#langblr apps

[ruhua-langblr]

Duolingo Sucks, Now What?: A Guide

Now that the quality of Duolingo has fallen (even more) due to AI and people are more willing to make the jump here are just some alternative apps and what languages they have:

"I just want an identical experience to DL"

Busuu (Languages: Spanish, Japanese, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Korean)

"I want a good audio-based app"

Language Transfer (Languages: French, Swahili, Italian, Greek, German, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, English for Spanish Speakers)

"I want a good audio-based app and money's no object"

Pimsleur (Literally so many languages)

Glossika (Also a lot of languages, but minority languages are free)

*anecdote: I borrowed my brother's Japanese Pimsleur CD as a kid and I still remember how to say the weather is nice over a decade later. You can find the CDs at libraries and "other" places I'm sure.

"I have a pretty neat library card"

Mango (Languages: So many and the endangered/Indigenous courses are free even if you don't have a library that has a partnership with Mango)

Transparent Language: (Languages: THE MOST! Also the one that has the widest variety of African languages! Perhaps the most diverse in ESL and learning a foreign language not in English)

"I want SRS flashcards and have an android"

AnkiDroid: (Theoretically all languages, pre-made decks can be found easily)

"I want SRS flashcards and I have an iphone"

AnkiApp: It's almost as good as AnkiDroid and free compared to the official Anki app for iphone

"I don't mind ads and just want to learn Korean"

lingory

"I want an app made for Mandarin that's BETTER than DL and has multiple languages to learn Mandarin in"

ChineseSkill (You can use their older version of the course for free)

"I don't like any of these apps you mentioned already, give me one more"

Bunpo: (Languages: Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Korean, and Mandarin)

#EDIT: Added a great resource for ESL and African languages that weren't found elsewhere #I do NOT recommend memrise and will talk about it another day but #langblr #duolingo #duo #language learning #language learning apps #mandarinblr #resource #reference

[niatheworst]

Saw a video about how Duolingo works and apparently the weird sentences are made by actual people on purpose, because 1- it's fun, 2- something unusual is easier to remember and 3- even if you're not gonna use "the bear talks with a lawyer" in real life you're probably gonna remember the grammar structure when using actual sentences. So whenever you see a Duolingo phrase that maker you go "WTF?!" Know that someone probably had a lot o fun adding it to the app

#i think its really funny actually #and it makes sense in a way #dont get me wrong #i still don't like the new design of the app #but this little detail made me appreciate it more #duolingo #language #langblr #language learning #langblog #studyblr #spanish #spanish langblr

[drops-official]

Oh, I think I must terminate this blog soon.

Hear me out, the following reasons are my current reasons, all relating to Duolingo, not this blog:

The recent laying off of translators in favour of AI.

Poor quality lessons.

Reliance in meme status to keep face and relevancy.

Termination of critical courses to focus on the Big Five.

Inaccuracy in many lessons.

My hyperfixation is dying.

Numerous other reasons to leave to a higher quality learning app, not one that’s just a translator.

Please let me know your opinions on the situation.

#duolingo #duolingo appreciation post #actually not an appreciation post #langblr #I cannot leave the app as I have family on there who check my work #This is my 96th post #If I commit an Unnus Annus on this blog for the hundredth #how silly would that be? #/genuine

[nihongoseito]

does anyone have any recs for native websites/apps (=not made for learners) that are fun to read? i’m not interested in the news....i’m considering getting a magazine subscription from honto but i figured i’d ask what ppl are reading before i decide for sure 🤔

#it's only like ~$4 a month which is nice #but since i'm not in japan i can't even get the honto app #i have to read everything in the browser or on the desktop program #langblr #sometimes i look at the mina website but all their stuff is so japan-specific #like they're always on location lol #maybe someday it'll be relevant to me #sasha.txt

[adhd-languages]

Keeping up your Languages when you’re Busy

Confession: I’ve been slacking on Japanese recently because my life has been so hectic recently. So here are some of the ways I’ve been trying to keep it in my brain when I can’t dedicate a lot of time to studying.

CHANGE YOUR PHONE LANGUAGE

This applies to computers as well! This is the easiest way to ensure you see at least some of your target language every day. It’s good for any level, even beginners.

If you haven’t already done this, do it now. I understand that some things are important and you need to be sure you understand them — in that case, you can always change individual apps to have different languages, just look up the app name in settings.

Podcasts/Music

Find some podcasts in your target language and listen to them before bed, during your commute, whatever. There are lots of podcasts made specifically for learners, or you can look up topics in your target language to find a podcast you might enjoy.

