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Home > Smart Living> Innovation > From Memrise to Drops, learn a new language with these apps

From Memrise to Drops, learn a new language with these apps

A new survey says a majority of Indians consider gamified apps a better language learning tool than physical classrooms. Here’s a look at four such apps

Duolingo has many game-like features, fun challenges, and timely reminders from a friendly mascot.
Duolingo has many game-like features, fun challenges, and timely reminders from a friendly mascot. (Press handout)

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How do you prefer learning a new language? Some of us prefer books, while others veer towards online classes. Some of us even catch on to a new language through movies. A new survey from language-learning app Duolingo – conducted earlier this year amongst respondents in India by YouGov – says that 85% of users find gamified apps a better language learning tool than physical classrooms.

The survey was conducted with 1,003 Indian respondents across six key Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The gender split was close to 50:50 and age groups considered were between 18 to 50 years.

Also read: Which new language do you want to learn in 2022?

Learning a new language online has become much more fun in recent years. There are so many ways to keep learning. For instance, you can try Toucan, which helps you learn a new language while you browse the web through a free web browser extension. But there are also plenty of options if you are looking to try some gamified apps yourself.

Memrise

Memrise uses an interesting model where users learn through video examples of languages used in real life and practical phrases taught in courses designed by native speakers. The app, which is available on Android, iOS and web browsers, also puts users through gamified tests to train their language skills. Overall, the app uses some proven memory techniques to help you learn. You can try 22 languages on Memrise, including Korean, French, Icelandic and Japanese, among others.

Duolingo

One of the most popular language learning apps around, Duolingo uses quick, bite-sized lessons to teach users a new language. This app pretty much excels on the gamification front. As you learn a new language, you earn points and unlock new levels while gaining real-world communication skills. The app has many other game-like features, fun challenges, and timely reminders from a friendly mascot, Duo the owl. You can learn English and more than 30 other global languages on the app, which is available for both Android and iOS.

Memrise uses an interesting model where users learn through video examples of languages used in real life and practical phrases taught in courses designed by native speakers.
Memrise uses an interesting model where users learn through video examples of languages used in real life and practical phrases taught in courses designed by native speakers. (Press handout)

Pimsleur

The Pimsleur app uses a mix of reading lessons, digital flashcards and other fun, skill-based games to teach you a new language. The app follows the Pimsleur method. According to its official website, the method involves a scientifically proven set of principles designed to take a learner directly to the heart of the language, eliminating noise, confusion, and information overload. The app features language courses for 51 languages – everything from Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese Mandarin, Korean, Norwegian, Hebrew, Tagalog, Hindi, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian and English. You can even learn through the app offline. Pimsleur is available on both Android and iOS.

Drops

Available for more than 45 languages, from Hindi to Hawaiian, Drops helps you learn new vocabulary through fun, fast-paced games with simple mnemonic images. All you need is just 5 minutes a day on the app. Drops relies on visual learning, using many beautiful illustrations to pick up on useful vocabulary. The app is available on Android and iOS, and uses short, engaging games to make language learning a fun part of your daily routine. Those interested in learning to write character-based languages or languages with a different writing system, can try its companion app Scripts. Drops also has an interesting visual dictionary as a learning tool.

Also read: The melting face emoji and the language of the internet

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