There are thousands of language learning apps on the market, and it can be overwhelming to pick one that suits your language learning needs.
In this article, we will share some of our favorite apps with you that you can use either if you are a complete beginner and just starting out on your language learning journey or if you already have a foundational level and are looking to brush up on your skills. You have probably already heard of Duolingo, an extremely popular language learning app that certainly has some useful features, but we want to share some lesser-known apps with you that can help shore up some of your language weaknesses.
The apps are covered in no particular order. Don’t limit yourself to just one!
LingQ | access on web | Apple App Store & Google Play
LingQ is currently one of the best sources of comprehensible input. We highly recommended LingQ in our best German reading material article, and this list wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of their mobile app.
It offers stories ranging from the complete beginner level all the way to advanced texts, and the best part is that the stories are read by a native speaker, allowing you to get both auditory and visual input. The platform assists the language learner through immersion and repetition and is one of the most effective overall learning platforms that we’ve found.
Duolingo | access on web | Apple App Store & Google Play
You have probably heard of Duolingo, one of the OGs of the language learning revolution. It is simple in execution, sleek in design, and easy to pick up whenever you have a free moment. Duolingo is great for beginners because it starts you off from square one.
Where Duolingo really shines is with the mini stories section. These short interactive stories allow you to immerse yourself in the German language and provide a great source of comprehensible input.
There are a couple of potential downsides to Duolingo that should be mentioned. First, it sometimes teaches you extremely bizarre phrases like “the purple elephant ate the hotdog”. If you are really intent on mastering a language, then this isn’t really a problem, but if you are just looking for a couple of useful phrases to use for your next trip, then this approach isn’t super practical. All in all, Duolingo is a great starting point to build a basic vocabulary and knowledge of a language, but you should fairly quickly move on from it to things that are slightly more practical.
Der Die Das - German Grammar | Apple App Store
This fun game is the brainchild of Norbert, who despite having a German mother, still struggled to learn German noun genders. He came up with a lot of fun memory tricks that even made my Swiss friend chuckle. The game mechanism is simple and rewarding, and you’ll pick up a couple of the most common nouns in no time!
Spoiler alert: one learning prompt involves a combination of giraffes, long necks, and vomit.
Clozemater | access on web | Apple App Store & Google Play
This platform uses a simple ‘gap-fill’ method for you to practice completing German sentences. It’s trickier than it looks! You can choose various topics or work from a frequency list to learn grammar and vocabulary in context.
The platform is reminiscent of old school 8-bit games and is accompanied by retro sound bites. This shouldn’t be your only learning tool, but it nicely complements the other apps on this list.
Lingvist | access on web | Apple App Store & Google Play
This Estonian start-up has made big waves with their innovative technology that maximises vocabulary learning and retention. Their team of cognitive scientists, machine learning engineers, and language specialists have done an amazing job in crafting a truly efficient tool to help you boost your German skills.
For example, the latest version can scan a page in a German book you’re reading and compile it into a unique set of flashcards that you can use to efficiently train your vocabulary.
Onleihe | access on web | Apple App Store
This app is a portable version of the Goethe Institut, our all-time favorite free online German library. You can use it to access thousands of free books, including graded readers from the A1 to B1 level, graded readers in newspaper form from the A2 to C2 level, and loads of authentic German books.
There’s nothing stopping you from taking a whole German library with you wherever you go!
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