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I am trying to learn portugese so that I can understand what the commentators are saying when I watch portugese football. Using Duolingo paid version, came here for a review of other possible solutions as I have yet to hear portugese football commentary say anything about "the cat plays piano" ;)
I suggest doing a periodic update of this video since these companies are always updating their methods and courses. I started using Duolingo because (it has a free version and) my granddaughter asked me to. She lasted less than a week. I'm approaching a year of having used it daily. To me, gamification is key. Also, for those using Duolingo the limit on how long you're able to use it can be bypassed (at least on the mobile version, I almost never use the actual website) by tapping the spot the heart counter occupies. It then gives you the chance to practice to earn hearts. I have used the app at times for 5-6 hours straight because of this feature. I also eliminate or lessen language learning "burnout" by switching languages at least once an hour or so. If I'm tired or frustrated with one language (Hebrew for example) I'll switch to another one. However..., I don't recommend more than one at a time until you achieve speaking fluency with one language other than your native tongue. This is so you have a structure of neurons built into your brain that is all ready for new language learning. If you do this, you will soon see the similarites in different languages as well as the differences and it should help in defining the hardest thing about language learning: the differing structural rules of grammar, etc for them. For example, some languages don't have articles like English does. Instead, they have suffixes that do the job of articles. So, for example, to say tea in Romanian is "ceai," but to say the tea is "ceaiul."
I have used Duolingo for many months and today added Babbel. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of understanding I gained after only 15 minutes. With Babbel I'm learning the language, not only gaining vocabulary.
I have been using Duolingo every day for over 600 days. I completed all the castles, but then they changed it. I believe I have been exposed to everything Duolingo has to offer, yet I still can’t speak the language. Apparently they only teach 2700 words in the language that I’m learning. That’s the vocabulary of a 3 or 4 year old. This video is already outdated. They completely changed what he showed.
I'm using Babbel and Duolingo for Spanish and definitely agree with your points. Duolingo is kinda fun and feels like I'm playing a game but Babbel is where my brain is really being tested and stretched. I've subscribed for 3 months and with the subscription its also worth mentioning that Babbel has two free 1 hr online lessons available with a teacher. Thats a game changer as far as I'm concerned.
I’ve been doing DuoLingo Spanish Free daily for about 4 years. Having gotten to travel to Latin America a handful of times, I am able to make and maintain basic conversation. I think the key to any of these is consistency. If you do it 15 minutes a day you won’t be fluent, but you will learn a language
@sjwestmo I know there are a lot of free materials on the internet, but sometimes I caught myself thinking, "how is this for free? aren't they trying to get me hooked and then remove my access to the free podcasts so that they can start offering me a subscription? nope, still free."
What I like best about Duolingo is the amount of content they give you in the free version. It’s incredible. It also lets you learn as many languages as you want (39 total) and switch your target language from one to the other whenever you want as often as you want. The only real limitations of Duolingo come if you’re the competitive type. It automatically ranks you against other users in leagues of 30, which reset every week. You’ll really need to be a “Super” member if you want to place 1st on the leaderboard every week and win the Diamond tournament at the end.
I tried Duolingo for several months trying to learn Spanish. I did the lessons every day. After six or seven months, I could tell you how much my cat liked swimming in a pool. But I still couldn't ask the way to the restroom. I don't have a cat. I don't have a pool. So my ability to discuss a hypothetical cat's love for swimming in a more or less mythical pool was worthless. On the other hand, I often need to use a restroom. In short, Duolingo is a waste of time. I'm hoping for better things from Babbel. Thanks for the video.
Rosetta Stone is the one if they're the same from many years ago. Did a sample with Rosetta and it had me thinking the language in that sample session. Duolingo was a waste of time trying to teach the same as High School. Rosetta was the one to teach a language to think in it and understand. I hope Rosetta is the same today because I'm looking to them to learn a language. I already know can't learn with Duolingo.
The problem with Babbel is it only covers 13 European languages. It is not a fair comparison to the other two which include far more choices of harder languages. I am amazed that after a break from learning Japanese, the learning program I retained the most knowledge was with Rosetta Stone. I don't have to translate in my head as the Japanese word or phrase automatically pops into my head. With others, you learn translations. I have also tried Duolingo and Buusu and was highly disappointed in the results. I have other smaller programs that are about the same teaching translations. For me, the immersive approach works best and easiest to recall without effort.
I guess I'm the odd man out... studying Italian (not Spanish???) on the DuoLingo app. The competitive gaming atmosphere gives me the motivation that I seem to lack, something that it appears would be required for Babbel or Rosetta to be effective learning tools. Working toward, hitting and maintaining that "Top Ten" rank in my study group not only gets me to come back every day, but also makes me feel "molto bene!"
It appears I'm in the minority in this crowd. I've been simultaneously using Babbel and Rosetta Stone, so I can't be truly objectively sure which is most responsible for my learning ultimately, but I feel a strong preference for Rosetta Stone. That said, I definitely agree with most of your cons to Rosetta Stone. I actually like how repetitive it is because I feel like it's carving itself into my brain in a way that I can recall it on demand. What I don't like about Babbel is that I feel like it TELLS me about the language, and then it TESTS me on it, but it doesn't TEACH me about the language. At the end of each lesson, I feel like I haven't learned much if anything. It seems to expect me to remember things that it's only told me once before telling me a bunch of unrelated details. If and when I can get a lifetime full subscription to Duolingo, I think I'll add that as well. I wish all films and shows on all streaming channels had all the languages they've been dubbed in available to all viewers regardless of where on Earth they are because I think that would be a great help.
You are not in the minority. I had a sample of Rosetta many years ago and it had me thinking in the language. Rosetta stated they teach the same way you learned to understand and speak your own language from birth. I tried Duolingo and was a waste of time. Same as High School which did not have me Learn a new language. If Rosetta is the same Rosetta is #1. I never tried Babbel but tried Duolingo and was completely disappointed.
I had a sample of Rosetta Stone many years ago and loved it. Rosetta stated it would teach the language you wanted to learn the same way as you learned to speak your own language from birth. That is what I experienced at the time. Rosetta had me thinking in the language and that is the only way I would be able to learn it. I tried Duolingo and was a waste of time. Using English to teach me another language is a huge stumbling block for me. For instance, Uno in Spanish is One and Dos is two but if you tell me Uno is One and Dos is two to teach me this other language it's jibberish to me. I will not think Uno as One and Dos Two although can say it. Rosetta was the one that had me thinking in the language to actually learn it.
Nice comparison; thanks. I found very limited options for the language I wanted to learn; Duolingo has a course for it, so I'm using it and really enjoying it. After I started the course for the new language, I started using it to refresh a couple of other languages that I was once very good with, but haven't used in years. I am finding those courses fun and effective for reviving my rusty languages. I am using the paid-version of Duolingo.
I used free Duolingo for about 6 months, but after their most recent update they made it nearly impossible to progress to further units unless you were already a native speaker or highly proficient in the language you're already learning. I had to take advantage of their New Year deal and pay for a full year. Since then, I've been looking for anything I can do to enhance my language learning experience because I only know one fluent German speaker, but he isn't a native speaker.
