You will agree as you begin using these top ten learn English apps that indeed, technology has made learning English a fun exercise that you can do in your free time irrespective of your advancement level.
In the end, I will categorize Learn-English apps by price, user experience, style of learning, proficiency levels and whether there are any extra features offered by these apps.
This should help you find one or a combination of a few that will ensure you achieve English fluency.
Learning English just like any other new language is no easy task as it requires your time and dedication. With the fast-paced economy where everyone is busy, not many people have the time to enroll in English classes.
However, with the advancement of technology, learning English has been turned into a fun exercise that you can do in your free time, lunch breaks or even on your commute to or from work.
There are a number of free Learn-English apps on both Android and iOS that can help you learn English fast without having to enroll for a single class. Whatever advancement level you are at; beginner or intermediate, these 10 Apps will help you learn and improve your understanding of the English language.
Top 10 Learn-English Apps
1 – Google translate
This is Google’s official app for translation, designed to help in translating over 105 languages to English. The Learn English app comes in handy for people trying to translate words and phrases/sentences from their native tongue to English.
It can also be integrated into browsers which allows it to translate entire pages to allow for easier understanding. It also translates whatever one is speaking in real-time allowing you to practice diction or even vocabulary.
Additionally, it can translate text by scanning through the camera allowing you to understand basic words in street signs or even menus.
2 – Memrise
A community app is full of fun and games that will help you learn English and have fun. Acquiring a new language becomes easier through the repetition of previously learned material thus increasing the rate of memorization.
The use of repetition in intervals is one of the most outstanding features of Memrise. Besides, most of Memrise’s courses are designed by the users who show you how they got to learn and retain words or phrases making it easier for you.
However, Memrise is a bit more serious compared to other apps like DuoLingo.
3 – Duolingo
Another fun and interactive app that will disguise your lessons as games to make you learn faster. You even earn a point that takes you to the next level in the learning process.
A distinguishing feature about this Learn-English app is its ability to tailor lessons to your weak point thus helping you learn faster. For instance, after a week of learning, Duolingo will design a series of tests/exercises to help you work on your weak points as well as remember most of the content learned during the week.
It is meant to be a fun app that offers small lessons where you earn points. You can then move to the next level by using your points to unlock the level.
4 – BBC Learning English
A highly integrated app that has games, videos, quizzes, transcripts and new content that is updated weekly. This app will enable you to catch up with the latest words/phrases in English thus helping you to learn as well as enrich your vocabulary.
Besides, it also offers several online lessons for learners that will ensure they end up confident and fluent in their English.
You can download free lessons to listen in your spare time or while in traffic.
5 – Hello English
This Learn-English app is great for starters. It offers a more friendly interface for you to grow and learn more easily. It also allows you to select your level of English; ranging from beginner to advanced. You then access lessons based on this level and work your way up.
The app uses the levels model as a motivational tool that allows you to earn extra points by completing your tasks on time. In addition, there are interactive games to help you read, spell and translate words from English to your native tongue. You can also practice using news videos and eBooks.
6 – Busuu
A community app just like Memrise that assigns you a difficulty level at the start for you to grow at your own pace. Unlike most apps where learning is based on personal effort, Busuu pairs you with other native English speakers to assist you to practice your English.
This kind of accountability system may be just what you need to stay motivated in learning English.
7 – Hello talk
This Learn-English app pairs you to other individuals learning English so you can help each other in learning. It is more of a social networking site where you learn English from others and also teaches them your language.
This greatly helps to improve your conversational English as well as your vocabulary. It is a great app to combine with another app or use independently to learn English.
Understanding the culture and context of the word is key in learning any language and this app will help learn this through interaction with other people.
8 – Tandem
Similar to Hello talk, Tandem pairs individuals allowing them to partner up in learning. It also offers options for video or voice calls to make it as interactive as possible. This would be the most fun if you’re into buddy-learning for your learn English app sessions.
This exchange will not only help you to learn English but also allow you to teach another language. This exchange of languages and ideas helps you quickly understand and improve your English.
Besides creating connections, you will be more drawn to the language as you already know the people and you want to keep the conversation going.
9 – FluentU
Visual memory is an invaluable skill to have when learning a new language. FluentU stands out as it uses videos of real-world experiences such as ads, news or talks to help you learn English.
Through watching videos, you not only understand how English is spoken but also makes it easier to remember English words and phrases faster.