Music is also an amazing way to hear your target language being used. If you find an artist you like, that’s another good way to study your TL! Follow them on socials, look up interviews with them, etc.

Talk to Yourself

Any spare minute you have, talk to yourself in your target language. It doesn’t need to be out loud. You can have a conversation with yourself, try to express how you’re feeling, make up stories, or just describe the things around you in your target language. This is also a good way to see what kind of vocabulary you’re missing.

Apps

Duolingo has fired a ton of translators and started using crappy AI translations — so they’re probably not the best choice.

I’d recommend dictionary app that has some sort of flash card feature is also good, or an anki deck. Drops is good, and has a lot of languages, but keep in mind you’ll need audio. Anything that’s easy to get out and do for even just a few minutes is perfect.

Apps won’t teach you a language on their own, but doing a little every day helps remind me the language exists and keeps it in my mind.

Texting/Writing/Posting

Whether your friends know your TL or not, force them to experience it by randomly messaging in Japanese! Or, if you feel fancy, download an app like “HelloTalk”, “Tandem”, “Speaky”, “Tabee”…there are a lot.

If you keep a digital journal (like I do…inconsistently), try to write some entries in your TL.

If you have a blog, which I assume you do, post in your TL. Even if you’re a beginner, you can make a sideblog dedicated to saying stuff like “I’m hungry” and “Green is my favourite colour” in your target language.

Open your notes app and just write random words you can remember or sentences you can string together.

I know it’s really difficult, and don’t beat yourself up because you aren’t studying as hard. A language can be a lifelong companion — you’ll have phases of studying constantly, and sometimes it’ll take the back seat, but there’s no rush to learn it. Have a great day :)!

#language #language learning #langblr #languages #learning japanese #learning Spanish #learning French #Quinn posts #language learning apps #language learning resources #language learning advice #language tips #foreign languages #language resources #studyblr

[anelaxoxo]

Okay, genuinely ? Tumblr is the like best app/website literally ever. The way I'm constantly discovering new media and free resources on here is crazy. I mean just the other day i discovered the magnus archives podcast and I've been obsessed ever since. I deadass finished like a whole season in less than a week.

Not to mention the pdfs, articles, poetry, language learning resources, book recommendations AND TEXTBOOK LINKS ??!! ALL FOR FREE !!!

Yeah just wanted to say Tumblr is the superior app idc.

#i love you tumblr #i love everyone using tumblr #i basically live on this app #the fact that no one told abt the magnus archives before #maybe i need new friends #the magnus archives #i also discovered starkid and now I'm a fan #starkid #supernatural #book recs #resources #free resources #free textbooks #pdfs #language learning #langblr #writing resources #writerblr #movie recommendation #academia #chaotic academia #dark academia #links

[rigelmejo]

Really basic study tips. As in, you have no idea where to start, or you've been floundering for X period of time not making progress.

Total beginner?

Go to a search engine site. Whatever one you want Google.com, duckduckgo.com, or a searx.space site will work (I like search.hbubli.cc a lot). I think a non-google search engine will give you less ads and more specific results though so keep that in mind.

As a total beginner, search for some articles and advice to help you start planning HOW you are going to study a language. Search things like "how to learn X" where X is the language, "how i learned X," "guide to learn X." Ignore the product endorsement pages as best you can, you're looking for personal blogs and posts on learner forums like chinese-forums.com and forum.language-learners.org. After reading a few of these, come up with a list of general things you need to learn. This list will generally be: to read, to listen, to write, to speak. The articles/advice you find will likely mention Specific Study Activities people did to learn each of those skills - write them down! You might not do all those study activities yourself. But its good to know what possible study activities will help build each of the 4 skills.

Now get more specific. Think about your long term goals for this language. Be as SPECIFIC as possible. Things like "I want to pass the B2 exam in French" (and knowing what CEFR levels are), or "I want to watch History 3 Trapped in chinese with chinese subtitles" or "I want to read Mo Dao Zu Shi in chinese" or "I want to play Final Fantasy 16 in japanese" or "I want to make friends with spanish speakers and be able to talk about my hobbies in depth, and understand their comments on that subject and be able to ask what they mean if I get confused." Truly be as specific as possible. Ideally make more than one long term goal like this. And then specify EVEN MORE. So you want to "pass the B2 exam in French" - why? What real world application will you use those skills for. A possible answer: to work in a French office job in engineering. Great! Now you know very specifically what to look up for what you Need to actually study: you need to look up business appropriate writing examples, grammar for emails, engineering technical vocabulary, IN addition to everything required on the B2 exam. Your goal is to read mdzs in chinese? Lets get more specific: how many unique words are in mdzs (maybe you want to study ALL of them), how much do you wish to understand? 100% or is just understanding the main idea, or main idea and some details, good enough? Do you want to learn by Doing (reading and looking up things you don't know) or by studying ahead of time first (like studying vocabulary lists). Im getting into the weeds.

