The path to polyglotism may just be an app away. Babbel is a language app that promises to help users expand their linguistic horizons by learning up to 14 different languages. Available on the web, iOS, and Android, the app provides digestible lessons that you can fit into even the busiest of schedules.
With more than a million paying subscribers to the app, Babbel seeks to empower users to start speaking in new tongues. Lessons are divided into real-world topics — you’ll learn how to introduce yourself, order food, and make travel arrangements, so that each word and phrase you use can serve a logistical purpose. This, Babbel says, is to ensure that students can start having real, meaningful conversations as soon as possible.
While learning a language may seem like a serious time investment, Babbel promises to develop your vocabulary with just a few minutes every day. More than 100 linguists and education experts developed a methodical approach to language, building upon what students already know within their own language in order to teach them a new one. That, the company behind the app claim, allows for engaging ways of teaching grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Babbel also features a voice recognition tool so that new speakers aren’t mispronouncing words.
In a survey of its users, Babbel found that 73 percent of customers said they’d feel comfortable holding a short conversation within five hours of using the app. But most of Babbel’s customers remain subscribers to the app for more than a year, as it continues to “motivate and empower” them to succeed in their linguistic endeavors.
So whether you’ve planned a vacation in a foreign country, are looking to impress your significant other’s parents, or are just hoping to brush up on your old high school Spanish skills, Babbel may just be the app for you.