I've been studying languages since 2014, almost 10 years now. I've studied Latin, German, Russian, Korean, and Japanese to at least intermediate level or more. I have to say that I wouldn't recommend anyone seriously trying to learn a language for more than travel to use these apps and services. The best resources for becoming conversational are real people, grammatical resources (there's a lot of good free stuff online for most languages), and Anki cards. When I learn a language, I start with basic grammar and useful phrases and start talking with native speakers while studying new vocabulary and grammar points a little bit every day. I promise sticking to something like that will be 10x quicker than matching vocab words to pictures for a few minutes a day. There are usually plenty of people who would love to chat with you in pretty much any language even if you're a beginner along with lots of Anki decks to learn any vocabulary and phrases you want. You don't need to spend a bunch of money to learn languages these days. If someone insists on wanting to use an app, I agree Babel is probably the best one for light studying.
I loved your honesty!!! I just got back from Morroco last evening and I am committed to refreshing my French so that I can go back and actually converse with the friends I made there. I'm 65 and took French for 5 years in high school so it's really rusty. I know I can do it if I make up my mind. Thank you for providing these comparisons. You are an excellent speaker and easy to follow!!!
I am a fan of Duolingo. I am learning French via duplingo cause i want to apply to B-Schools in France. Very helpful review, keep such quality content coming. Thank you
I am a fan of Duolingo too. It was the first language learning app I’ve ever used. I’m grateful they opened this door for me, but after 6 months if using it, I got curious about other apps. I have now tried Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and Mondly. In my opinion, Pimsleur is by FAR the best. I learned more in 1 week using Pimsleur than 6 months on Duolingo and I used Duolingo EVERY day, I’m in the Diamond league, I have over 60,000 XP points in my first 6 months, so I am VERY familiar with Duolingo. Duolingo is like a game, its fun, you learn a little as you go, it’s great for practice, but it is not a serious learning tool. Pimsleur is a serious learning tool. Rosetta Stone may have a lot you can learn, but their mobile app is awful. Everything is very dated and not user friendly. I don’t like it. Mondly is very similar to Duolingo, but with more features and in my opinion better. But Duolingo is great for the social aspect, competing with friends and family, and great for Practice. If you really want to learn a language, apps like Pimsleur, Rocket Languages, Babbel, and Busuu are much better. You will learn more in 1 month using Pimsleur than 1 year using Duolingo. Good luck! Bonne chance!
I have been researching Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Babbel. Your review helped me make my decision to aid in my brushing up on my French before we go to Europe next Spring.
This is the most informative video I’ve found about this topic. I’m a homeschooling mom with twins about to start their high school language requirement. This really helped me to plan out their curriculum.
I started using Duolingo for German last year, then added up Polish (my boyfriend's language), Italian, Greek, French... it was kind of fun to have a first experience, but now I look for excellence, also knowing which methods I personally prefer for learning, and this display of features was amazingly helpful. Thank you so much.
I'm not sure if you will see this but would you have any tip to learn Polish? Something that may have worked better than the rest. I was using busuu but the quality dropped after the A1 level
This is JUST what I was looking for. I just returned from a medical mission in Honduras & was at such a disadvantage not knowing the language. I’m leaning toward Babble after watching your review.
I use DuoLingo free version. I don't have the money to pay for the subscriptions. I've been learning Spanish, just because I've always wanted to since I was a boy growing up in California.
Thanks for the comparison video! I’m currently learning Spanish on Duolingo. I love this comparison because my local library offers Rosetta Stone and I am considering trying it out. I’m learning Spanish so I can better interact with the people in my community. I enjoyed learning basic Italian for a vacation I just came back from.
When I retired recently, I decided to go back some languages I studied in school and to add some additional languages that had intrigued me for some time. I am currently using DuoLingo with: Spanish, French, German, Latin, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Yiddish. (It may be that only DuoLingo has all those languages.) So far, so good. I agree about grammar being useful in understanding how the language works, but it's easy to go overboard with it. My take is that learning grammar isn't really learning language, it's learning about language. As such it can be very satisfying, and can also assist in the more formal uses of language where adhering to stylistic convention is very important (this is why native speakers are taught grammar in school).
I think that "learning grammar" and "learning grammar" can be two different things. You learn grammar in such a wat that you hardly notice it or you can do"direct" grammar lessons, where you have a list that tells you when you have to use which tense etc. 😊
@@gshenaut Yeah, I think I understood what you meant. ☺️☺️ I love that you study Yiddish by the way. Once I met a tourist in Ukraine, he spoke a bit with me in Yiddish, so I can hear it. He was there to see where his ancestors lived. I cherish this memory a lot.
It definitely helps, but you really have to try out all of them to see what really helps you. I noticed very soon how little Duolingo can teach, but the motivational factor does it for me.
For me it’s Duolingo. I’ve tried them all and this is the easiest for me to learn with. It does have a lot of grammar a lot more than Rosetta Stone for sure. Also, it keeps improving. This video is quite old and a lot has changed at Duolingo since then.
This is very helpful. Thank you! I have been using Duolingo to learn German for several years, but I really want to get more intense learning and take it to the next level.
In the German Duolingo, often they use the English slang that younger people such as in their 20s, use and put in the German language. That’s fine, but they should also use the other words that many people use for example, many Germans, especially the younger ones use the word job when they talk about people’s occupation, but many other people use the original German word Arbeit. And I don’t think Duolingo has ever used that word, but many of the people I talk to in Germany when I used to live there a few years ago mostly use the original German word so it’s good to know both.
I’m talking about people that have English as a native language in are trying to use German and Duolingo that often Duolingo only puts in the slang terms but not the other terms and it’s helpful to know both
I'm an ESL teacher, and I work with adults. I am looking for a language learning course for some of my students. Thanks for your honest review of these 3 language apps. I've made a decision based on your reviews. Thank you!
Im currently learning Navajo on duolingo. The course is ok but they don't have voice recordings like the rest of the courses. Which is SUPER important for a language like Navajo. It's a very oral and tonal language, so pronounciation is important. However, they do have navajo on Rosetta Stone through a third party native american language program. Navajo is part of rosetta Stone's Endangered Language Program. So im going to definitely buy it through the Navajo Language Renaissance. It's a non-profit that signed a contract with Rosetta Stone to try to bring the language back. They also have inuit and Ojibwe too in this program. The problem with a lot of these Native american languages are that thete arent much resources for learning them.
I am in love with my Girlfriend of almost 2 years. She is half Hispanic, and uses only Spanish when hanging out with her dad’s side of the family. We both graduated college only a year ago, so most of our time and money is spent working off our student loans. I would love to be able to communicate with her family without breaking the bank! I love the videos! And fingers crossed I get selected!
That was a great review. Really helpful. Honestly I wanna learn French right now. I feel like I already have the basic knowledge of the language so it’ll be easier for me to learn. On the top of that I really love France and the French culture. So I would love to learn some French.