Another interesting aspect of FluentU is the ability to pause the video and check the meaning and context of the word used in the subtitles. Watching videos is also interesting which means you won’t get bored quickly and will end up learning even more than initially anticipated.
10 – Rosetta Stone
Ever found out that the context of a word/phrase in your native language does not match that of the English language? This app gives you examples relatable to your native language for easy understanding. If you are mostly relying on your native language to learn English, then this is the best app to use.
In addition, the app has a TruAccent recognition engine which helps you fine-tune pronunciation of words. This helps you feel more comfortable speaking the words to others when conversing in the language.
Rosetta Stone will help you to first learn basic words then progress to basic phrases that involve joining the basic words you’ve already learned. This eases you through to the more advanced levels.
Considerations
It goes without saying, but first, the app needs to support the language you want to learn. Offering tons of obscure dialects isn’t going to be helpful, because you’re really only likely to learn one at a time.
Which is why I think it’s much more important to focus on other parameters, such as:
- Learning style: This is the big one. Everyone learns differently, but all my research suggests that you need to combine different methods to achieve fluency. The best language learning app should, therefore, give you flexibility in that regard, and I’ve created a selection that looks at various styles.
- Proficiency levels: There are tons of apps that focus on strengthening vocabulary or memorizing common phrases. Ideally, a good app would take you from complete beginner all the way to advanced learners.
- UX: User experience is important for any app. More so with the ones, you will use regularly because a small frustration can become huge if you have to live with it ten times a week.
- Extra features: Does the app work offline? Can you customize your lessons? Set goals and targets? Anything extra they can offer?
- Price: Is it really possible to learn a language for free? Maybe! But most apps operate under a freemium model, so it’s worth checking how much it will cost you in the long run.
Top 10 Learn-English apps qualities compared
| App | Price | User experience | Learning style | Proficiency levels | Additional features |
| Google translate | Free | Great real-time translation of words | The app translates words or phrases from your native tongue to English. | None | Supports over 105 languages online and another 59 offline. |
| Memrise | Free but the pro version is $9/month | Its repetitive approach is fun | Use of repetition for better remembrance. | Beginner to advanced | Keeps track of what you have learned so you check on it later. |
| Duolingo | Free with ads, $6.99/month to remove ads | Easy as the lessons are not very detailed. | Uses bite-sized lessons to make use of your free time. | None | Offers practice exercise on the word you are weak on. |
| BBC Learning English | Free with no ads | Not very engaging. You come here to study. | A collection of lessons in word, audio, and video into one place. | Beginner to advanced. | It has a great collection of lessons from tutors. |
| Hello English | Free but the pro version is $29.99/year | Uses the game to learn new words and phrases. | Beginner level to advanced based on points. | Has great offline support. | |
| Busuu | Free but the pro version is $69.99/year | Engaging as you get to meet other learners online. | Users educate each other on the app. | None | Great to use offline. |
| Hello talk | Free but the pro version is $29.99/year | Also, a social site where users are paired up. | None | Supports all kinds of communication be it text to video. | |
| Tandem | Free but the pro version is $34.99/year | Fun as the app is also a social site. | Pairs up users to learn from each other. | None | It offers you the option to choose a topic of the day |
| Fluentu | A free one-month trial then $30/month | Very engaging because they use real-world videos. | Recommended for audio-visual learners for its use of videos. | It does not have levels. | It recommends videos depending on the words you have learned. |
| Rosetta stone | $11/month | Has a bit of a more serious approach to learning English. | Uses examples for your native language to help in better understanding. | Begin with basic words before moving up to phrases. | Has an option for a live one on one tutor |
Based on this comparison analysis, may vote is divided between Memrise and Duolingo. The repetitive nature learning offered by these apps appeals to me. They are also very fairly priced and most of the free features are quite enough to get you to a respectable level of English understanding.
Additionally, there is the Talk English Standard is the official Free TalkEnglish.com Android App. There are over 900 lessons and 8,000 audio files to help you learn how to speak English fluently. Most lessons contain clickable sentences that you can click to listen to a native English speaker say that sentence. Each lesson page also has a self-record tool. You can record your own voice reading that sentence and compare it with the audio file from the native English speaker.
A lot of other Learn English apps are out there and constantly being created according to consumer demand. Tell us what you would want your Learn-English app to have and perhaps, we will come up with one customized for you.