My point is: once you have a Very Specific Long Term Goal you can look up how to study to accomplish that very specific goal. If you want to get a B2 certificate there's courses and textbooks and classes and free materials that match 100% the material on the B2 test, so you can prioritize studying those materials. If your goal is to READ novels, you'll likely be looking for "how to read X" advice articles and then studying based on that advice (which is often "learn a few thousand frequent words, study a grammar resource, use graded reader material at your reading level, extensively and intensively read, look up unknown words either constantly or occasionally as desired when reading new material, and continue picking more difficult material with new unknown words"). Whatever your specific goal, you will go to a search engine and look up how people have accomplished THAT specific goal. Those study activities they did will be things you can do that you know worked for someone. If you get lucky, someone might suggest ALL the resources and study activities you need to accomplish your specific goal. Or they will know of a textbook/course/site that provides everything you need so you can just go do it. I'll use a reading goal example because its a specific goal i've had. I'd have the goal "read X book in chinese" so I'd look up "how to read chinese" "how to learn to read chinese novels" "how i read chinese webnovels" and similar search terms. I found suggestions like these on articles I found written by people who managed to learn to read chinese webnovels: Ben Whatley's strategy had been learn 2000 common words on memrise (he made a deck and shared it), read a characters guide (he linked the article he read), use graded readers (he linked Mandarin Companion), use Pleco app and read inside it (he linked Pleco) and in 6 months he was reading novels using Pleco for unknown words. I copied most of what he did, and did some of my own other study activities for theother 3 listening speaking writing skills. And in 6 months I was also reading webnovels in Pleco. Another article was by Readibu app creator, who read webnovels in chinese just looking up TONS of words till they learned (real brute force method). But it worked! They learned. So copying them by using Readibu app ans brute force reading MANY novels would work. Another good article is on HeavenlyPath.notion.site, they have articles on specifically what materials to study to learn to read - their article suggestions are similar to the process I went through in studying and Im confident if you follow their advice you'll be reading chinese in 1 year or less. (I saw one person who was reading webnovels within 3 months of following the Heavenly Path's guide plan). LOOK UP your specific long term goal, and write down specific activities people did to learn how to do that long term goal. Ideally: you will have some

SHORT TERM GOALS: you will not accomplish your long term language goal for 1 year or more. Probably not for many years. So make some short and medium term goals to guide you through studying and keep you on track. These can be any goals you want, that are stepping stones to the specific long term goals you set. So for the "read mdzs in chinese" long term goal, short and medium term goals might be the following: short term: learn 10 common words a week (through SRS like anki or a vocabulary list), study 100 common hanzi this month (using a book reference or SRS or a site), read 1 chapter of a grammar guide a week (a site or textbook or reference book), medium term: read a graded reader with 100 unique words once I have studied 300 words (like Mandarin Companion books or Pleco graded readers for sale), read a 500 unique word graded reader once I have studied 600 words, read 秃秃大王 and look up words I don't know once I have studied 1500 words (read in Pleco or Readibu or using any click-translator tool or translator/dictionary app), read another chinese novel with 1500 unique words, read a 30,000 word chinese 2 hours a day until I finish it, read another 30,000 word novel and see if I can finish it in less time, read a 60,000 word novel, read a 120,000 word novel, read a novel extensively without looking any words up and practice reading skills of relying on context clues (pick a novel with lower unique word count), read a novel a little above your reading level (a 2000 unique word count if say you only know 1700 words), go to a reading difficulty list and pick some novels easier than mdzs to read but harder than novels you've already read (Readibu ranks novels by HSK level, Heavenly Path ranks novel difficulty, if you search online you'll find other reading difficulty lists and sites). Those shorter term goals will give you things to work for this week, this month, this year. An example of study goals and activities might be: study all vocabulary, hanzi, grammar in 1 textbook chapter a week (lets say 20 new words/10-20 new hanzi,1-5 new grammar points - or alternatively you have 3 SRS anki decks for vocab, hanzi, grammar) along with read and look up unknown key words for 30 minutes a day (at first you may read graded readers then move onto novels). Those are short term goals you can ensure you meet weekly, and they also contribute to being able to read better gradually each month until you hit long term goals.