DuoLingo worked pretty well for me. I started at the same level you describe and worked pretty hard to finish the French course in a year. Now I can watch French shows and movies without subtitles, and I listen to Radio-Canada regularly. I still struggle to understand sometimes, and I’ve never had much opportunity to practice speaking, but I’m definitely comfortable reading and listening in most situations. Pro-tip: watching the news in French (France 24 or Radio-Canada Télé) is an excellent way to work on listening comprehension. They tend to speak very clearly, and use obvious words that you have learned or will learn, rather than obscure synonyms or slang. And the mix of visual cues and text on screen keep you in context of what’s going on even if you understand very little of what’s being said. I started watching the news in French about 3 months into Duolingo and it helped immensely. You have to force yourself somewhat because it is a chore to keep listening to something when you don’t understand, but it pays off in spades.
I agree with most of your comments, but not the conclusion. Admittedly, I tried Babbel a number of years ago and it looks like it's improved a lot since. My preference is for Duolingo because you can complete lessons quickly and you get hooked into doing more (I used the free version several years ago for Spanish and Italian). One thing I didn't like about Duolingo was that it sometimes asked you to translate from the language you're studying into English. You can use a perfectly acceptable English word, but it marks you wrong, because of its American focus. For example, I gave "university" as an English translation for the Spanish "universidad" and it marked me wrong, because I should have used the American form "college." You also get nagged constantly if you haven't done your lesson yet -- often with images of sobbing owls crying because you're late doing your lesson. I agree with your assessment of Rosetta Stone. I was sometimes confused and it would have helped a lot to have a brief explanation of the grammar. None of these apps are good for grammar, and for that I prefer an old-school book.
I am from the United States and we use both the term college and university because they mean different things as I understand it. Such as college is usually just for a two year degree and university contains for four year degrees or more. Also a university can be made up of several different colleges such as the college of agriculture. I would’ve translated Universidad as university also.
Thanks man your comment helped me in a strong Christian and while using the word babbel which is from the Bible story the tower of babbel, unfortunately they are not a Christian company and support things that won’t allow me to support them, your comment helped me choose which one I’d want to do.
My husband is Italian and doesn’t speak it, but I need to learn to speak Italian conversationally in order to attain citizenship as his spouse because there is a test. I wasn’t sure what to start with but this has been super helpful, thank you!
Your video really helped me decide which language app might work best for me. A friend had suggested Duolingo. However, after I watched your video, I realized that what would work for me might be different than what they liked... or maybe they recommended it due to the free version. I don't know, but I do know now that I am going to try Babbel. Thank you for doing this comparison video. Well done!
I've been using Duolingo for a bit and now I might add Babel as I don't feel like I've learned much yet. Thank you for the information about these Apps :)
Thanks for this. I have Rosetta Stone but I am also thinking of picking up Babbel because I also found Rosetta Stone repetitive. I wish Babbel also had Irish language
I've been trying to to choose the right program for my high schooler for a while now and always tend to like Babbel more than the others for no real reason. Now, after watching your review, I'll go with Babbel - thank you!
Traveled the Camino last year with such limited Spanish speaking skills. Planning another route in 2025 in which I plan to have improved language skills in order to have a deeper experience!!
I am keen to gain French fluency as my work responsibilities cover countries where French or French based language is the main form of communication . Thank you for these insightful videos🎉.
Super helpful! I've been using the paid version of Duolingo but I think you've convinced me to switch to Babbel. Duolingo is SO frustratingly light on the grammar explanations. I can select the correct syntax and get a perfect lesson score almost every time, but there's no way I could explain the underlying grammatical rules I'm being "tested" on.
It works for me. My English is mostly self-taught through live interactions at work, RPG gaming, watching movies and reading books. Through immersion, in short. No mobile phones with apps those days - I wish there were! :) I found that learning grammar intuitively works for me better than long winded explanations of rules. I am learning French and Japanese in Duolingo now and find that the explanations provided for French within the app are sufficient for me. Sometimes I make an accidental mistake and Duo pops up reminders about noun genders and verb conjugations that I find annoying. There are no explanations of grammar in the Japanese course but it's OK because all I need to understand the grammatical structure is examples of sentences. I can work out the rest and actually find it fun. And when you work it out yourself, it is easier to remember afterwards. Having said that, I understand that all people are different and so are their learning styles.
I'm glad I found you! I'm a beginner language learner in Korean and was looking for a good program. Your video gave me a lot of information. Now all I have to do is choose which one Thanks!
I'm learning Hebrew because I immigrated recently, and that's a pity that Babbel doesn't have the language :) But 290 days streak on Duolingo made me understand some basic language, I'm glad that I tried to do a lesson a day
Very good explanation of these language app. I came here because I couldn't decide between Rosetta Stone or Babbel. Sounds like Babbel is the one for me. Thanks for sharing.
I really liked this review. I'm using a lot of learning apps including duolingo, babbel, memrise... and I used to have Rosetta stone too but not anymore. I want to learn multiple languages (korean, polish, español, portuguese ...) but I think that I really want to learn polish more (because I've already have some knowlegde in korean and spanish and some ressources too). It would be very helpfull for me and would be a great satisfaction to learn a language like this and be able to speak it.
Bit outdated now with Duolingo's updates. After a year of DL French (from rank beginner) I'm now reading novels in French. Yes, it is grammar light, but I look things up if I need to, and the grammar quirks become surprisingly familiar.
This was very helpful. I've been trying to decide between those apps reviewed. I've been using the free Duolingo app for a while but have the same objections as the reviewer. Looks like I'll be subscribing to Babbel. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for this comparison! I was about to purchase Rosetta Stone as I had received a coupon in my email for a huge discount. After watching your comparison, I'm glad I didn't and will keep an eye on the sales for Babbel - Keep it up!!!
Thanks for the comparisons! I would love to learn to speak Spanish for several reasons. The first and most important is to communicate with the families of my students. I am a classroom teacher and I am finding that there are more Spanish speaking families with each new school year. I believe it is so important to establish relationships and connect with not only the student, but the families as well. This connection is an integral part of academic success. Another reason is my love of travel. I would love to be able to feel comfortable enough to engage in conversation with locals throughout my travels. And finally, my mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and unfortunately we had a pediatrician (in the late 60s and early 70s) that told my mother teaching me Spanish would only confuse me when learning and developing my English speaking skills. So sad!! That is one regret my mother had... taking the advice of this misinformed doctor. It is now my intent to learn Spanish!
I would like to learn Italian before a trip to Italy this summer. It would be nice to be able to speak the language and be able to read the signs at the places we visit, read menus and just converse with the people there. Your video was helpful. I am leaning towards babbel but do like the visual learning of Rosetta Stone.
I am visual learner and would not mind the repetitiveness, there is safety in that. I speak 3 other languages already and do the grammar intuitively anyway so learning it by rulles is not for me :) Rosetta stone will be great. Thank you so much for the run down, and the discounts listing!!
