![]() My biggest issue with Babbel happened right off the bat since I found the placement tests to be less than ideal for truly gauging my experience level.įor German, I tested into a beginner course despite having taken several classes pre-pandemic. I was then prompted to recite them back (the program assesses pronunciation and is overall quite good at it).Īfter that, the program ran me through various drills, such as pairing words with their definitions, spelling words from memory, and fill-in-the-blank scripts where native speakers read the final scene. The exercises generally started by introducing a set of vocabulary and having me listen to the words, accompanied by their English translation and a photo. I found that having a diversity of vocabulary in a lesson kept learning fresh and actually made it easier for me to retain the vocabulary. Lessons were primarily centered on specific themes ("Relationships"), with nouns, adjectives, and phrases relating to each topic (emotions, names for relationship statuses) versus other programs I've tried where units focused on say, just memorizing different names of fruits. That said, because I live in Berlin, I was still getting German practice through my daily movements on days when I didn't use the app. ![]() I found myself making the most use of the app when I set aside an hour or so two to three times a week, headed to the park, and knocked through a few lessons in one go.īy doing the lessons in longer chunks, I felt more immersed in the experience, and it was easier not to notice the repetitive nature of the lessons. See a full overview of how Babbel works here.Įach lesson in the German courses I tried followed a fairly similar format, which, while useful for retention, became tedious. Content between courses also varies, including introductory lessons that take different approaches to learning (as we've noted in our overview of Babbel, the same initial lessons in Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish all have vastly different - and slightly befuddling - approaches). German, French, and Spanish are the most developed, comprehensive courses on the app so far. It's important to note that despite the team of in-house experts, the quality between courses does vary. You can also further customize your experience by how many minutes per day you want to learn the language, though lessons generally tend to be on the shorter side at about 10 to 15 minutes. New users, like myself, take a placement test to assess their current skill level and courses can be tailored around specific interests. Launched 12 years ago, the company uses a team of more than 150 educators, polyglots, editors, researchers, and linguists to develop their content - there aren't any user- or bot-generated lesson plans on this app. Read on about my experience using Babbel, and why I found it useful.īabbel is a flexible language-learning app and browser-based program offering 13 different language courses for native English speakers. I hoped the app would improve my confidence conversing with native German speakers in day-to-day interactions. Granted, I wouldn't be starting from the absolute beginning with my German abilities, but the claims piqued my interest. The company claims that 73% of users report that they can hold short, simple conversations within five hours of using Babbel. I was given a premium-access code for review purposes to test out the app. Instead, I decided Babbel was a good alternative way to speak a little more Deutsch as I waited for in-person classes to return. While I intended to take in-person German classes this summer and finally reach intermediate courses, COVID-19 threw a wrench into that plan. I've been living in Berlin for almost four years and my German is still less than perfect, to put it mildly. There are many language-learning platforms on the market, but Babbel is particularly popular thanks to its lower price point and flexible app-based programs. Language-learning apps have also been on the rise, whether used to add new expertise, pass the extra time spent indoors, or to prep for a post-quarantine trip. ![]() Yet for many, it's all but impossible to take in-person classes at the moment, so e-learning has become increasingly popular with classes ranging from Yale's free class on the Science of Happiness to courses geared towards helping freelancers gain employable skills. The range of new hobbies people have embraced while spending more time at home due to COVID-19 includes everything from bread baking and cocktail mixing to learning skills like photography or coding. ![]()
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