If you are very bad at making your own schedule and study plans: look for a good premade study material and just follow it. A good study material will: teach reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, all the way to intermediate level. You may need to find multiple premade resources, such as 1 resource for writing/reading (many textbooks that teach 2000+ words and basic grammar will suffice) and 1 for speaking/listening (perhaps a good podcast, glossika, a tutor). Ideally formal classes will teach all 4 skills to intermediate level if you take 4 semesters of classes as an adult (beginner 1, beginner 2, intermediate 1, intermediate 2). Especially if the classes teach in accordance with trying to match you to expected defined language level skills (so formal classes that have syllabus goals that align with HSK, CEFR, or national standards of X level of fluency). So formal classes are an option. The same tips as above apply: make short term goals do do X a week, like study 30 minutes to 2 hours a day, to learn 10 new words a week, to get through X chapters a month, to practice speaking/reading/writing/reading oriented activities to some degree.

My short advice for picking a premade resource if totally lost: pick a starting material that covers 2000 words, basic grammar, and has dialogues if you don't know where to start. That will be enough to cover roughly beginner level language skills. I suggest you study by: studying the vocabulary and grammar of each chapter, listen to the dialogue with and without translation repeatedly until you understand it (listening skills), read the dialogue with and without translation (reading skills), write out example sentences using the new vocabulary and grammar (writing skills, the textbook exercises usually ask you to do this), speak your example sentences out loud (speaking practice), record yourself saying the dialogue and compare it to the dialogue audio - repeat this exercise until you sound similar in pronunciation to dialogue (speaking exercise - shadowing). Most decent textbooks will allow you to come up with similar activities to those listed above, to study some writing reading speaking listening. I like the Teach Yourself books as an example of the most basic version of what you need. Many languages have much better specific textbooks of that language. But if you're totally lost, get a Teach Yourself book and audio free from a library or for 10 dollars (or ANY equivalent book that teaches at least 2000 words and grammar) and go through it. If you buy a language specific textbook: keep working through the series until you've learned 2000 words and covered all basic grammar. For example Genk 1 and 2 cover 1700 words so you would want to work all the way through Genki 2 and ger near 2000 words before branching off to a textbook for intermediate students, or into native speaker materials. (Another example is I found a chinese textbook once that only taught 200 words... as a beginner you would not find that book as useful as one with more vocabulary)

Another adequate premade resource option: if you lile SRS tools like anki, look up premade decks that teach what you need to learn as a beginner. For Japanese you might look up "common words japanese anki deck" (Japanese core deck with 2k or more words is likely an option you'll see), "japanese grammar anki deck" (Tae Kin grammar deck is an option that covers common grammar), "JLPT kanji deck" or "kanji anki deck" or "kanji with mnemonics anki deck" (to study kanji). Ideally you study vocabulary, vocabulary, kanji, and ideally some of these anki decks will have audio and sentence examples for reading practice. Like with a textbook, you would attempt to do exercises which cover reading writing speaking listening. For reading and writing you may read sentences on anki cards, and write or type example sentences in a journal with new words you study and new grammar points. For listening you will play the sentence audio of a card with eyes closed until you hear the words clearly and recognize them, and for speaking you'll speak out the sentences and compare what you say to the audio on the card.

Keep in mind your specific long term goals! If your goal is speak to friend about hobby, you may follow a textbook and still need to ALSO make yourself practice talking weekly (on a language exchange app, with a tutor, with yourself, shadowing dialogues, looking up specific words you wish to discuss). If your goal is to read novels, you will likely need to seek out graded readers OUTSIDE your textbook and practice reading gradually harder material weekly. If your goal is listening to audio dramas, you will want an outside podcast resource likely starting with a Learner Podcast (chinese101, slow chinese, comprehensible chinese youtube channel) then move into graded reader audiobooks, then listen to audio dramas with transcripts, then just listen and look words up.