I am so happy that I checked out Babbel. At first I bought the 1 yr subscription for a 60% discount. Shortly, I received an email offering unlimited lifetime for 60% off and I was just under $250. I took the offer and now I see may have made the best decision for myself. Good video
Rosetta stone is the app where I've learned the most of all apps i've tried! immersion truly is the best method for me, I love the push to rely solely on intuition rather than the known mechanics of the language (although I agree it's repetitive). I found this video looking for a discount to install it again but no luck so far lmao
Don't know if you purchased it already, but there is a sale RIGHT NOW for a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone for only $179. Oh, and this covers UNLIMITED languages. Hope this helps!
So the thing about Rosetta Stone is that the retention rate is insane. I studied Mandarin there for around 6 hours or something 10 months ago, and I feel like I still remember basically everything but the last few lessons. Vocabulary, pronounciations, even the general gist of the associated images. If it weren't so incredibly repetitive and utterly stuck-up in the 'no translations' philosophy, I'd sing its praises to the heavens. Yes, repetition is critical for learning, and probably the reason for the high retention rate, but that won't help much if you're too bored to do the lessons. Still, if I was to start on a new language, I'd certainly pick Rosetta Stone over Duolingo any day. Can't really comment on Babbel as I've used it for a grand total of about 15 minutes, but I recall my first impression being fairly good.
I want to learn German. Initially because it was a good option for my career, but I ended up falling in love with it. I am a Spanish native speaker, and I have a decent level in English, and I found in German similarities with both languages. I found fascinating how the influence of languages happen through history in Europe. I have been using on and off duolingo for a couple of years now but I am still in the A1 😅😢. I think the new Duolingo update has boosted a lot my learning too. I will continue even if it takes 10 more years💪 . The next language, if I still have time on this earth for it, would be Japanese ❤
I'm surprised you didn't talk about smartphone Rosetta Stone vs desktop Rosetta Stone. There's a big difference. The desktop version has been around forever and they ported it over to the mobile platform but didn't really rework things to adjust for a much smaller screen size. All the pictures and text etc just look tiny. And they waste lots of screen real estate as well since it's laid out exactly like on the desktop version. However, they have added translations to Rosetta Stone on the app only. You can press on a word to get a translation now. They've also split up the lessons more so they don't take huge amounts of time (30 minutes being huge), it's like 5 to 10 minutes. I bought Rosetta Stone back in the day and really enjoyed it for the first unit (out of 5). But then starting with the 2nd unit I found the flash card style method too repetitive and I got bored. I haven't really used the other two programs though. I'm trying DuoLingo out. I am really curious to see how it's possible to gamify language learning.
Thanks! This is really helpful. I only have experience with Doulingo so far. I'll probably use Babel Rosetta Stone in addition to that, as I'm a very visual learner.
This is an awesome overview. Thank you so much. I am looking to learn Spanish because I am about to retire and live in the desert in California and will be around a lot more Spanish speaking people. Thank you!
This was helpful. I've used Rosetta Stone and Duolingo, but not Babbel. I found Rosetta Stone annoying, and I have learned more with Duolingo. But the main problem I've found with Duolingo is the lack of grammar structure. I've done it in conjunction with other classes, so it's been a good addition for practice that I can keep up with consistently. (This is for French learning, and I also live in a francophone country.)
Great review, I want to learn Spanish as I’m travelling back and forth regularly and want to immerse myself in the culture and be able to speak to the people of Spain. Thanks for sharing with us. 😊
Thanks for the insight. There’s so many language apps it’s helpful to get a preview and comparison between them. Duolingonis the one I keep hearing about from friends, but I haven’t wanted to use that one. Babbel sounds interesting
I've been using Duolingo for years, and recently found that I can use Pimsleur audio lessons for free through the library. I like it so far. My goal for the summer is to work on my speaking skills in Spanish. :)
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨
We're giving away a FREE language course every month to one of our subscribers. It takes less than 10 seconds to enter! More details can be found here: th-cam.com/video/Ahx8El0al0E/w-d-xo.html
I am trying to learn portugese so that I can understand what the commentators are saying when I watch portugese football. Using Duolingo paid version, came here for a review of other possible solutions as I have yet to hear portugese football commentary say anything about "the cat plays piano" ;)
Done
👍
Because I plan to do extended travel in South America next year, I want to learn Spanish
I suggest doing a periodic update of this video since these companies are always updating their methods and courses. I started using Duolingo because (it has a free version and) my granddaughter asked me to. She lasted less than a week. I'm approaching a year of having used it daily.
To me, gamification is key. Also, for those using Duolingo the limit on how long you're able to use it can be bypassed (at least on the mobile version, I almost never use the actual website) by tapping the spot the heart counter occupies. It then gives you the chance to practice to earn hearts. I have used the app at times for 5-6 hours straight because of this feature. I also eliminate or lessen language learning "burnout" by switching languages at least once an hour or so. If I'm tired or frustrated with one language (Hebrew for example) I'll switch to another one.
However..., I don't recommend more than one at a time until you achieve speaking fluency with one language other than your native tongue. This is so you have a structure of neurons built into your brain that is all ready for new language learning. If you do this, you will soon see the similarites in different languages as well as the differences and it should help in defining the hardest thing about language learning: the differing structural rules of grammar, etc for them.
For example, some languages don't have articles like English does. Instead, they have suffixes that do the job of articles. So, for example, to say tea in Romanian is "ceai," but to say the tea is "ceaiul."
I have used Duolingo for many months and today added Babbel. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of understanding I gained after only 15 minutes. With Babbel I'm learning the language, not only gaining vocabulary.
Exactly! That's the difference between them. Thanks for watching and sharing!
15 minutes? Ha! I mastered every language on babbel in that same amount of time!
@@drunkin12Many r/Thathappened
is it exclusively paid for or is it free?
I have been using Duolingo every day for over 600 days. I completed all the castles, but then they changed it. I believe I have been exposed to everything Duolingo has to offer, yet I still can’t speak the language. Apparently they only teach 2700 words in the language that I’m learning. That’s the vocabulary of a 3 or 4 year old.
This video is already outdated. They completely changed what he showed.
I'm using Babbel and Duolingo for Spanish and definitely agree with your points.
Duolingo is kinda fun and feels like I'm playing a game but Babbel is where my brain is really being tested and stretched. I've subscribed for 3 months and with the subscription its also worth mentioning that Babbel has two free 1 hr online lessons available with a teacher. Thats a game changer as far as I'm concerned.
Very well said. Thanks for watching and sharing!
I’ve been doing DuoLingo Spanish Free daily for about 4 years. Having gotten to travel to Latin America a handful of times, I am able to make and maintain basic conversation.
I think the key to any of these is consistency. If you do it 15 minutes a day you won’t be fluent, but you will learn a language
Definitely agree with that. Consistency is key!
Key is to be consistent enough to not let duolingo bird break your legs
@@thecompanioncube4211💀
@@thecompanioncube4211 😂😂😂😂
What I love about Duolingo is outside the platform: the podcasts. I think they are so well produced and presented. Also, the stories are so engaging.
Yes! And I read along with the transcript
@sjwestmo I know there are a lot of free materials on the internet, but sometimes I caught myself thinking, "how is this for free? aren't they trying to get me hooked and then remove my access to the free podcasts so that they can start offering me a subscription? nope, still free."
