5 of Our Favorite Language Learning Apps for Students

We’ve toyed around with interactive language learning software like Rosetta Stone and Fluenz, but they certainly aren’t cheap. Purchased at a discount or even used, both programs approach the $300 mark. If you’re looking to sharpen your students’ language learning skills and you’re on a budget, we recommend checking out these five language learning apps below.

Gus on the Go ($3.99)
This language learning app gives users the choice of learning 24 different languages. By following Gus the owl around the globe, your students will learn basic vocabulary concepts including numbers, colors, shapes and more. Each of the 10 lessons is followed by an interactive game. Teachers will especially appreciate the supplemental language printables.

Little Pim (Free) gives students a choice of learning eight different languages. Besides the fact that this app is completely free, we like that Little Pim allows us to create profiles for students so we can track and assess their progress.

French Words for Kids ($3.99) provides 240 word-picture-audio combinations that teach students how to spell and pronounce French words.  Students can navigate their way through three levels of difficulty.

Anki (Free) is a digital flashcard program that displays words, phrases, images and sound, leaving it to the user to make the connection, repeat, and commit new words to memory. While Aniki is especially useful for learning languages, it can be an excellent studying tool for a number of subjects.

Duolingo (Free) uses timed practice drills, images and sounds to teach students Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, and Italian. Here’s how the app works: Users create an account, choose a language and then Duolingo creates a series of language “tasks.” Users must successfully complete tasks to unlock the next one.