Learning new languages unlocks incredible potential – new people to connect with, books to read, and places to explore. Whether your aim is to gain basic food-ordering skills or total fluency, there’s an app here for you.
Why we love this
Duolingo puts fun at the forefront of learning, with a cute green owl cheering your progress. Start a new language from scratch, or take a placement test to jump ahead. You can study solo or join clubs to practice (and compete) with others. Use in-game earnings for goodies like bonus lessons and outfits for your owl.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.duolingo
Why we love this
With easy-on-the-eyes Drops, you’ll assemble words and match them to minimalist images. A time limit of five minutes per day makes a daily commitment feel approachable, though you can upgrade your plan to add time. It’s great for a crash course before a trip, but we recommend looking elsewhere if you’re hoping to master grammar.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.languagedrops.drops.international
Why we love this
Learn a new language by reading short texts, with sentence highlights to help you follow along. You can listen to a native speaker narrate at your preferred speed (even with your phone locked or while offline). Take tests to assess your comprehension — with the option to toggle between languages as you go.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.david.android.languageswitch
Why we love this
A bespectacled deer celebrates your victories and weeps at your missteps as you match words to images, drag words into sentences, and more. Start with the alphabet – both pronunciation and drawing (from guided tracing to freehand) – then move on to practical sections like greetings, polite form, and spatial relation.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lingodeer
Why we love this
While it comes with one free core lesson, Rosetta Stone’s true value is as a paid resource. It’s not cheap, but the method and speech recognition technology (with adjustable difficulty!) have a proven track record. There’s no placement test to start, but once you pay for full access, you can skip ahead to any lesson.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.rosettastone.mobile.CoursePlayer