If you are learning Spanish, you should consider other methods than the classical way with grammar books and school classes. Technology offers a variety of alternatives, including websites, e-learning platforms, videos, apps, and more. This article will guide you through the choice of some great apps you can use to learn Spanish. You will learn more about:
- The best apps to learn Spanish for adults;
- Apps to learn Spanish for kids;
- The difference between free apps and paid apps;
- Advantages and disadvantages of learning Spanish with an app;
- App or website: what should you choose?
- Practice and improve your Spanish proficiency online with GlobalExam’s General Español course.
So, if you want to find out everything about learning Spanish with an app, just read this article!
The best apps to learn Spanish for adults
There are so many methods you can use to learn Spanish. You can simply watch cartoons and movies, TV series and TV shows, telenovelas or even YouTube videos. You can choose a classic method such as best books or online methods such as websites and blogs, or programs and courses. Finally, you can choose to do it while having fun, through learning games or listeing to spanish music and spanish podcasts. However, recently apps have become part of our everyday life. No matter your age, gender or profession, if you have a smartphone, then you must be using some apps. So, why wouldn’t you use an app to learn a new language, too? There are some apps for learning Spanish which are tailored for kids and others which are dedicated to adults. Let’s take a look at 3 apps you should use if you are learning Spanish as an adult.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a free app that allows learners to progress and unlock more difficult levels gradually by passing the previous levels. It includes tenses, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, etc. and offers many different kinds of exercises such as listening, translation, matching words to pictures, putting words in order, multiple-choice questions, and more. This app is very quick and intensive: if you practice just 20 minutes per day, you can finish all the lessons within 3 or 4 months.
Rosetta Stone
This paid app offers audio lessons, stories, phrases for travelling, grammar and pronunciation tips to help the users become fluent. The most distinctive trait of Rosetta Stone is that you don’t learn Spanish through English, but directly through Spanish.
Busuu
Busuu is a paid app that includes vocabulary, grammar and listening exercises and offers a focus on the speaking skills (the possibility to record dialogues directly on the app). The study plan feature allows students with a busy schedule to learn Spanish in an organized way. It offers a curriculum for users to go from beginner to advanced at their own pace.
Apps to learn Spanish for kids
If you are planning to teach Spanish to your children, you should definitely consider using apps. They have a fun, dynamic and interactive approach which will stimulate the kids’ interest and curiosity. Here are 3 apps you could choose to help your child learning Spanish:
Spanish School Bus
This paid app uses an approach based on the Montessori method and helps young learners get all the basics(grammar, words, numbers and verbs). It uses songs and creative games to keep children interested and to amuse them while learning.
Duolingo Kids
The “son” of Duolingo, this free app is dedicated to young learners and uses games and animations to teach them Spanish (or another available language). This is a great way to learn Spanish while having fun: the kids don’t feel like they’re learning, but just playing!
Fun Spanish
This app has both a free and a paid version. The free version teaches just colors and animals, while the paid version includes additional topics (house, school, numbers, food, vehicles, etc). Kids can learn more than 200 words and practice their listening, reading, comprehension and pronunciation skills.
Free apps or paid apps: Which ones to choose?
We went through some apps and we analysed their features. Some apps are completely free, while others have both a free and a paid version. What should you pick? Is it better to use a free app or a paid one? Let’s take into account some considerations to help you choose!
Free apps are…free! This is of course their biggest advantage. They allow you to learn a new language without paying a cent. On the other hand, free apps have some limitations. For example, you don’t have complete access to all the features a premium version could give you: this means you won’t be able to do as much with it. Moreover, free apps may have a lot of advertisements and we all know that getting interrupted while learning is not ideal.
Paid apps offer the full package: you have access to many exercises and extra features, more difficulty levels, etc. They don’t have any advertisements, but obviously you have to pay some money.