Yes. Although they are limited in what languages they are available in. But I loved the ones for Spanish I've listened to so far.
What I like best about Duolingo is the amount of content they give you in the free version. It’s incredible. It also lets you learn as many languages as you want (39 total) and switch your target language from one to the other whenever you want as often as you want. The only real limitations of Duolingo come if you’re the competitive type. It automatically ranks you against other users in leagues of 30, which reset every week. You’ll really need to be a “Super” member if you want to place 1st on the leaderboard every week and win the Diamond tournament at the end.
Where do you find the podcasts?
I tried Duolingo for several months trying to learn Spanish. I did the lessons every day. After six or seven months, I could tell you how much my cat liked swimming in a pool. But I still couldn't ask the way to the restroom. I don't have a cat. I don't have a pool. So my ability to discuss a hypothetical cat's love for swimming in a more or less mythical pool was worthless. On the other hand, I often need to use a restroom. In short, Duolingo is a waste of time. I'm hoping for better things from Babbel. Thanks for the video.
100% agree. Thanks for watching!
Rosetta Stone is the one if they're the same from many years ago. Did a sample with Rosetta and it had me thinking the language in that sample session. Duolingo was a waste of time trying to teach the same as High School. Rosetta was the one to teach a language to think in it and understand. I hope Rosetta is the same today because I'm looking to them to learn a language. I already know can't learn with Duolingo.
The problem with Babbel is it only covers 13 European languages. It is not a fair comparison to the other two which include far more choices of harder languages.
I am amazed that after a break from learning Japanese, the learning program I retained the most knowledge was with Rosetta Stone. I don't have to translate in my head as the Japanese word or phrase automatically pops into my head. With others, you learn translations. I have also tried Duolingo and Buusu and was highly disappointed in the results. I have other smaller programs that are about the same teaching translations. For me, the immersive approach works best and easiest to recall without effort.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
I guess I'm the odd man out... studying Italian (not Spanish???) on the DuoLingo app. The competitive gaming atmosphere gives me the motivation that I seem to lack, something that it appears would be required for Babbel or Rosetta to be effective learning tools. Working toward, hitting and maintaining that "Top Ten" rank in my study group not only gets me to come back every day, but also makes me feel "molto bene!"
Duolingo italiano me fa tanto bene😊
It appears I'm in the minority in this crowd. I've been simultaneously using Babbel and Rosetta Stone, so I can't be truly objectively sure which is most responsible for my learning ultimately, but I feel a strong preference for Rosetta Stone. That said, I definitely agree with most of your cons to Rosetta Stone. I actually like how repetitive it is because I feel like it's carving itself into my brain in a way that I can recall it on demand. What I don't like about Babbel is that I feel like it TELLS me about the language, and then it TESTS me on it, but it doesn't TEACH me about the language. At the end of each lesson, I feel like I haven't learned much if anything. It seems to expect me to remember things that it's only told me once before telling me a bunch of unrelated details. If and when I can get a lifetime full subscription to Duolingo, I think I'll add that as well. I wish all films and shows on all streaming channels had all the languages they've been dubbed in available to all viewers regardless of where on Earth they are because I think that would be a great help.
You are not in the minority. I had a sample of Rosetta many years ago and it had me thinking in the language. Rosetta stated they teach the same way you learned to understand and speak your own language from birth. I tried Duolingo and was a waste of time. Same as High School which did not have me Learn a new language. If Rosetta is the same Rosetta is #1. I never tried Babbel but tried Duolingo and was completely disappointed.
I had a sample of Rosetta Stone many years ago and loved it. Rosetta stated it would teach the language you wanted to learn the same way as you learned to speak your own language from birth. That is what I experienced at the time. Rosetta had me thinking in the language and that is the only way I would be able to learn it. I tried Duolingo and was a waste of time. Using English to teach me another language is a huge stumbling block for me. For instance, Uno in Spanish is One and Dos is two but if you tell me Uno is One and Dos is two to teach me this other language it's jibberish to me. I will not think Uno as One and Dos Two although can say it. Rosetta was the one that had me thinking in the language to actually learn it.
Nice comparison; thanks. I found very limited options for the language I wanted to learn; Duolingo has a course for it, so I'm using it and really enjoying it. After I started the course for the new language, I started using it to refresh a couple of other languages that I was once very good with, but haven't used in years. I am finding those courses fun and effective for reviving my rusty languages. I am using the paid-version of Duolingo.
The paid version def makes it better. Thanks for sharing!
I used free Duolingo for about 6 months, but after their most recent update they made it nearly impossible to progress to further units unless you were already a native speaker or highly proficient in the language you're already learning. I had to take advantage of their New Year deal and pay for a full year. Since then, I've been looking for anything I can do to enhance my language learning experience because I only know one fluent German speaker, but he isn't a native speaker.
I've been studying languages since 2014, almost 10 years now. I've studied Latin, German, Russian, Korean, and Japanese to at least intermediate level or more. I have to say that I wouldn't recommend anyone seriously trying to learn a language for more than travel to use these apps and services. The best resources for becoming conversational are real people, grammatical resources (there's a lot of good free stuff online for most languages), and Anki cards. When I learn a language, I start with basic grammar and useful phrases and start talking with native speakers while studying new vocabulary and grammar points a little bit every day. I promise sticking to something like that will be 10x quicker than matching vocab words to pictures for a few minutes a day. There are usually plenty of people who would love to chat with you in pretty much any language even if you're a beginner along with lots of Anki decks to learn any vocabulary and phrases you want. You don't need to spend a bunch of money to learn languages these days. If someone insists on wanting to use an app, I agree Babel is probably the best one for light studying.
Good point. All the content is free online when you look hard enough, (TH-cam is a great recourse). Also watching movies is super helpful.
I loved your honesty!!! I just got back from Morroco last evening and I am committed to refreshing my French so that I can go back and actually converse with the friends I made there. I'm 65 and took French for 5 years in high school so it's really rusty. I know I can do it if I make up my mind. Thank you for providing these comparisons. You are an excellent speaker and easy to follow!!!
I am a fan of Duolingo. I am learning French via duplingo cause i want to apply to B-Schools in France. Very helpful review, keep such quality content coming. Thank you
hi.. planning to go for MiM?
Glad it was helpful!
I am a fan of Duolingo too. It was the first language learning app I’ve ever used.
I’m grateful they opened this door for me, but after 6 months if using it, I got curious about other apps.
I have now tried Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and Mondly.
In my opinion, Pimsleur is by FAR the best. I learned more in 1 week using Pimsleur than 6 months on Duolingo and I used Duolingo EVERY day, I’m in the Diamond league, I have over 60,000 XP points in my first 6 months, so I am VERY familiar with Duolingo.
Duolingo is like a game, its fun, you learn a little as you go, it’s great for practice, but it is not a serious learning tool.
Pimsleur is a serious learning tool.
Rosetta Stone may have a lot you can learn, but their mobile app is awful. Everything is very dated and not user friendly. I don’t like it.
