I so far have been very impressed and happy with Babble live. I have been using Italki for Spanish for the last two years and recently started French with Babble. I love that I can also supplement my regular Spanish classes. I signed up for the 12 months subscription. So far the teachers use French almost exclusively at the A1 level. Just a little English now and then. Great review. Thanks
I also love Babbel Live! I've been using it for the last 2-3 months for Spanish and Italian 😊 also, because you get access to the other languages, it tipped me over the edge to start German one month ago 😅 so I can definitely say that I'm an advocate for Babbel Live. This was the sort of video i was looking for a few months ago when i was trying to decide because there is very little out there about Babbel Live. Generally speaking, I agree with everything you said about Babbel (I've never used Lingoda so I can't comment on that). I've already had a lot of classes and the majority of the times, they are very conversation focused (which I love). 99% of the teachers have been amazing and I think it's a great additional resource to enhance your speaking skills but it certainly doesn't replace more formal learning. Although I love it, there are a few things that can be difficult with Babbel and most of it comes down to there being an almost non-existant placement test. For example, I am in the A1.1 classes for German and I have generally found that people's speaking abilities are higher than the stuff being taught on the slides. This has been a little difficult for me because I only started one month ago and some students are giving seemingly A2+ level responses to questions. However , because this isn't my first experience learning a language, it doesn't bother me too much but I have seen other students look completely overwhelmed Then, on the other side, I have been in B2 Spanish classes with people who seemingly have an A2/B1- level, so this can sometimes affect the dynamic of the class. (I also know that not everyday is the same and these students might be B2 but having an off day, which definitely happens to me too) However, like you mentioned, because it's unlimited classes, I don't feel annoyed in these situations because I'm not "using up" a credit. I feel like most students are supportive of each other and sometimes students will ask each other questions because they are generally interested in hearing more. Great video, I think it will be very helpful and useful for other learners (I know I would have loved this a few months ago) 😁 And I'll maybe see you around in the B1/2 Spanish classes and it'll be the second time you get noticed in a language class haha 😁
yaaaasss can’t wait to virtually “bump into you” there!!! 😆 it’s funny, since filming this I’ve kind of had both of those experiences as well - I had a Spanish class where someone was a total beginner and said he hadn’t been able to tell which classes were for beginners. he ended up just logging out of the class after like 2 minutes 😬 and my first French class (which was the second class they offer, there weren’t any sessions of the first one open), I was definitely a far lower level than most- one other girl was similarly struggling but the other people, while definitely still beginners, could form complete sentences and said they’d been learning for months/years. it wasn’t super fun and if it was my first experience with an online class I probably would have been somewhat put off. but I agree, I love it. I will also be letting it influence me into German I think 😆
Great video! I have used both Lingoda and Babbel Live for my French lessons. I tired Lingoda first, so I had low expectation of Babbel Live because it is part of the Babbel app. However, I was so wrong. From my experience, an annual membership of Babbel offers more value to a student. On an average day off , I took 2-3 courses a day. Lingoda may have better slides but the Babbel live teacher would use supplement if needed. As an American, I noticed that Babbel Live had less classes during the weekends especially in the afternoons, which was fine for me as I was out enjoying the weekends. Overall, I would choose annual Babbel Live subscription.
I watched your video when deciding between Babbel Live and Lingoda. I went with Babbel Live because the scheduling is more flexible and it is much more affordable. So far, I definitely am finding it helpful. I find that the teachers use break out rooms to manage the time on the classes. I really find that the experience in the class is much better when there are only 3 or 4 people in the class. When there are 6, there is definitely less time for interaction and feedback.
Thank you for this very informative video! I've been with Lingoda for about a year. I started with sprints before transitioning to subscriptions when they restricted sprints to new users. I really like Lingoda but have recently begun considering alternatives as it's getting more and more expensive. I didn't know the existence of Babbel Live until I saw this video and it sounds very attractive to take unlimited classes with such a decent price! I'm wondering on average how many students have you had in Babbel classes? I find smaller groups of 1-3 students more ideal to me. Looking forward to your next video update!
The Babbel classes definitely fill up more because of the freedom of unlimited lol, but attendance is also less regular - I pretty often will be the 6th student to book a class but only 4 show up etc. However, on average there are more students on Babbel than Lingoda from what I recall. I would say the average is probably 4 students? Not sure what your time zone/preferred class time is, but the classes that are during the day in eastern time zone are almost always wide open (as I scroll past them longingly lol) - you could probably get a lot of small classes if you're available those hours.
