is a German-based, language learning application. This educational software provides short, interactive lessons that rethink the old-school style of language education. Built by language experts, this app aims to get learners to a conversational level as quickly as possible using diverse exercises and spaced repetition for review. There are 14 different languages available, and the courses are well diverse and relatively affordable.

Lessons made by experts

Babbel offers the following language courses; Spanish, German, English, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish and Indonesian. Whichever language you choose, the app tailors your experience to your native language, so you'll have a real didactic method of learning. With this, an Italian-speaking student who wishes to learn German will learn in a different way than a French native speaker.

Unlike similar apps, Babbel does not offer machine-translated content. What you'll get in every lesson are learning materials prepared by language experts. The app avoids drilling abstract grammar and vocabulary and instead offers dialogue trainers. To top it off, native speakers voice the dialogues in every lesson, so you’ll get an exact duplicate of the accent, rhythm, and flow of the language you are learning.

Moreover, the app includes a speech recognition feature, which checks your pronunciation. With this, you will have the opportunity to repeat the words until you get them right. Moreover, the lessons involve topics and contents that are relevant to travel, culture, and business, which are great conversation subjects.

A short but effective approach

When you use Babbel to learn a new language, you will take part in 15-minute interactive lessons. These lessons introduce practical words and phrases used in actual conversations. Throughout the course, the app will bring back these words in various situations to make sure that you remember them. You will also take part in simulated conversations to practice using your new vocabulary.

The Babbel app also comes with a review manager. This feature is designed for repeating information and getting it in your long-term memory. It works by bringing back words that you’ve learned in the previous lessons. If you keep getting the words right, the time until you see it again expands.

Learn a new language

Overall, Babbel works well as an introduction to a foreign language. The language app has high-quality materials, and the courses offered are straightforward and easy to use. The lessons last for only 15 minutes, so you can use the app to fill your break time at work or during your commute. Note, however, that the contents of the app are pre-recorded, so there is no live interaction involved. Moreover, less popular languages have limited learning content.