Once you hit lower intermediate: I'm defining that here as roughly you have studied 2000+ words, are familiar with basic grammar and comfortable looking up more specialized grammar information, and if you used a premade material then you have finished the beginner level material. If you desire to stay on a premade route then pick new resources made for intermediate learners. Do not dwell in the beginner material forever once you've studied it, continue to challenge yourself and learn new things regularly. (No matter what, continue to learn new things regularly, if you do that then every few hundred hours of study you WILL make significant progress toward your goals). Once you have hit intermediate it is also time to start adding activities that work toward your Very Specific Long Term goals now if you didn't already start. If you want to watch shows one day, this is when you start TRYING and get an idea of how much you understand versus how much you need to learn and WHAT you need to learn to do your goal well. If you want to read novels then start graded readers NOW if you havent already and progress to more difficult reading eventually into reading novels for native speakers. If you want to talk to people, start chatting regularly. If you want to take a B2 test, start studying language test specific study materials, practice doing the tasks you must be able to do to pass the test (so you can see what you need to learn and gauge progress over time), take practice tests. Intermediate level is when SOME stuff for native speakers will be at least understandable enough you can follow the main idea. Or at least, if you look up some key words you'll be able to grasp the main idea. Start engaging with stuff in the language now. For several reasons. 1. You need to practice Understanding all the basics you studied. Just because you studied it doesnt mean you can understand it immediately yet, you have to practice being in situations that require you to understand what you studied. 2. You also need to gauge where you are versus where you want to be, in order to set new short term goals. Once you do things in the language, you will see what specifically you need to study more. 3. By doing the activity you wish to do, you will get better at doing it. This is also a good time to mention that: if you wish to get better at speaking or writing now is the time to practice more. Just like listening and reading, you'll have to Do it more to improve.

The leap from using materials for beginners to materials for intermediate learners is harsh. It just is. The first 3 to 6 months you may feel drained, like you didn't learn much after all, annoyed its so much harder than the beginner material catered usually specifically to a learner's language level. Push through. I suggest goals like "listen to french 30 minutes a day" or "read 1 japanese news article a day" or "chat with someone for 1 hour total a week" or "watch 20 minutes of a show a day" or "write 1 page a day" and look up words you dont know but need to understand something or communicate to someone. Do X for X time period or X length of a chapter/episode type goals may be easiest to stick to during this period. Gradually, the time spent doing activities will add up and it will suddenly feel EASIER. Usually around the time you start understanding quicker and recalling quicker what you studied as a beginner. Then it keeps improving, as you gradually learn more and more. At first, picking the easiest content for your study activity will make the transition to intermediate stuff slightly less drastic. Easier content includes: conversations on daily life that only gradually add more specific topics (so you can lean on the beginner daily life function vocabulary), podcasts for learners entirely in target language and podcasts with transcripts, novels with low unique word counts (ideally 2000 unique words or less until your vocabulary gets bigger), shows you've watched before in a language you know (so you can guess more unknown words and follow the plot even when you don't understand the target language words), video game lets plays (ideally with captions) of video games you've played before, playing video games you already have played before and know the story for, reading summaries before starting new shows or books so you know what the general story is, reading books that have translations to a language you know (so you can read the translation then original or vice versa for additional context). Using any tools available (dictionary apps, translation apps like Pleco and Google Translate and click-translate web browser tools, Edge Read Aloud tool, reader apps like Kindle and Readibu, apps like Netflix dual subitles stuff).

Last mention: check in with your goals every so often. You might check in every 3 months, and say you notice you never manage to study daily (if that was your short term goal). That could be a sign it might be better to change your study schedule to study a couple hours on the days your life schedule is less busy, and skip study on busy days. Or it may be a sign the study activity you're trying to do daily is Very Hard for you to stick to, and maybe you should switch to a different study activity. (Example would be: I can't do SRS flashcards consistently, so when I got tired of SRS anki after a few months as a beginner, I switched to reading graded readers daily to learn new vocabulary then reading novels and looking up words. Another example: I love Listening Reading Method but could never do it as it was designed, so after a month of only doing 15 hours of it instead of the 100 hours the method intended at minimum in that time, I decided to modify that study activity into something I could get myself to do daily and enjoy more).

And, of course, its okay if what works for one person doesn't work for you. Everyone's different. As long as you are regularly studying some new things, and practicing understanding things you've studied before, you will make progress as the study hours add up. It may take hundreds of hours to see significant progress, but you Will see some progress every few hundreds of hours of study. I made the quick start suggestions for beginners above, because I have seen some people (including me) get lost at the start with no idea what a good resource looks like and no idea what to study, or how to determine goals and progress on those goals.

