5 Free mobile apps to learn English

Category: Technology

1. Duolingo

​Duolingo is a totally free language learning program that it’s really simple to use. You set up a profile, choose your target language and set your weekly goals. Learn English while you play with it!

2. Memrise
Memrise is a learning tool that offers a huge number of interactive courses in more than 200 languages. It offers interactive flash cards with photos and audio to enhance your learning sessions.

The lessons are set up in mini-quizzes, in which you can:

• Transcribe a chunk of spoken text.
• Translate a chunk of spoken and written speech into English.
• Identify the translations of a chunk of spoken or written text.
• Identify the correct meaning of a vocabulary word.
• Use a microphone to repeat a spoken text.

Many teachers and even entire governments around the world already view Duolingo as the perfect blended learning companion for their classrooms. Duolingo lessons give each student personalized feedback and practice, preparing them to get the most out of classroom instruction.
Good points

1. It’s totally free. No ads, no subscriptions, no 5-easy-payments plan.
2. Help with motivation. You get a sense of accomplishment by the progress through the levels and stages.
3. The interface is very easy to use.
4. Correct mistakes.

 Bad points

1. No human interaction.
2. Not too much grammar explanations.
3. Some sentences are unnatural and you will not use in your everyday life.
4. It uses a computerized voice system for all of its listening exercises, so you’re not introduced to how the language really sounds.

https://en.duolingo.com/

Good points

1. Easy to use.
2. A huge number or courses available.
3. Uses photo and audio for quick learning.
4. The system of encoding and testing is effective.
5. Allows offline mode.

Bad points

1. No enough explanations of what you’re practicing.
2. The user-generated courses are inconsistent.

​https://www.memrise.com/

3. Lingua.ly
Lingua.ly contains an online and mobile dictionary powered by Babylon. Also, it offers learners an opportunity to look up and save words they come across when reading online articles in another language and then it recommends relevant texts for the learners to read in order to extend their vocabulary and improve their reading skills.

Good points

1. The interface is easy to use.
2. Complete word translation and meaning in different contents with pronunciation and definitions.
3. Define and study your own list of words.
4. Study new words suggested by Lingua.ly.

Bad points

1. Mandatory registration.
2. Lack of chunking of the lexis.
3. The words are learned passively, with no need to produce or use communicatively.

​https://lingua.ly/

4. Learn English Grammar UK Edition | US Edition
Learn English Grammar, developed by the British Council, is an interactive app that’s designed to help improve your grammar, especially your grammar accuracy. Both the UK and US English editions offer four levels of questions, starting at the Beginner level and going all the way up to Advanced level. Each difficulty covers 12 grammar topics, with 20 activities per topic.

Good points

1. Simple series of grammar exercises with multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks and sentence re-ordering.
2. Each question uses text, images and audio to keep things interesting.
3. The help section is supported in multiple languages.

Bad points

1. This app is free to download, but then you only get a few lessons to study.
2. English basic skills needed.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/apps/learnenglish-grammar-uk-edition

5. Johnny Grammar’s word Challenge
Johnny Grammar’s Word Challenge is a fun little quiz application that tests your spelling, grammar and vocabulary, by having you solve as many questions as possible within 60 seconds. There are three difficulty levels, easy, medium and hard, and 10 different question topics including Food & Restaurants, Small Talk and Hobbies. You can earn and share badges as you progress through the questions, and you can even compete with other users on a global leaderboard.

Good points

1. 3 quiz categories – Words, Grammar, Spelling.
2. 3 levels - Easy, Medium, Hard.
3. Compete with other players on a global leaderboard.
4. Feedback.

Bad points

1. Some technical problems with the answers.
2. Need more time to read the questions.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/apps/johnny-grammars-word-challenge

By: Yavet Flores

Category: Technology

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