Mondly is very similar to Duolingo, but with more features and in my opinion better.
But Duolingo is great for the social aspect, competing with friends and family, and great for Practice.
If you really want to learn a language, apps like Pimsleur, Rocket Languages, Babbel, and Busuu are much better.
You will learn more in 1 month using Pimsleur than 1 year using Duolingo.
Good luck!
Bonne chance!
I have been researching Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Babbel. Your review helped me make my decision to aid in my brushing up on my French before we go to Europe next Spring.
Which did you decide on?
How do you like it so far?
Cuál escogiste?
This is the most informative video I’ve found about this topic. I’m a homeschooling mom with twins about to start their high school language requirement. This really helped me to plan out their curriculum.
Nice, glad we could help!
I started using Duolingo for German last year, then added up Polish (my boyfriend's language), Italian, Greek, French... it was kind of fun to have a first experience, but now I look for excellence, also knowing which methods I personally prefer for learning, and this display of features was amazingly helpful. Thank you so much.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
I'm not sure if you will see this but would you have any tip to learn Polish? Something that may have worked better than the rest.
I was using busuu but the quality dropped after the A1 level
This is JUST what I was looking for. I just returned from a medical mission in Honduras & was at such a disadvantage not knowing the language. I’m leaning toward Babble after watching your review.
Very cool backstory why you're learning!
I love honduras! 🇭🇳❤️
Excellent content. Just what I needed to make a decision.
Nice, glad we could help!
I use DuoLingo free version. I don't have the money to pay for the subscriptions. I've been learning Spanish, just because I've always wanted to since I was a boy growing up in California.
Thanks for the comparison video! I’m currently learning Spanish on Duolingo. I love this comparison because my local library offers Rosetta Stone and I am considering trying it out.
I’m learning Spanish so I can better interact with the people in my community. I enjoyed learning basic Italian for a vacation I just came back from.
Very cool. Free resources are always the best :)
My native language is Spanish and what to keep learning English so now I added the Babbel app to my list of language learning apps. Thank you!!
Good luck!
When I retired recently, I decided to go back some languages I studied in school and to add some additional languages that had intrigued me for some time. I am currently using DuoLingo with: Spanish, French, German, Latin, Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Yiddish. (It may be that only DuoLingo has all those languages.) So far, so good. I agree about grammar being useful in understanding how the language works, but it's easy to go overboard with it. My take is that learning grammar isn't really learning language, it's learning about language. As such it can be very satisfying, and can also assist in the more formal uses of language where adhering to stylistic convention is very important (this is why native speakers are taught grammar in school).
I think that "learning grammar" and "learning grammar" can be two different things. You learn grammar in such a wat that you hardly notice it or you can do"direct" grammar lessons, where you have a list that tells you when you have to use which tense etc. 😊
@@Alltagundso In this context, I meant “studying grammar”.
@@gshenaut Yeah, I think I understood what you meant. ☺️☺️ I love that you study Yiddish by the way. Once I met a tourist in Ukraine, he spoke a bit with me in Yiddish, so I can hear it. He was there to see where his ancestors lived. I cherish this memory a lot.
great Duolingo vs Rosetta Stone vs Babbel video review.
Thanks for comparing the 3 companies. It will help as I decide on which direction to go.
It definitely helps, but you really have to try out all of them to see what really helps you. I noticed very soon how little Duolingo can teach, but the motivational factor does it for me.
For me it’s Duolingo. I’ve tried them all and this is the easiest for me to learn with. It does have a lot of grammar a lot more than Rosetta Stone for sure. Also, it keeps improving. This video is quite old and a lot has changed at Duolingo since then.
This is very helpful. Thank you! I have been using Duolingo to learn German for several years, but I really want to get more intense learning and take it to the next level.
Very cool! Make sure to check out our videos on Rocket Languages and Pimsleur then too
@@TestPrepInsight Ooh, will do! Thanks!
In the German Duolingo, often they use the English slang that younger people such as in their 20s, use and put in the German language.
That’s fine, but they should also use the other words that many people use for example, many Germans, especially the younger ones use the word job when they talk about people’s occupation, but many other people use the original German word Arbeit. And I don’t think Duolingo has ever used that word, but many of the people I talk to in Germany when I used to live there a few years ago mostly use the original German word so it’s good to know both.
I’m talking about people that have English as a native language in are trying to use German and Duolingo that often Duolingo only puts in the slang terms but not the other terms and it’s helpful to know both
Thanks for the comparison. Leatning Spanish to assist patients in a medical clinic.
Love the review, thanks. Rosetta Stone is my fave.
I'm an ESL teacher, and I work with adults. I am looking for a language learning course for some of my students. Thanks for your honest review of these 3 language apps. I've made a decision based on your reviews. Thank you!
Great! Glad we could help!!
Im currently learning Navajo on duolingo. The course is ok but they don't have voice recordings like the rest of the courses. Which is SUPER important for a language like Navajo. It's a very oral and tonal language, so pronounciation is important. However, they do have navajo on Rosetta Stone through a third party native american language program. Navajo is part of rosetta Stone's Endangered Language Program. So im going to definitely buy it through the Navajo Language Renaissance. It's a non-profit that signed a contract with Rosetta Stone to try to bring the language back. They also have inuit and Ojibwe too in this program.
The problem with a lot of these Native american languages are that thete arent much resources for learning them.
Super helpful!! To the point and thorough. Thank you!
I am in love with my Girlfriend of almost 2 years. She is half Hispanic, and uses only Spanish when hanging out with her dad’s side of the family. We both graduated college only a year ago, so most of our time and money is spent working off our student loans. I would love to be able to communicate with her family without breaking the bank! I love the videos! And fingers crossed I get selected!
That was a great review. Really helpful. Honestly I wanna learn French right now. I feel like I already have the basic knowledge of the language so it’ll be easier for me to learn. On the top of that I really love France and the French culture. So I would love to learn some French.
That's great!
DuoLingo worked pretty well for me. I started at the same level you describe and worked pretty hard to finish the French course in a year. Now I can watch French shows and movies without subtitles, and I listen to Radio-Canada regularly. I still struggle to understand sometimes, and I’ve never had much opportunity to practice speaking, but I’m definitely comfortable reading and listening in most situations.
Pro-tip: watching the news in French (France 24 or Radio-Canada Télé) is an excellent way to work on listening comprehension. They tend to speak very clearly, and use obvious words that you have learned or will learn, rather than obscure synonyms or slang. And the mix of visual cues and text on screen keep you in context of what’s going on even if you understand very little of what’s being said. I started watching the news in French about 3 months into Duolingo and it helped immensely. You have to force yourself somewhat because it is a chore to keep listening to something when you don’t understand, but it pays off in spades.
