Language software compared

The user ratings and reviews on this site will help you to choose a program that works. Based on current user feedback, Rocket Languages seems to be one of the more popular ones on the market as of now. Pimsleur and Transparent are also well-liked contenders that appear to be in demand as well.

All of them offer easy access to anyone with a home computer, tablet, or notebook. If you love to travel for leisure, online courses are particularly useful, as you may learn on the go with your notebook, tablet computer, iPhone, or iPad. See all ratings. About Contact Disclaimer Privacy Policy. Ultimately, the goal of language learning software is to minimize the impact of learning a language on both your schedule and your wallet. It is much more affordable than other alternatives, such as classroom courses or traveling abroad, and one may access it from anywhere, depending on the platform.

There is no one language learning software that is the perfect fit for everyone. One type of software may focus in one area, such as conversational skills, whereas another may invest more in reading comprehension and writing. However, there is certainly software that stands above the rest when it comes to the quality of their content and excellence in their teaching methodology.

As we mentioned earlier, start by considering your motivations for learning a new language. Are you looking for a basic introduction to the language, or do you need something more lengthy and comprehensive?

How much you need to learn will be vastly different depending on whether you want to learn the language because you are going on vacation, are being transferred for work, or hoping to open business channels with a foreign entity.

Then, consider how you will learn it. Some of us have busy schedules and need to fit the time for practice into small segments throughout the day. Others can set aside several hours on a daily basis to focus entirely on one aspect of the language. Certain types of software will serve different learners best. You can start looking at the actual software once you identify your learning needs.

Keep in mind that the amount of language learning softwares on the market has grown considerably, especially since big names like Rosetta Stone and Duolingo popularized the method. When we researched language acquisition, we looked into different approaches to the online learning of languages, and evaluated individual software according to cost, teaching method, and customer experience. All the software we reviewed below is accessible via web browsers and on mobile devices in app form.

Pimsleur Premium excels in delivering a platform that is well suited for the everyday individual. Unlike other software on this list, the Pimsleur courses were designed with a conversational methodology in mind. Lessons are audio-focused and typically no longer than half an hour long; users are encouraged to learn on the road, while on the subway, or during work breaks.

In addition to its core audio lessons, Pimsleur also incorporates flash card exercises, reading lessons, and other supplementary material that is accessible online. First released in as a CD-based program, Rosetta is still one of the best language learning programs out there. Part of what makes the program so great at this is its teaching philosophy. Listening, reading, writing, speaking — Rosetta tries to combine all the basic elements of language learning into a cohesive, holistic program.

Another reason why Rosetta excels in creating an immersive approach to language is its speech recognition technology, which has received praise for its accuracy and high degree of customizability. Learning to speak like native speakers is essential for learners to feel like they are making actual progress in their studies. The technology works on all devices that Rosetta is available on: computers, tablets, and smartphones.

You do need a subscription to Netflix though. Once you launch the catalog, you can pick from hundreds of titles that use movies on Netflix to help teach different languages. For example, if you wanted to work on your Spanish, select the language in the dropdown menu, along with the country where you're using Netflix. If you're watching in the US, the extension generates titles. To watch one of the films, just click the red "Watch on Netflix" button. Depending on the language you want to learn, you might have fewer titles to pick from.

As the series or movie plays, two sets of subtitles display at the bottom of the screen. One set is your native language and the other is the one you want to learn.

The words highlight as they're spoken, like a karaoke sing-a-long. You can listen to the dialogue phrase by phrase, pause and replay as needed, access a built-in dictionary and more. Pimsleur is an app that offers 51 languages to learn, but delivers the information in what is basically the form of a podcast. Essentially, you'll choose the language you want to learn and begin a minute auditory lesson which are downloadable and Alexa-compatible.

The app also has a driving mode, so you can improve your language skills during long commutes without looking at a screen. You get a seven-day free trial. Features include reading lessons, roleplaying challenges and digital flashcards. Perhaps the best-known language learning service, Rosetta Stone has come a long way since it started in the '90s.

My parents still have a box set of discs for learning Spanish somewhere in their house. It's a lot easier now with the Rosetta Stone app, but you still need at least 30 minutes to complete a Core Lesson. I tried Rosetta Stone's first Irish lesson, which was primarily auditory with images, though there are ways to customize the app to your learning preferences. The lesson started out fairly challenging, especially since I was completely new to the Irish language.

But it did get easier as I went along. The iOS app got an update last year that brought augmented reality into the mix. This enables Seek and Speak, which is a scavenger-hunt-style challenge. Point the phone camera at an object and get a translation in the language you're learning.

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Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Shelby Brown. You can also download their mobile application and do everything on the go. LinguaLift — A relatively new to the market solution, that reminds me of a combination between interactive textbooks, courses, and personal tutoring. Lingualift used to be on the pricy side, but they recently dropped their prices down to a very affordable level.

Duolingo — Online language courses available in a variety of language combinations. The courses are free forever, and you can take advantage of a great smartphone app to learn on the go.

They also have courses for smaller languages like Esperanto, Icelandic, and Klingon coming soon! They also work with schools to improve traditional language learning. Highly recommended. Teach Yourself Online — Teach Yourself is a traditional book publisher with many decades of experience. Perhaps best known for their course books in language learning, they've also offered teach yourself courses for many other things.

Now they're joining the online language course market with T each Yourself Online. Glossika — This service used to offer downloadable MP3-based courses, but now they've upgraded to a new flashy app-interface for their spaced repetition audio method. The incredible feeling of simply uploading language vocabulary, words, and sentences to your brain is amazing. Memrise — My favourite flashcard service. I'm particularly happy about their mobile application, which recent received a huge upgrade.

For me personally, this is clearly among the best language learning software out there. Create your own decks called courses by Memrise or find one of the user-generated ones. Free for most features, but you can access advanced statistics by upgrading to a very affordable premium membership. Quizlet — One of the best flashcard providers. They're not only marketed to language learners, so their catalogue of flashcards to learn from is very impressive.

At the time of writing this post Quizlet had over million study set to learn everything you can think of, and probably some things you couldn't think of either. AnkiWeb — The oldschool flashcards application. While Anki is a little cumbersome to use and set up, it does give you unlimited control and flexibility in the type of flashcards you can create.

Learn With Oliver — If you're not interested in creating your own flashcards, or you don't want to waste time finding quality flashcards with other apps, you can sign up for Learn With Oliver and get instant access to quality flashcards in context.