Learning English

logo BBC Learning English BBC Learning English
logo Duolingo Duolingo
logo Polyglot 16 Polyglot 16
logo LinguaLeo LinguaLeo
logo Puzzle English Puzzle English
logo Memrise Memrise
logo Urban Dictionary Urban Dictionary

The importance of knowing a foreign language, at least at a basic level, is clear even to children, and the possibilities of cloud technologies have made online communication with users from different countries of the world fast and accessible.

Applications for studying foreign languages are most convenient as for those wishing to start from scratch, and to raise the personal level of knowledge, and used methods are adapted for self-study in an entertaining form, taking into account individual wishes.

Application functionality includes:

  • the breakdown of training material into training modules, taking into account the current knowledge of the user;
  • a detailed block of lessons for beginners is provided;
  • choice of the duration of classes and sending notifications at a convenient time for the learner;
  • keeping of automatic statistics of the most frequent mistakes for the further correction of training tasks;
  • practice lessons on listening comprehension with the opportunity to practice pronunciation;
  • the choice of the appropriate thematic block, as well as specifics: communication, business, etc;
  • extensive vocabulary for mastering new vocabulary;
  • statistics of the passed progress at the chosen level.

Adapted applications for independent learning of foreign languages take into account personal interests of the student and flexibly adjust to the selected goals.

All Learning English in rating

Of the huge list of different educational platforms for learning English, the BBC Learning English app is especially popular. Classic teaching is combined with the latest technology and attracts both beginners and advanced students. Many different topics, short video lessons, tests and contests make learning varied and exciting.

Pros

    • Reading and Listening Development
    • Lively language is used, there is no emphasis on grammar, which is so common in school and university
    • Pronunciation. Since the language is direct communication, there are a lot of unfamiliar words. The combination of the script and the podcast allows you to work well on pronunciation
    • The topics are not only strictly conversational and everyday. There is a separate block aimed at learning business English.
    • News feeds are updated daily

Cons

    • You won't be able to speak from this source. It gives you vocabulary and develops listening and reading skills, but it doesn't remove the language barrier
    • The site has changed its interface recently, which I don't think is very convenient

Learning a foreign language is not easy and simple for everyone, in addition, without practical application skills gradually fade in memory. By installing the mobile application Duolingo on your smartphone you can learn and repeat a foreign language in a game form, without memorizing new words and boring grammar rules.

Pros

    • Completely free functionality
    • Clubs for communicating with other users
    • You can learn multiple languages at once
    • Practice all skills: writing, speaking (you will be prompted to pronounce learned phrases), reading, and listening
    • Game based, competitive learning with rewards, motivational messages, and ratings
    • You can learn English, Spanish, German, and French
    • User-friendly interface
    • Suitable for language learners from scratch
    • Works steadily

Cons

    • Need an Internet connection

    • Not all suggestions make sense and are therefore of little practical use

The Polyglot 16 app offers a non-standard approach to learning foreign languages with the help of Dmitry Petrov's authoring methodology. This course is designed to give you the necessary communication skills and master the basic grammatical forms of different parts of speech in just 16 lessons.

Pros

    • Free Practice
    • Oral mode
    • Memorizing words and phrases
    • Composing sentences
    • Each activity comes with an outline with rules, vocabulary, and a table
    • Speech input for English sentences available
    • Simple, easy interface

LinguaLeo is a mobile application that helps in learning foreign languages. Learning takes place in a game format, there is a trainer-mascot lion cub Leo, who supports the user and gives him useful recommendations. Application type: complex simulator. About two dozen common languages in the world are available for learning.

Pros

    • A huge database of learning materials: texts, videos, and audio
    • Thematic dictionaries with illustrative associations
    • Grammar exercises and video courses
    • Can learn without an internet connection
    • Effective training: listening, constructor, word translation
    • Real-time language learning progress monitoring
    • You can learn English for free
    • You decide how much time to devote to studying (30, 60, 120 minutes)

Cons

    • There is no section on teaching phonetic fundamentals
    • The grammar section is incomplete
    • No opportunity to communicate with native English speakers
    • Not all sections are free

Puzzle English is an app designed to help you learn English, particularly for practicing listening comprehension. Learning is game-based, divided by levels of difficulty and based on pop culture to keep you interested.

Pros

    • Personalized learning program (The language test will form a personal lesson plan, the vocabulary test will form a list of necessary words to learn)
    • Unique methodology of assignments, consisting of making puzzles
    • Exercises for all language skills
    • Dialogs for language practice
    • Choice of different accents
    • Detailed word cards
    • Android and iOs mobile app
    • Ability to increase your language level up to Proficiency

Cons

    • Significant limitation of the free version
    • Separation of Puzzle Movies into a separate service
    • Small number of courses

Since people do not remember all the information they consume, and they do not use much of the information they learn, much of the unused information is put away for a long time. Some believe it is erased altogether, but some argue that it can still be accessed. But both believe that if the information is not used for a long time, at the right time a person may simply not use it. Therefore, the principle of interval repetition works in the application.

Pros

    • Supports multimedia
    • Data synchronization
    • Large number of plugins
    • Wide opportunities to customize the appearance of cards
    • Detailed statistics
    • Supports various platforms
    • More than 10 languages available
    • You can edit ready-made cards

Cons

    • You have to exercise regularly, otherwise the intervals get confused

    • There is a fee for the IPhone mobile app

Memrise is a mobile app for memorizing the translation of foreign words. It is based on a mnemonic technique that simplifies the process of memorizing and automating the understanding of foreign language vocabulary. Cards are divided into thematic categories, each illustrated and voiced by a native speaker.

Pros

    • Rich built-in functionality
    • Convenient and pleasant interface
    • Easy and comfortable control
    • Distributed on a completely free basis
    • Large number of different foreign languages

Cons

    • Occasional pop-up ads

    • Rare problems with the quality of literal translation

The TED mobile application provides an opportunity to keep abreast of the latest scientific discoveries, listen to mini-lectures on the humanities, and learn something new from various areas of modern technology achievements. The most authoritative experts and public figures express their ideas and reflections on this or that problem of modernity, and the short video format does not let the platform user get bored.

Pros

    • You can download speeches
    • Accessible controls
    • Have the ability to hear authentic speech
    • The shadowing technique, which is currently very popular with people
    • By carefully watching and parsing the small clips presented on Ted, you can improve your vocabulary
    • You can even polish your spelling of words if you want to

Cons

    • You can't slow down the video

Busuu is a mobile application designed for learning foreign languages (each language has a separate version of the application, but all united by the same approach and structure). It contains a large number of complex lessons in game form, arranged in a gradation from simple to complex.

Pros

    • Convenient to study, since you can go online at any time and even for 5 minutes
    • Good gradation in levels, there is a list of topics, so you can estimate the amount of work and distribute tasks by day
    • Many pictures, allowing you to visually memorize words.
    • Concise explanations of grammatical structures with a squeeze out of the essentials
    • Many example sentences with new constructions and words
    • Verification of written assignments by native speakers
    • Nice and user-friendly interface
    • Apps for mobile and offline access
    • Plenty of writing practice

Cons

    • Too easy for advanced students
    • Preferably already possess basic knowledge (reading and vocabulary, for instance) in order to be able to follow the course with high quality and without too much difficulty
    • Little opportunity to practice pronunciation and speech

There are more than a thousand definitions for the same word in this dictionary, both classical and colloquial. New words and definitions for established words appear in it all the time. This app is one of the best for learning and understanding English words and phrases.

Pros

    • Free access to the app and content
    • Save sentences
    • One easy way to learn words gradually
    • Customer service
    • Clear design