I agree with most of your comments, but not the conclusion. Admittedly, I tried Babbel a number of years ago and it looks like it's improved a lot since. My preference is for Duolingo because you can complete lessons quickly and you get hooked into doing more (I used the free version several years ago for Spanish and Italian). One thing I didn't like about Duolingo was that it sometimes asked you to translate from the language you're studying into English. You can use a perfectly acceptable English word, but it marks you wrong, because of its American focus. For example, I gave "university" as an English translation for the Spanish "universidad" and it marked me wrong, because I should have used the American form "college." You also get nagged constantly if you haven't done your lesson yet -- often with images of sobbing owls crying because you're late doing your lesson. I agree with your assessment of Rosetta Stone. I was sometimes confused and it would have helped a lot to have a brief explanation of the grammar. None of these apps are good for grammar, and for that I prefer an old-school book.
Thanks for watching!
I am from the United States and we use both the term college and university because they mean different things as I understand it. Such as college is usually just for a two year degree and university contains for four year degrees or more.
Also a university can be made up of several different colleges such as the college of agriculture. I would’ve translated Universidad as university also.
Thanks man your comment helped me in a strong Christian and while using the word babbel which is from the Bible story the tower of babbel, unfortunately they are not a Christian company and support things that won’t allow me to support them, your comment helped me choose which one I’d want to do.
@@codyroden719 hahahahahahahahaha
@@codyroden719Akchually, the Babbel app is not named after the tower in the Bible, but after a peculiar species of fish.
( ᐢ (oo) ᐢ )
The best comprehensive review of all 3 apps! Thank you !
You're welcome!
My husband is Italian and doesn’t speak it, but I need to learn to speak Italian conversationally in order to attain citizenship as his spouse because there is a test. I wasn’t sure what to start with but this has been super helpful, thank you!
Nice, glad we could help!
Interested in learning Spanish because I will be relocating to a Spanish-speaking country in the future! Thank you for the review it was very helpful!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the review! Debating Rosetta stone or Babbel currently!
Your video really helped me decide which language app might work best for me. A friend had suggested Duolingo. However, after I watched your video, I realized that what would work for me might be different than what they liked... or maybe they recommended it due to the free version. I don't know, but I do know now that I am going to try Babbel. Thank you for doing this comparison video. Well done!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I've been using Duolingo for a bit and now I might add Babel as I don't feel like I've learned much yet. Thank you for the information about these Apps :)
No problem! Yes - another app would really help accelerate your learning
Thanks for this. I have Rosetta Stone but I am also thinking of picking up Babbel because I also found Rosetta Stone repetitive. I wish Babbel also had Irish language
I've been trying to to choose the right program for my high schooler for a while now and always tend to like Babbel more than the others for no real reason. Now, after watching your review, I'll go with Babbel - thank you!
Glad we could help! Thanks for watching :)
This was very helpful thank you
Traveled the Camino last year with such limited Spanish speaking skills. Planning another route in 2025 in which I plan to have improved language skills in order to have a deeper experience!!
That's an awesome reason to learn! Sounds fun
Thanks. Great video. I’m using Duolingo now but keen to try out Babbel when my Duolingo subs expires
Thanks for the overview of these programs. I’m looking to resurrect my German, so, based on your recommendation, I’ll give Babbel. Thanks!
Good luck, and thanks for watching!
I am keen to gain French fluency as my work responsibilities cover countries where French or French based language is the main form of communication . Thank you for these insightful videos🎉.
Super helpful! I've been using the paid version of Duolingo but I think you've convinced me to switch to Babbel. Duolingo is SO frustratingly light on the grammar explanations. I can select the correct syntax and get a perfect lesson score almost every time, but there's no way I could explain the underlying grammatical rules I'm being "tested" on.
Very true. That's the same story with a lot of people. Good luck!
It works for me. My English is mostly self-taught through live interactions at work, RPG gaming, watching movies and reading books. Through immersion, in short. No mobile phones with apps those days - I wish there were! :)
I found that learning grammar intuitively works for me better than long winded explanations of rules. I am learning French and Japanese in Duolingo now and find that the explanations provided for French within the app are sufficient for me. Sometimes I make an accidental mistake and Duo pops up reminders about noun genders and verb conjugations that I find annoying. There are no explanations of grammar in the Japanese course but it's OK because all I need to understand the grammatical structure is examples of sentences. I can work out the rest and actually find it fun. And when you work it out yourself, it is easier to remember afterwards.
Having said that, I understand that all people are different and so are their learning styles.
I'm glad I found you! I'm a beginner language learner in Korean and was looking for a good program. Your video gave me a lot of information. Now all I have to do is choose which one
Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
So grateful for this comparison! much appreciated, thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
I'm learning Hebrew because I immigrated recently, and that's a pity that Babbel doesn't have the language :) But 290 days streak on Duolingo made me understand some basic language, I'm glad that I tried to do a lesson a day
That's a great start
Very good explanation of these language app. I came here because I couldn't decide between Rosetta Stone or Babbel. Sounds like Babbel is the one for me. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
@@TestPrepInsight I signed up for Babbel, really enjoying it. :)
Really helpful video. I’ve got 509 consecutive days of DuoLingo practice but I have big gaps in understanding grammar. Might add Babel.
Would be a good combo. Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for the advice.
You bet!
Thanks for sharing the comparison among the three.
No problem 👍
thanks for the review.. using duo right now but might try Babel now too. Had to buy a french grammar book to work out the grammar and the verb tenses.
Yeah Duo alone won't get you there
I really liked this review.
I'm using a lot of learning apps including duolingo, babbel, memrise... and I used to have Rosetta stone too but not anymore.
I want to learn multiple languages (korean, polish, español, portuguese ...) but I think that I really want to learn polish more (because I've already have some knowlegde in korean and spanish and some ressources too). It would be very helpfull for me and would be a great satisfaction to learn a language like this and be able to speak it.
That's awesome!!
This discussion was very helpful for me to decide on my langage app.
Bit outdated now with Duolingo's updates. After a year of DL French (from rank beginner) I'm now reading novels in French. Yes, it is grammar light, but I look things up if I need to, and the grammar quirks become surprisingly familiar.
Great comparisons! Duolingo has changed a lot since you made this video. I do want to try Babbel now. 😊
I know, we need to do an update for this video about the Duolingo updates (spoiler: still don't really like it)
Very good review! I have just started using Duolingo for German. I am retired and have boatloads of time. I may switch over to Babbel now!
Thanks! Maybe try both together. It's a decent combo
Thanks to share, it really helps me to decide Babel for my niece. Because the Grammar based .
I'm trying to learn Greek, and I did do the free trial on Duolingo. But I think I would prefer Babbel.
I'm subscribing today, hopefully I win!
Thanks for joining!
This was very helpful. I've been trying to decide between those apps reviewed. I've been using the free Duolingo app for a while but have the same objections as the reviewer. Looks like I'll be subscribing to Babbel. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching! Glad we could help
Thank you so much for this comparison! I was about to purchase Rosetta Stone as I had received a coupon in my email for a huge discount. After watching your comparison, I'm glad I didn't and will keep an eye on the sales for Babbel - Keep it up!!!
Thanks for saving me the time to evaluate these three programs.
