Learning a foreign language is not difficult with Duolingo, Memrise or Busuu

Seen Squid Game on Netflix? Or maybe you are going to Japan for the fifth time? Whatever your reason, learning a foreign language can be tricky unless you use one of these three apps. Haeng-un-eul bibnida!

This is how you learn a foreign language

Learning a foreign language takes a lot of time. It is therefore useful if you have an app on your iPhone or iPad that allows you to master the language at your own pace. We have looked up the three best apps for you and give a short impression.

1. Duolingo: The Best Language App for Beginners

Let’s start with the best app right away: that’s Duolingo. Especially if you don’t want to pay for a language course, Duolingo is simply unbeatable. You can learn German, English and French from Dutch and that sounds pretty cheap. However, if you set the app to English, you have a huge choice of foreign languages. Funnily, you can also learn a few fictional languages, such as Klingon (from Star Trek) and High Valyrian (from Game of Thrones).

The lessons in Duolingo are fun to follow. You get to see funny animations and you earn extra XP when you answer several questions correctly in a row. If you give a wrong answer, it will cost you a heart.

Be careful not to lose too many hearts during the lessons, because then you have to wait for these hearts to fill up automatically. Or you have to practice already learned skills to restore a heart. The hearts make Duolingo feel more like some kind of game and that’s a lot of fun.

Also Read: Duolingo Guide, All Language Learning Features Explained

Paid subscription with unlimited hearts

You can use the app for free, but you have to wait every time until you have hearts again. Unless you subscribe to Duolingo Plus. All advertisements will then be removed and you will receive access to a knowledge quiz and unlimited tests, among other things. You will also receive unlimited hearts.

You can use Duolingo Plus for free for 14 days. After that you pay 167 euros for an annual subscription or 14 euros per month. There is also a family subscription for 2-6 members for 155 euros per month.

2. Memrise: learn a foreign language like a native speaker

When you start Memrise, the number of available languages ​​seems limited. However, that is only if you use the app in Dutch. If you set the language to ‘English’ in ‘I speak’, the number of available languages ​​is doubled. The language of the application remains Dutch, but the translation of the words you learn will be in English from now on.

Clear video clips help with your pronunciation

The great thing about Memrise is that you get to see short video clips in which the words are spoken. This way you get a good impression of how to pronounce the words, without having to listen to an annoying computer voice all the time.

In the free version of Memrise you get a limited number of lessons per language level. With the paid version you can choose from a monthly or annual subscription. An annual subscription will cost you 70 euros (now temporarily 35 euros). It is striking that you have an option for unlimited access to all language courses. This option will cost you 140 euros.

3. Busuu: varied and educational

At the beginning, Busuu asks you how many minutes a day you want to spend learning a new language. You can choose between five, ten, fifteen and twenty minutes. You can use the app for free for the first four lessons. After that, you have to switch to the Premium Plus version. The Premium version can be used for free for a week, after which the app costs 83 euros per year.

Varied lessons that don’t get boring quickly

Learning with the app is varied and fun. You will see many pictures and sound clips and the new words will be repeated in different ways. This keeps the lessons interesting and does not become tedious.

The number of languages ​​you can learn is somewhat limited. For example, there is no Korean present in the app. It is also a pity that the app only has a limited amount of free content. Nevertheless, it is one of the better language apps if you decide to subscribe. Just check if the language you want to learn is included.

Also useful: translation apps to always have with you

Don’t have the time to learn a new language at all? Don’t worry, we’ve rounded up the best translation apps for iOS for you. Then you can at least move forward. Of course, these apps are also secretly handy to have when you are trying to learn a foreign language!

More Apple news and tips?

Do you like these tips? Then keep an eye on this website, download the iPhoned app and sign up for the free newsletter. You will always receive the latest tips (and the latest Apple news) at lightning speed. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Then you’ll never miss a thing!