With 40% of its words similar to English and its relatively simple punctuation and grammar rules, German is among the most popular languages to learn – and made all the more easy in recent years with the advent of several highly specialised apps.
Photo: Courtesy of Gymglish
Perfect for those doesn’t have the time or money for formal lessons but still harbour a desire to pick up some new language skills, language learning apps allow you to dip in and out at your leisure, whether you’re on the sofa, at the bus stop, or even walking down the high street if you dare risk the wrath of other pedestrians. There are numerous well-established language apps currently available – many of which offer their most basic services free of charge. We’ve selected three of the best offering German lessons below.
Gymglish
Offering German language lessons for all abilities, Gymglish typically provide the first week of lessons for free, but by booking via the link below you can benefit from a full month of free use. Their dedicated Learning Series have been created to make learning a new language as fun and engaging as possible, with content featuring short, snappy and amusing stories that expose language learners to a variety of accents and cultural idiosyncrasies. Making use of AI, their methodology has benefited 7 million-plus users across the world After completing the free trial, you can select a subscription plan that fits your preferences. Gymglish also offer a level assessment at the commencement of the course, regular evaluation and feedback on your progress, and a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
Duolingo
Also focussed on learning through engaging fun, Duolingo fuses traditional teaching techniques with games and targets that involve users attempting to climb up league tables and divisions. Lessons revolve around themes and grammar that students would learn in a classroom setting, and in addition to short game-style activities, users can also access resources including Duolingo Stories and audio lessons for conversation skill practice. The app also utilises a ‘heart’ reward system, with the free version giving a limited number of hearts, and once you make five mistakes, you’ll be required to go back and re-do previous lessons before moving on to new material. This feature ensures you’re consistently consolidating what you’ve already learned. The premium package comes with unlimited hearts, downloadable lessons and is advert-free.
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone app gives students access to one of the most comprehensive, innovative, and research-backed language learning tools on the market. As well as its high-tech speech recognition technology, the app’s main USP is the wide choice of add-on options, which include one-on-one tutoring with a teacher and an online subscription that gets you 24 months access to a full software package complete with CDs and other downloadable products to aid your learning. As for the lessons themselves, they centre around common themes such as business, travel and everyday life. Due to the breadth of their services and add-on offerings, pricing is invariably significantly higher than our other recommended apps.