No problem! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the comparisons! I would love to learn to speak Spanish for several reasons. The first and most important is to communicate with the families of my students. I am a classroom teacher and I am finding that there are more Spanish speaking families with each new school year. I believe it is so important to establish relationships and connect with not only the student, but the families as well. This connection is an integral part of academic success. Another reason is my love of travel. I would love to be able to feel comfortable enough to engage in conversation with locals throughout my travels. And finally, my mother was born and raised in Puerto Rico and unfortunately we had a pediatrician (in the late 60s and early 70s) that told my mother teaching me Spanish would only confuse me when learning and developing my English speaking skills. So sad!! That is one regret my mother had... taking the advice of this misinformed doctor. It is now my intent to learn Spanish!
Thanks for sharing! Very good reasons to learn
Great comparison 👍
I tested all 3 as well & Babbel is definitely the one to choose!
Thx from Munich 😉
Kein problem!
@@TestPrepInsight 😉
Great comparison! Really helps me decide what to use as I prepare for a trip to France!
Many thanks for the video, it was very helpful. I am trying to learn Norwegian on Duolingo but wish I had a Babbel subscription instead.
Glad it was helpful!
I would like to learn Italian before a trip to Italy this summer. It would be nice to be able to speak the language and be able to read the signs at the places we visit, read menus and just converse with the people there. Your video was helpful. I am leaning towards babbel but do like the visual learning of Rosetta Stone.
Let us know which one you go with and like better!
Do any of them ever do a free trial for a few days to try them out?@@TestPrepInsight
Very helpful comparison! Thanks!
I am visual learner and would not mind the repetitiveness, there is safety in that. I speak 3 other languages already and do the grammar intuitively anyway so learning it by rulles is not for me :) Rosetta stone will be great. Thank you so much for the run down, and the discounts listing!!
No problem, glad we could! Best of luck!
Great breakdown - just the kind of review I was looking for thx.
No problem! Thanks for watching
I am so happy that I checked out Babbel. At first I bought the 1 yr subscription for a 60% discount. Shortly, I received an email offering unlimited lifetime for 60% off and I was just under $250. I took the offer and now I see may have made the best decision for myself. Good video
That's awesome, glad it worked out. Good luck!
Rosetta stone is the app where I've learned the most of all apps i've tried! immersion truly is the best method for me, I love the push to rely solely on intuition rather than the known mechanics of the language (although I agree it's repetitive). I found this video looking for a discount to install it again but no luck so far lmao
Thanks for watching! Rosetta's sales are hit and miss. I think they're due for another one soon. Check back in a week or so
Don't know if you purchased it already, but there is a sale RIGHT NOW for a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone for only $179. Oh, and this covers UNLIMITED languages. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the review!
Such a useful comparison- thanks. Agree so much.
Thanks for watching!
Great video and super informative! Thank you for all that you do 👍🙏🤙
So the thing about Rosetta Stone is that the retention rate is insane. I studied Mandarin there for around 6 hours or something 10 months ago, and I feel like I still remember basically everything but the last few lessons. Vocabulary, pronounciations, even the general gist of the associated images. If it weren't so incredibly repetitive and utterly stuck-up in the 'no translations' philosophy, I'd sing its praises to the heavens. Yes, repetition is critical for learning, and probably the reason for the high retention rate, but that won't help much if you're too bored to do the lessons.
Still, if I was to start on a new language, I'd certainly pick Rosetta Stone over Duolingo any day. Can't really comment on Babbel as I've used it for a grand total of about 15 minutes, but I recall my first impression being fairly good.
Thanks for sharing!!
I want to learn German. Initially because it was a good option for my career, but I ended up falling in love with it. I am a Spanish native speaker, and I have a decent level in English, and I found in German similarities with both languages. I found fascinating how the influence of languages happen through history in Europe. I have been using on and off duolingo for a couple of years now but I am still in the A1 😅😢. I think the new Duolingo update has boosted a lot my learning too. I will continue even if it takes 10 more years💪 . The next language, if I still have time on this earth for it, would be Japanese ❤
Very cool. Good luck!
Thank you! I am learning Spanish and Babbel would also be my first choice!
I'm surprised you didn't talk about smartphone Rosetta Stone vs desktop Rosetta Stone. There's a big difference. The desktop version has been around forever and they ported it over to the mobile platform but didn't really rework things to adjust for a much smaller screen size. All the pictures and text etc just look tiny. And they waste lots of screen real estate as well since it's laid out exactly like on the desktop version. However, they have added translations to Rosetta Stone on the app only. You can press on a word to get a translation now. They've also split up the lessons more so they don't take huge amounts of time (30 minutes being huge), it's like 5 to 10 minutes. I bought Rosetta Stone back in the day and really enjoyed it for the first unit (out of 5). But then starting with the 2nd unit I found the flash card style method too repetitive and I got bored. I haven't really used the other two programs though. I'm trying DuoLingo out. I am really curious to see how it's possible to gamify language learning.
Thanks for watching Paul! Appreciate you sharing your experience
Thanks! This is really helpful. I only have experience with Doulingo so far. I'll probably use Babel Rosetta Stone in addition to that, as I'm a very visual learner.
That would be a good fit. Good luck!!
This is an awesome overview. Thank you so much. I am looking to learn Spanish because I am about to retire and live in the desert in California and will be around a lot more Spanish speaking people. Thank you!
Thanks for watching, and congrats on retiring!
This was helpful. I've used Rosetta Stone and Duolingo, but not Babbel. I found Rosetta Stone annoying, and I have learned more with Duolingo. But the main problem I've found with Duolingo is the lack of grammar structure. I've done it in conjunction with other classes, so it's been a good addition for practice that I can keep up with consistently. (This is for French learning, and I also live in a francophone country.)
Try Babbel, it sort of solves both of those problems. Thanks for watching and sharing!
Great review, I want to learn Spanish as I’m travelling back and forth regularly and want to immerse myself in the culture and be able to speak to the people of Spain. Thanks for sharing with us. 😊
Thanks for the insight. There’s so many language apps it’s helpful to get a preview and comparison between them. Duolingonis the one I keep hearing about from friends, but I haven’t wanted to use that one. Babbel sounds interesting
Glad it was helpful! A lot of people have only heard of Duolingo, but there are so many more out there
Thank you… this gives me the information that I needed to make an informed decision
Nice, glad we could help!
This is very helpful, thank you for making my choice easier.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much for the comparison! These were exactly the products I was comparing.
You are very welcome! Thanks for watching :)
Great video. I have used Rosetta Stone and currently use Babbel, which I enjoy. I agree with your points on both.
Thanks! Appreciate you watching and sharing
Thanks for the review. I am trying to choose a program for our ELL students and it was great to have someone who had explored all three programs.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you for sharing your research. It's very helpful. God bless you.
Thank you! You too!
This was perfect and timely!
Appreciate the honest review
No problem!
Great review. It really helped me decide which subscription to buy.
I've been using Duolingo for years, and recently found that I can use Pimsleur audio lessons for free through the library. I like it so far. My goal for the summer is to work on my speaking skills in Spanish. :)
Nice. That's a cool summer goal
Enjoyed this comparison very much! Thank you. It was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful :)