Overview: Best free apps to learn Spanish
(1) Duolingo:
| Product | Duolingo |
| Website: | https://en.duolingo.com/ |
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Duolingo is an app that provides language courses in more than forty languages. Its functions vary from completing grammar exercises to combining pictures and meanings and translation tasks.
Its most important teaching feature is its practicality. The app provides different levels, and the machine constantly teaches and adapts to the student. It collects data from the learning of each user who has completed a course.
It is proven that with discipline and perseverance and with an average of 30 to 60 minutes per day, the user will highly improve their mastery of the language in a relatively short period of time.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| It has a high variety of languages Teaches the most useful vocabulary in each language Each lesson is short enough to be completed in an average of five minutes | It can get repetitive over time Some examples can be not well formulated grammatically As the lessons are short you need to be really consistent with the practice |
(2) FluentU:
| Product | FluentU |
| Website: | https://www.fluentu.com/ |
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FluentU is the most interactive and easy-learning Spanish tool that is available. It teaches Spanish through movie clips, music videos, inspirational talks, and much other media content created by and for native speakers.
Every video on FluentU comes with interactive subtitles to enhance your understanding and other tools like flashcards and quizzes to reinforce your learning. One of the most valuable aspects of this app is that by watching a native English speaker, you’ll learn how Spanish is actually used.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| The app offers different regional Spanish accents Far more intuitive than competitors Offers dictionary with video and audio | Lacks offline features No direct access for native speakers Free trial available but there’s a premium option |
(3) Rosetta Stone:
| Product | Rosetta Stone |
| Website: | https://www.rosettastone.es/ |
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Rosetta Stone is the most accurate learning language tool that is available. It is designed to teach you Spanish from scratch the way a native learns Spanish. There’s also the option to chat with a live tutor, which is great for practicing conversations.
Speech recognition within the platform was also praised, as it was specifically designed to recognize the pronunciation of non-native speakers. It has an overall really positive system, but might be a drastic option for beginners that start to use the app.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Complete Spanish immersion Non-demanding way to learn grammar Very intuitive | It can get repetitive for advanced students The advanced modules are not that advanced Has some competition in the market |
(4) Memrise:
| Product | Memrise |
| Website: | https://www.memrise.com/ |
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Memrise’s sole purpose is to help you memorize Spanish words. There are different scenarios in the application and each scenario has many classes. A lesson in each course usually helps you learn 10 to 50 words, and each word includes audio, its English translation, and often a video of a native speaker saying the word or phrase.
You can learn words by repeating them and using them in different exercises such as translation, choosing the correct answer, or flashcards. Even though it is an app limited to memorization It can definitely help you improve your Spanish level.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Easy tool to work with It has Castilian Spanish and Mexican Spanish Combines courses of the app and courses made by users | Some of the user content courses have errors Not all courses are for the free version You have a free and a premium paid option |
(5) Pimsleur:
| Product | Pimsleur |
| Website: | https://www.pimsleur.com/ |
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Pimsleur is a very well-known learning method that mainly focuses on audio. Pimsleur emphasizes conversational language skills and has traditionally been an audio course that people listen to on the go. Each lesson begins with a short audio dialogue around which the entire lesson is built.
Each sentence is broken down to the point where you learn how to pronounce the syllables. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to listen, repeat, listen, and repeat. In addition to the audio of the lessons, you will also receive exercises in the form of readings (to improve pronunciation), flashcards (to review), and quizzes.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| You start speaking from the beginning because of its learning system It allows you to learn Spanish hands-free It helps you to improve fast your conversational skills | All explanations are in English It is designed for long-term learning It lacks the amount of free content |
(6) Mosalingua:
| Product | Mosalingua |
| Website: | https://www.mosalingua.com/ |
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MosaLingua is designed to teach Spanish by focusing on learning the most common words and phrases using several different methods. MosaLingua uses lots of learning techniques such as a spaced repetition system to calculate when you should next review a word to best memorize it.
Apart from focusing on the common use of the language, it offers a high variety of expressions. It is a very organized app with different categories and recordings of native Spanish speakers that make the experience more valuable.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| The lessons adapt very well to the level of the user Very large multimedia Fully customizable cards | Low-quality of free audio Each language has its own app on Android The free version lacks quality |
(7) Busuu:
| Product | Busuu |
| Website: | https://www.busuu.com/ |
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Busuu is an online Spanish learning platform based on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) levels. In each lesson, you will have access to vocabulary, writing practice, speaking practice, voice recordings, and a final review.
You’ll cover all four areas of language learning (reading, writing, speaking, listening), but speaking practice is definitely the best part. The free version is enough to get you to an advanced level, but it doesn’t include personalized lesson plans, grammar lessons, or offline access.
It is a really complete app and the fact that it is based on the CEFR makes it stand out.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| It has a strong community It covers all major languages The free version is complete | Some speaker users are not native Free version lacks grammar Very complete free version but could include more aspects |
(8) Drops:
| Product | Drops |
| Website: | https://languagedrops.com/ |
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Drops’ goal is for their users to learn Spanish for five minutes every day to reach fluency. This aspect encourages the user to be very effective with time distribution but limits the amount of time that people can spend in the app.
Drops is completely based on visual learning as it will give you new words and have you learn them through image matching and other gamified exercises. There are dozens of topics you can learn about and you will have access to five free minutes a day unless you pay for the unlimited version.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| I have both Mexican and Castilian Spanish Excellent app for beginners Large amount of topics available | The free version only gives you 5 minutes of practice There is no grammar system Focuses on vocabulary but not pronunciation |
(9) LingQ:
| Product | LingQ |
| Website: | https://www.lingq.com/en/ |
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Through engaging real content and simple-to-understand instructional materials, LingQ seeks to immerse the users. You will be exposed to a variety of Spanish language learning resources through this program, including articles, interviews, podcasts, audiobooks, and real-world conversations. T
ranscripts, flashcards, and vocabulary tools are included in these resources to help you dive further into your study. Transcripts allow you to look up words, save them as flashcards, and interact with them.
The app records your daily vocabulary learning progress as well as how well you’ve learned each word as well as which terms you’ve already mastered.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Authentic and native Spanish content Covers a high variety of topics Has a wide variety of tools and resources | Inconvenient user interface Lacks grammar, writing, and speaking Free version is fairly limited |
(10) Cudu:
| Product | Cudu |
| Website: | https://cuduapp.com/ |
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Cudu offers you text-based practice for everyday Spanish conversations. You can talk, listen, read, and take lessons based on dialogue using this app. With this strategy, context-based learning and memory retention are undoubtedly helpful.
With this one, it is best to have some fundamental Spanish knowledge, but once you get going, there are more than 100 subjects to pick from. The software makes extensive use of standard terms and idioms to help you learn the language while also assisting you in becoming familiar with the “flow” of Spanish discourse.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Very helpful dialogues in the Spanish version Totally free Good content from native speakers | Not the best app for new Spanish speakers that want to start from zero Mostly text-based practice Could be a more intuitive |
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Based on what criteria should you choose an animation program?
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