Language Learning With Technology: Babbel Review
We ’re often asked to provide a quick overview of Babbel: How does it work? Who is it for? What sets Babbel apart? We are passionate about our product so we may not be an impartial reviewer, but, in this Babbel review, we wanted to answer your questions and give you an overview of how you can learn a language with the Babbel app. You’ll get a sense of how Babbel works, who it’s designed for, understand some of its advantages and how you can get started learning a language. Ready? Here we go!
Nothing in language learning is more rewarding than a real conversation. As you will see in this Babbel review, Babbel makes it easy for anyone to learn a new language and gets you speaking right from the start. In fact, 73% of surveyed customers feel that they’d be able to hold a short conversation within five hours of using the app. And quite a few people have taken part in Babbel challenges to see just how far they can get in a few hours or a few weeks of language study. All Babbel learning content is designed by a professional team of over 150 linguists and language teachers and is specifically tailored to each language combination. This is because an English speaker, for example, learns French differently than an Italian speaker would. This approach focuses on the four ways of communicating: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Babbel does this with contextual content in small learning units that apply to everyday life. Topics like travel, culture, local cuisine, and nature touch on many of the interests you might have. You’re always introduced to new grammar and vocabulary in a real-world context, and the practice you get reinforces what you’ve learned.
Getting Started — What Is Babbel?
Babbel is a language learning app that helps you speak a new language like you've always wanted to. According to a study by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of South Carolina, Babbel is an effective language learning app: 15 hours of learning with Babbel is equivalent to one college semester of Spanish. The Babbel language learning app for web, iOS, and Android makes it easy to learn 14 different languages from seven learning languages.
Bite-sized lessons fit into everyday life and cover useful real-world topics, from introducing oneself, to ordering food and making travel arrangements. Babbel doesn’t have any ads – instead, it uses a transparent, subscription-based business model which means you’re both a learner and a customer. Babbel’s focus remains firmly on empowering you to start speaking your new language. And it works – in 2016, Fast Company magazine recognized Babbel as the most innovative company in education.
Who Is Babbel Designed For?
With Babbel, everyone can learn a language. Babbel users are as varied as their individual motivations for learning but they have one thing in common: they want the flexibility to learn when and where they choose.
Your motivation for learning a new language might range from a general interest in a foreign language or culture to a desire to communicate while travelling. Or you maybe want to maintain your mental fitness, refresh your language skills learned in school, or improve your career propsects. Whatever the case, you’re in good hands for long-term success: the average Babbel user remains a customer for significantly longer than 12 months.
It’s worth noting in this Babbel review that Babbel is used by both young and old. A user survey in 2016 indicated that, on average, over 30% of Babbel users worldwide are between 55-70 years old – quite remarkable for a digital product.
Learn On-The-Go — How To Learn A Language With Babbel
Based on the latest didactic research, Babbel gives you skills that you can use right away, enabling you to immerse yourself in a new language like a native. Compare Babbel to other language learning apps and, instead of drilling abstract sentences, vocabulary, or grammar rules, you’ll discover the app is useful because it teaches you a new language using real-life dialogue. You start with typical greetings like, “Hello, how are you?” and gradually build up to practical dialogues like, “How can I book a single room?” Learning through conversation in this way also teaches vocabulary actively and passively. Babbel guides your brain to connect the dots by passively learning new information based on the dialogue’s context. This empowers you to actively use passively learned words, giving you the confidence to start talking right away. Here’s how you can get started with Babbel:
Step 1: Choose one of the 14 languages offered. Always wanted to learn Portuguese? Go for it!
Step 2: Take a free placement test to see where you should get started.
Step 3: Try a language lesson – the first one is always free.
Step 4: Upgrade to a paid subscription to get access to all courses for your language.
"With a low price for membership and truly useful content, Babbel is one of the best language-learning programs that you can buy from the comfort of your home and do while in your pajamas." (PCMag, 2019)
Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking — The Babbel Advantage
What sets Babbel apart is that learning with Babbel costs you much less per month than your morning coffee habit, is ad-free, and has been made by a team of language experts, educators and designers – so you’re guaranteed a top-quality learning experience for the best value. Here at Babbel, we believe that the key to effectively learning any language is having fun. Commitment and discipline will always be important factors, but real engagement is what helps you retain information and maximize your learning potential. What you can expect from Babbel:
Interactive multimedia lessons Covers all four aspects of language acquisition – listening, reading, writing, and speaking – with fully interactive multimedia lessons. The speech recognition feature even helps you improve your pronunciation.
Built with your device in mind iOS and Android apps are fully integrated with the web application. Your progress is saved in the cloud and synced across all devices – so you can learn anytime, anywhere.
Learn at your own speed Set your own pace and learn what’s relevant to you with courses organized by topic and theme. Access to the app ensures you can revise vocabulary, practice grammar, or apply conversational speech whenever, wherever.
Babbel's Review feature All the material you cover is stored in your personalized Review dashboard where you can continue to practice and improve on what you’ve learned, even if you decide not continue with a paid subscription.
Babbel Review Summary
Babbel subscribers can learn up to 14 languages.
The product is offered on the web, iOS, and Android.
15 hours of learning a language with Babbel is equivalent to one college semester.
Don’t like Babbel? There’s a 20-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked.