, while others nudge you towards paying a monthly subscription. Either way, there are some great options available in the Play Store for picking up a second language using your conveniently located Android device.
1. Duolingo
Learning a new language can be fun. That’s the idea behind Duolingo anyway. This app takes mobile gamification trends and applies them to the act of speaking a new tongue, awarding you with badges when you do well and letting you compare yourself with others on the leaderboard. Lessons consist of questions that grant you XP when you answer them correctly and cost you hearts when you get them wrong. The app is completely free, and there are no ads to get in the way of the experience.
Languages Offered:
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- French
- German
- Irish
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Swedish
2. Memrise
Memrise has a wider selection of languages available than Duolingo, boasting over 200. The community-based platform calls on users to submit their own lessons and quizzes for other people to learn from. Unfortunately, this also means that quality can be a bit sporadic. Nevertheless, Memrise may be one of the most addictive options available on Google Play for people trying to learn a language that isn’t as popular (in terms of educational materials available) as others.
Memrise is free to use, but you can personalize your experience further by going premium for $5 a month or $30 a year.
Languages Offered:
- Over 200.
3. Babbel
Unlike Memrise, Babbel offers just over a dozen languages, and unlike Duolingo, it’s not modeled after mobile games. Babbel’s user experience consists of learning new vocabulary from virtual trainers and practicing words using speech recognition. There are also on-screen quizzes and grammar exercises to slip into your daily life as you go about your day. However, Babbel comes in on the pricey end of things. The app costs $12.95 a month or $83.40 a year. That may be competitive compared to Rosetta Stone, but it’s more than Play Store users typically pay for software.
Languages Offered:
- Brazilian
- Danish
- Dutch
- French
- German
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Turkish
4. busuu
busuu tests your language comprehension through a number of approaches including voice recognition, multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank, image matching, and various combinations. When it’s all done, users will have practiced listening and reading, along with speaking and writing. Like other apps on this list, busuu is community-supported, and you can submit content to get feedback from others. Getting started is free. If you start to enjoy the service, than you can access more units with a premium subscription priced at $11.99 a month or $65.99 a year.
Languages Offered:
- Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Turkish
Conclusion
Learning a new language used to require committing to a course or pouring hundreds of dollars into pricey desktop software. Now you can get started using a mobile device. Depending on your app of choice, you may still have to pay, but you can learn quite a bit without spending a dime.
If there’s another mobile app that has done a great job of helping you pick up a second, third, or fourth language, give them a shout out below!
Bertel is a tech blogger and independent novelist who puts perhaps a tad too much trust in Google. He’s loved Android since the moment he got his eager hands on his first device — if not sooner — and has understood the Chromebook Pixel from day one.You can follow his work at bertelking.com.
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