Best Apps to Learn Spanish
There are so many ways to learn a new language that include books, audios, music, etc. But another great way to learn a new language is through good and effective apps. I will order the top three apps to use when trying to learn Spanish based on long term effect and level of learning. At the end of the day, it is up to you to choose which one(s) to use as a tool to become better or fluent in Spanish.
Memrise
Free
The sole purpose of Memrise is not necessarily to help you get fluent, but to help you memorize great words that you will be able to incorporate when learning to be fluent. It teaches you to memorize words through comical methods. When you learn through comical methods, it is proven that you will most likely remember the content. You’ll learn like you’re living there. So if you are a beginner or even if you are further along, but would like to memorize words better, Memrise is for you.
Duolingo
Free
Duolingo Spanish is split up into units that have certain themes. For example, units on education, work, medicine, outdoors, etc. As you go through different themes, each unit will go up in difficulty. Units are generally divided into two groups: tenses and others (ex. nouns, adjectives, adverbs, question words, pronouns, etc.). Duolingo is also not very heavy on grammar. In fact, other than learning the tenses, you are not going to have grammar lessons. So for Duolingo, I wouldn’t recommend it as something that one would use for long term goals when it comes to learning a language. Trying to become fluent with nothing but Duolingo if I’m being honest, is only a dream. However it is very helpful and would be a great tool to use to practice. Just know that if you’re using this and you have long term goals, that you will have to have other resources with the aim to make you fluent. Get Duolingo here.
Rosetta Stone
Free only with demo account
Instead of learning Spanish through English or your other native languages, Rosetta Stone is designed for you to learn Spanish through Spanish (same thing for other languages). Rosetta Stone uses methods to teach you Spanish the way you would learn it if you were children who grew up learning it as your first language. All words, phrases and audios are in Spanish. It also has a platform where you can talk to Spanish speakers live every other lesson. So if you enjoy practicing Spanish by talking to native speakers, which is the best way to learn any language, Rosetta Stone would be a great option. There is also speech recognition that has been designed to specifically recognize pronunciation of non-native speakers. You can use this app, no matter what level you are on. However, it is only free for so long. The free account only covers so much information so if you want to use Rosetta Stone, you must be willing to spend some money, and your language learning goals should be long term. This app is by far the best one to use when it comes to becoming fluent. It gives you more than just vocabulary and reading. There is reading, listening, the option to converse with others, grammar, and vocabulary. And these are all necessary to learn on the journey to fluency. Rosetta Stone on Amazon.
What will you choose?
Once again, in the end, the app you choose is going to be based on what you desire to do. Do you simply want to grow your vocabulary with Memrise. Do you want to learn vocabulary along with tenses and some grammar with Duolingo. Do you want the full package with all of those things, but with even more content and options so that you can get even closer to being fluent. Everyone is different, so make your pick, and get started!