#rant #reference #resources #study plan #langblr #i could also make a side post lol on just HOW many language learning apps/tools are distractions for beginners #because they barely teach like 300 words! but readers spend YEARS on them! #u can cover 2000 words in 1 year. even high school classes cover that in 2 years. but many an app have u spending 4 years on 2000 words #then u get beginners mad they never Learned to do stuff in the language despite All Tgat Study #not realizing the apps problem was it simply ONLY covered beginner material. so it was only gonna be useful for 6 months to 2 years tops.

[bngrc]

Can someone explain to me, are alternatively link me to a grammar resource that explains the difference in usage between:

什么都不/没

什么也不/没

一点都不/没

一点也不/没

I've seen all of these pop up as various ways of expressing "not at all." I'm mostly confused about when to use 也 vs 都.

ETA:

Okay, based on the responses I've received, I think there's some major confusion regarding what kind of explanation I'm asking for in this post.

I am NOT asking about the general differences between 也 vs 都.

I am also NOT asking about the general differences between 不 vs 没.

I am asking about the 4 phrases I listed. The SPECIFIC 4 phrases that I listed:

什么都不/没 i.e. 我什么都不知道 - I don't know anything at all

什么也不/没 i.e. 我什么也没干 - I didn't do anything at all

一点都不/没 i.e. 这对他一点都不好 - This is not good for him at all.

一点也不/没 i.e. 我一点也没生气 - I am not angry at all.

I am ONLY asking how to differentiate between these 4 phrases, and these 4 phrases alone. All of them seem to mean basically the same thing, so I'm asking how I pick between them when trying to express the concept of "not at all."

That's it.

#chinese langblr #chinese vocabulary #chinese grammar #mandarinblr #I was doing french->chinese translation exercises in an app and all of these phrases were translations for “ne...pas...du tout" #with no way for me to determine why one translation was chosen over another for a given sentence

[neristudy]

Android app for German Learning

Do note * - it is means that I use apps only with apk/premium unlocker, bc for one reason or another, free version of the app is not usable/not so great.

And yes, I have duolingo as well - but we all had it at some point, so heh.

LingoDeer*:

great for picking up vocab;

better prononciation than in Duolingo;

though it is quite better for asian languages.

Chatterbug:

German videos;

German "shorts" like Youtubes/TikTok one;

Learngerman DW:

Basically cheating, bc we all love DW here, and if you don't - check it out, it is really great;

Easy German:

Learn german by reading newspaper articles!

Seedlang*:

Similar to an old duolingo with its tree, but quite lacking w/o premium.

LingQ*:

Read, listen, add your own sites/apps/videos for it to create a captions in German!

Create flashcards.

Readle:

Great app with a lot of short stories to test your reading skills;

little test at the end of each text to check if you understand what you have read;

Voice overs for every text!

Flashcards:

Better than Anki for me, since it is a lot easier to set up;

Avaliable voice overs for both sides of a flashcard.

Beelinguapp*:

App for reading!

Have a split screen and read 2 text (in your native & in German) at the same time;

Create flashcards~

#german langblr #german language #german #german learning #langblr #language learning #deutsch #deutsch lernen #german study #learning german #android apps #android

[onigiriforears]

Recommendation: Apps for Japanese Learning

Over the years, I've downloaded and tested many apps. Though my favorite app was discontinued (I miss you, mindsnacks Japanese), there are still others that I don't think I'll be removing from my phone any time soon. In light of duolingo's horrible update causing a large migration and search for other apps, I thought I'd share some of my favorites. Also, some of these apps have websites or discords for you to interact with other users or to ask support questions.

For those who cannot use/don't like the graphics, the written out version is below the break.

Lingo Legend

RPG-based language learning game that I was a beta tester for. It also offers Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Uses spaced repetition.

Offers beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels.

User can jump between lessons and difficulty levels.

Available on ios and android

Manabi Reader

Caters to all JLPT levels and offers reading options on an array of topics (including news, games, reddit). Can hilight words and look up in-app. User can also paste a link within the app to read.

Companion app available (Manabi Flashcards).

Available on ios

TODAI: EASY Japanese News

Aggregates news from various sources.

Offers practice JLPT exams in-app.

Offers grammar resources and in-app dictionary that can generate flashcards from words saved in notes.

Offers audio listening, as well as videos with transcriptions.

Available on ios and android. Also has a website.

Shirabe Jisho

Offline dictionary app.

User can favorite words, make lists, take notes, make flashcards, etc.

User can search for words in kana, romaji, drawing, or through radical (or radical building).

