Poor Rosetta Stone. The language-learning software has found major competition with free options. This is wonderful for all of us, but horrible for my stock portfolio (I bought Rosetta Stone stock before the free apps caught on).
Check out these free language-learning apps:
- Duolingo
Gamified Free Language-Learning System
Duolingo has changed the way people learn languages. Instead of listening to language tapes in your car during a commute, Duolingo creates mini-lessons with games and tricks to keep you engaged and encouraged. You get points for completing lessons multiple days in a row and hearts when you get answers correct. Your progress is synched between your app and the web, so you can sneak in a lesson anywhere. It’s 100% free and doesn’t even make you navigate through ads to learn dozens of languages (even a Klingon class is in development!).Bonus! Duolingo created a wonderful flashcard system to help you learn your vocabulary. Check out Tinycards. - Tandem
Language Practice AppNow that you’ve learned the basics of a new language with Duolingo, you need to find someone to practice with. Tandem is a community of language learners who help each other practice and learn. Like Duolingo, Tandem is free. - ELSA
English Pronunciation AssistanceEnglish has its quirks and challenges, and non-native speakers (or people with heavy accents) can be at a disadvantage in the workplace. The ELSA app gently corrects your pronunciation of English words and helps you feel more comfortable and confident speaking in English.
Bonus again! If you don’t want to actually have to learn the new language, check out Google Translate.
