We all have different ways of learning. Whether you’re a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner, some of us prefer a gentle push, others like to be told what to do, and many of us want to make our own schedule. That’s why I’m not surprised when I hear that a very popular language learning app doesn’t work for someone. It’s not about you, it’s just that your learning style doesn’t match.
So if you’ve already tried some of the most popular language learning apps – I like Duolingo and Babbel – and still don’t feel like something is stuck or the experience isn’t as fun as it should be, then I highly recommend checking out Memrise for iPhone and iPad.
When you first log into Memrise, it may look very similar to competing language apps, but there are a few key ways in which it offers a refreshing take on immersing yourself in a new language—all features that seriously put me off the app. I’ve been using it for years…
What makes Memrise language learning so much fun?
The reason I like Memrise is that it feels less restrictive than other apps. You can choose the conversations you want to master that are relevant to language learning and choose the level you want to start from. And the good news is that if you’ve been learning a language on another app for years and you’re feeling really invested, there’s a feature that lets you set your level and import your string from other applications.
There is also a great focus on immersing students in the language. You can listen to native speakers – there are over 30,000 conversations to watch – which helps you get used to their accents and tempo. You can then try practicing speaking on your own with Memrise’s AI tutor, MemBot, to help you be sure when you need to speak in real life – something I often struggle with when I’m so clueless.
There is also a selection of videos you can watch. For example, I’m learning Spanish and Memrise suggested I watch the music video for Bad Bunny’s Moscow Mule, telling me I’d already know most of the vocabulary in the song. I’m still not up to the pace of Spanish speakers!
The app also launched some new lessons related to the Golden Globe and Oscar nominated movies. There are clips from Anatomy of a Fall and Zone of interest for those learning French and German and Spanish speakers learning English can access Color purple, elemental and Nyad. These are more examples of how Memrise doesn’t just teach you lessons that seem unrelated to real life, but aims to combine learning with life, experience and fun.
The good news is that there’s a free version of Memrise, which gives you the basics and lessons in 23 languages, along with videos, quizzes and personalized reviews. There’s also a premium version (available for $18.99/£18.99 per month, $69.99/£69.99 per year and $99.49/£99.49 for life) that unlocks even more features and removes all ads from the application.