Available on ios

Renshuu

Think quizlet, but solely for Japanese. You can create your own lists, use others, play shiritori, earn prizes and interact on forums.

You can study grammar, kanji, vocab, flashcards, learn and submit mnemonics. You can also friend people.

Available on ios and android. Also has a website (of which I am an avid user).

Connect with me: Ko-fi Shop & Tips | Discord | Studygram | Ask Box

↳ psst! my ko-fi shop has learning resources on it. try to check back for new things bc im always working on something to add in there

#onigiristudies #heydilli #jpnstudynet #look toki #looktoki #look asta #japanese #langblr #study japanese #learn japanese #language apps #jlpt #jlpt kanji #jlpt studies #kanji #japanese grammar #日本語 #勉強 #learning through immersion #bookblr #studyblr #hey guys #kingyo hut #my shop #thanks for reading my research posts and my suggestion posts

[solarianvoidthearoace]

Because of the mess that Duolingo turned out to be, I checked out a recommended app (list of recommendations here.)

I tried Busuu today and it’s great!

It actually uses the language skill levels of A1/ A2/ B1/ B2 that are used to compare language proficiency.

The assessment test was swift and didn’t feel pressuring, you can actually re-do the assessment for a language you already started whenever you feel like it!

However, one major point of critique (which is actually about accessibility): you can not turn off speaking exercises in Busuu. You can only repeatedly click “skip” whenever they pop up. But you can not just say “I don’t want/ can’t do speaking exercise at all.” And the same goes for listening exercises but worse because you can’t even skip those within your regular exercises/ lessons!

Disclaimer: I am not Deaf/ deaf nor mute. To me these things are annoyances more than actual accessibility issues but it does make Busuu feel rather inaccessible. Sometimes I just don’t want to deal with listening exercises. And I generally don’t like speaking “on command” or vocally replying to prompts. But, again, for me these are preferences.

I know speaking and listening exercises are important to achieve an actual comprehension for a language and I recognise avoiding speaking/ listening might slow down my progression in my chosen languages of study. I recognise that I need to and do consume media where I need to listen to the languages I’m learning.

To other people, it is an actual problem of accessibility that you can not universally turn off speaking/ listening exercises in Busuu.

I just figured this might be an issue people will inevitably notice now that we are changing away from Duolingo in droves and someone had to make a post about it.

#sickpunk #sick punk #accessibility #accessability #busuu #busuu language learning #language learning app #duolingo #language learning apps #langauge learning #langblr #c-punk #hard of hearing #disability advocacy #disability #italian and french #<- my language learning tag #large text #coloured text #colored text #big text #bold text

[foreignfawn]

Question for Language Learners

Imagine you had access to the most perfect language learning program for your target language. What would it look like? What would it have? What would you need?

#language learning #langblr #language apps #language #languages

[ruhua-langblr]

why is memrise not a good language learning app? sorry if it sounds rude, only a genuine question. you said that you would explain in another post (talking abt the "duolingo sucks" post tags btw) and i didnt see anything abt it :(

Not rude at all! I addressed it a little bit in this ask, but I never did fully elaborate.

The short version is that the problems with Duolingo (cutting community features and shifting more on AI) are also happening with Memrise.

Longer version is that one of the best features of Memrise imho was the community courses. Especially since Quizlet has monetized many features, it seemed to fill that niche very well. The base courses used real audio and video, which is a big upgrade from DL. Along with the removal of community courses, the forums were also removed. This disconnects users from not just each other, but also from having a public method to address the company. I found the official Memrise explanations for these decisions to be unsatisfying. Fortunately for many users, someone in the Memrise community has been uploading community courses to a new site—mylittlewordland! No app atm, and very bare bones, but still functional! Definitely worth checking out.

I created that post as a way to give people easy alternatives to switch to, and while the main courses of Memrise are better than DL, I feel that it would become yet another dead end of corporate greed. I wouldn't be surprised if any of the apps I did recommend also eventually go down this path—some are in the early stages for sure. Ultimately, I decided to recommend what seemed like the easiest alternatives to switch to as people are hesitant to make changes to something that has become a part of their routine.

I want to make another post of what I think are the most helpful resources for language learning, but it will be not be a list of easy gamified 5-minute lessons. I don't fault anyone for wanting to learn that way—not everyone is serious about wanting to achieve fluency and that's fine. However, I think there should be a discussion about how limited and limiting the "app experience" is.