To sum up, even if free apps can be appealing, it’s better to choose a paid app in order to have the best learning experience. This way you won’t be interrupted by ads while studying and you will have access to all the exercises and features that can help you learn in a dynamic and effective way.
Advantages and disadvantages of learning Spanish with an app
Learning a new language with apps is a dynamic and fun way of approaching studying. However, it can have some downsides. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of learning Spanish with an app.
Advantages
- Learn everywhere!
It doesn’t matter where you are or what time it is, if you have your smartphone with you, apps allow you to learn wherever and whenever you want! That is in fact one of the best ways to learn Spanish on your own. - Use your spare time!
Whether you are taking a break from work, or if you are on the train to get to school, you can use this time to open your app and practice Spanish a bit. Apps allow you to optimise your time. For this purpose, you can also try to learn Spanish while you are driving a car or to learn Spanish while you are sleeping. - Study with ease!
All the apps listed today (and many more) are very simple and user-friendly. It will take you just a few minutes to figure out how to use them. Afterwards you will immediately be able to learn! It is definitely one of the easiest ways to learn Spanish.
Disadvantages
- Limitations
Even if some apps are really good ones, they still have some limitations. For example, the grammar explanations often aren’t as detailed as they are in books or on e-learning websites and platforms. Moreover, the design of the apps, even if it can be really good, will never be like the one of a good website and the exercises offered are limited compared to those offered by the majority of websites. - Small screen
The learning experience is less user-friendly on a smartphone than on a computer or tablet. Moreover, typing on your phone is much less practical than on a computer keyboard. - Not the same content…at all
Even if the latest apps are really rich in content, the quality of the content is often not high enough to make you an advanced speaker. You can learn the basics of a language with an app but it will never be enough to bring you to the next level.
App or Website: What should you choose?
Considering all the advantages and disadvantages listed in the previous section, if we had to choose a learning method, we would certainly go for an e-learning website. Here’s why. Apps can help you learn the very basics of Spanish, but if you want to really speak the language and be able to travel, study or work in a Spanish-speaking country (or deal with native speakers) an app will not be enough. But don’t worry: there are websites that can help you become fluent in Spanish in a dynamic and funny way, too.
The e-learning platform GlobalExam is the perfect example: it can replace a school course or a private teacher (and can be even better). GlobalExam offers the full package, with no limitations: grammar explanations, vocabulary lists, listening, reading, writing and speaking exercises, as well as exam simulations (if you are considering taking a certification) and level tests. You also get corrections, explanations and personalised feedback from a language coach. You will be able to study whenever and wherever you wish, just like with an app, but without the inconveniences: no limitations, valuable content, extensive grammar explanations, exercises with corrections and personalised content!
So, if you really want to learn Spanish, just opt for the GlobalExam website!
Practice online with Global General
If you are looking for the best way to learn Spanish online, you should definitely try Global General. This is a learning method developed by GlobalExam to help beginners and intermediate students learn Spanish(and other four languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian and German) completely online, whenever and wherever they feel like studying. Every level of every language is developed according to the CEFR standards and requires a minimum of 12 hours of training (except for English, which requires 25 ). Let’s see why Global General is the best choice for you! Here’s what you will find on our website:
- Many flashcards to help you train your memory and learn new vocabulary in a funny and dynamic way
- Simulations to let you to practice your language skills in real context, for all the competencies
- A “did you know” section with tips and fun facts to deepen your knowledge of the language
- 5000 detailed corrections
- Personalised feedback from our language coaches
- Validation of the acquired competences every 5 simulations
- 150 hours of unique content
- 500 audio tracks
Why us?
Our method is dynamic, fun, detailed and complete: you can say goodbye to those boring classes you attended at school and to wasting time on public transportation to get there. With Global General you will be able to learn Spanish remotely: from your home, office, or wherever you are, whenever you want. Choose the method that adapts best to your needs — choose Global General!
Sign up now and start learning Spanish with GlobalExam!