#langblr #language learning apps #Memrise #duolingo #i hope this is coherent as I’m running on little sleep and a headache

[cinnamon-sticks-and-coffee-cups]

bon matin! c’est tôt pour moi, hmm? today I’ll be sharing some online resources for learning french ranging from vocab lists to full on courses! i hope you find these useful - the internet really is precious when learning languages! <3

⁎⁺˳✧༚ frenchtoday.com

this website threatens to put me out of business and I couldn’t be more delighted! vocab lists galore, free lessons, tips to work on your pronunciation, articles on french culture and even stories and poetry. i haven’t looked at everything available on there, but from what I’ve seen, it’s pretty useful!

⁎⁺˳✧༚ frenchpod101.com

this is a free course you can take, with options for absolute beginners and those already a little familiar with the language. it looks to be good for conversational french and is an easy, no nonsense starting point for beginners, who i know from experience are often easily overwhelmed.

⁎⁺˳✧༚ coffee break french

this is one I’m not quite as familiar with but has come to me highly recommended. it’s a podcast that covers the basics as well as providing dialogues and example role plays. give it a try and let me know how you find it!

⁎⁺˳✧༚ innerfrench (chaîne de YouTube)

this is a really interesting channel! you get to learn french through a variety of different topical discussions and he speaks slowly enough for you to get most of what he’s saying even if you’re a relative beginner, which can make you feel super smart :)

bien, c’est tout! i hope these recs are alright, and I hope we meet again soon~ a bientôt!

#cinnamon’s french posts #français #french #frenchblr #langblr #french vocab #language learning #vocabulaire français #language apps #language learning resources

[languagesandlinguistics]

I was scrolling Tandem to find folks to practice Italian with and maybe help with English (now that I haven't taken classes for a few years, my speaking/writing skills are piss-poor and comprehension is only slightly better lol) but... I feel like the people on Tandem and the people I actually want to chat with are NOT a venn diagram?? Does anyone else have this problem and know alternative resources for practice?

Grazie mille!!!

#tandem #language learning #langblr #personal #every time i open the app it looks like a dating app in there. hello ???

[inkichan]

Human Japanese Lite · app review

(⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ review

For those looking to embark on the path of mastering Japanese, Human Japanese Lite offers a solid starting point. This review delves into the pros and cons of the app, highlighting its structured approach, but also addressing its limitations.

Pros:

Structured Learning: Human Japanese Lite impresses with its well-structured approach to teaching the Japanese language. The app divides its content into chapters that alternate between grammar, vocabulary and useful informations. This structured approach ensures a balanced understanding of the language and helps learners progress systematically.

Thorough Explanations: One of the standout features of this app is its thorough explanations of Japanese grammar and vocabulary. Each subject is carefully explained, making it accessible to learners at various levels, from beginners to intermediate students. You'll find detailed insights into the intricacies of the Japanese language.

Comprehensive Basis: Human Japanese Lite provides a comprehensive foundation for learning Japanese. It's an excellent choice for those starting their Japanese language journey, as it covers fundamental concepts thoroughly. The clear explanations help build a strong linguistic base.

Textbook-Like Experience: The app offers a textbook-like learning experience on your mobile device. It's as if you have a Japanese language textbook at your fingertips. The content is well-organized, making it easy to navigate and find specific topics.

Chapter-End Tests: Human Japanese Lite enhances the learning process with tests at the end of each chapter. These tests allow learners to assess their understanding and retention of the material, reinforcing what they've learned. This interactive approach keeps learners engaged and accountable.

Cons:

Limited Free Version: While Human Japanese Lite is an excellent resource, the free version has limitations. If you're already familiar with kana (Hiragana and Katakana), you might find the free content less useful.

Expensive Pro Version: The pro version of the app comes at a relatively high cost, which can be a deterrent for some learners. The price might not be budget-friendly for those looking for an economical language learning solution.

Final Thoughts ★★★★☆

Human Japanese Lite is a valuable tool for anyone interested in learning Japanese. Its structured approach, thorough explanations, and chapter-end tests make it a fantastic resource. However, the limited free version, especially for those already familiar with kana, and the high cost of the pro version are downsides. If you're willing to invest in your Japanese language education, Human Japanese Lite can be a great choice.

Let me know what do you think about the app if you did try it and let's share experiences and resources!

またね～@inkichan

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

#japanese #nihongo #studyblr #learn Japanese #learning Japanese #japanese langblr #langblog #japanese studyblr #日本語 #review #Human Japanese #app #language app #app review #Human Japanese Lite #HJ app #japanese learning app