Haha that makes sense - it’s more like gym membership without much pressure 😂 I’m also in eastern time zone so that’s good news! Will probably give it a try next month. Thanks for the prompt reply :)
I absolutely love Lingoda. Their German classes are amazing. I'm considering Babbel just because Lingoda doesn't offer Italian. Best bet that as soon as they add it though, I'm heading to Lingoda immediately.
I may include a clip of my side of the class in vlogs, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable asking to film the screen or audio since there's almost always more students in the class - even though I would obviously edit them out. I wouldn't want to make someone feel uncomfortable.
Thanks for making this video, glad to see this. Been learning French in Lingoda since 2020. In total, I completed 4 Super Sprints and got all the 100% cashbacks. I stopped since they removed the 100% cashback option. I'm looking for alternatives, and after watching your video, I will definitely try Babel Live. Thanks again and more power to your channel/community.
I’ve done both Spanish and French Lingoda. It was fairly easy for me to find classes. If you schedule the classes far enough in advance, like at least 7 days in advance, you can book any class you want at any time you want and they will assign a teacher to it. The negative of that is you won’t know who is going to be assigned to it so it could be someone you don’t like but I’ve only had two negative experiences with Lingoda teachers in the hundreds of classes I’ve taken with them
I used to always wish that Lingoda offered one or more of my target languages because I liked the idea of challenging myself to the Lingoda Sprint. As someone who a) doesn't get enough speaking practice and b) is very frugal, the idea of getting my money back was very appealing. But honestly, it's probably for the best that they didn't offer it in my languages, because like you said, I probably would have completely stressed myself out and not completed it successfully anyways 😅 For several years now I've toyed with the idea of taking italki lessons to get more comfortable actually speaking for long periods of time in Korean and decreasing my stumbling/searching for words when discussing deeper topics, but the price always makes me hesitate. Like you said, I know that the value of the time and effort of these tutors deserves a higher price tag, especially if they live in a country with a high cost of living, but that higher cost is just so hard for me to justify on a regular basis, especially since I also have to budget for things like trips across the world to visit family once or twice a year.
Yeah I love the idea of the Sprint, but I know I would hate it in reality 😆 i agree, I might do some focused italki lessons for test prep, but as a regular thing it is well out of my budget 😬
@@klamot. you can still cancel the subscription during the second month of the sprint! But you’re right, it’s not nearly as good of a deal as it used to be/as it seems at first.
Good review! I'm going crazy though. I've been searching for reviews all day, and not one person has shared the single most important piece of info about these platforms: do the teachers use the target language or is in just in English? I promised myself I will never subject myself to American style language classes again, it's a total time sink. Not only do you not develop any listening skills, you also don't have a safe space to practice what you're learning because you'll feel constant pressure to "just ask your question in English, ok?"
haha good point, I didn’t even think to say! they both encourage TL only. I’ve taken the very beginning French class now and it had quite a lot of English for obvious reasons but French first always. Definitely have never heard an instructor encourage someone to use English
I found in the Babble A1 French classes some of the students will push for a little English explanation now and then. Definitely focused on French not at all like an American high school or college class.
I am studying w Lingado at the moment but I have to admit that the price of Babble is very attractive! Base on your spanish class experience, the techers in Babble mostly from Latinamertiamerican countries? O you sometimes met the techers from Spain also? I am asking bc I currectly live in Spain, so It will be a bit advantageous to study w them. Dont get me wrong, I also love having the class of the teachers from latinamerican countries 😊
I’ve had 1 (maybe 2?) teachers from Spain, definitely most have been from LatAm. but you also might get more since you’re in their time zone 🤔 I am still really liking Babbel!
@@joreneelanguagesThis is my question too. I’m focusing on the Spain accent and would love to know if teachers on Spain are on the platform before signing up.
@@bajanalpha4 on Babbel I have had 2-3 teachers from Spain. The majority I have had were from LatAm. But I also take them during US hours which is evening/night in Europe, so if you’re able to take them during working hours of CEST I imagine you can get more Spain teachers. It does not tell you who is from where when signing up, which would be helpful
I have yet to pay specifically for conversation classes (or any classes) in my languages, but I might need to at some point. (I was part of a paid community at one point that provided conversation groups in addition to so many other things) Of course, it would be for languages that are never included in big sites like Somali or Irish. That does mean that I will be more likely to pay teachers more directly, which is also an important factor to me. I really miss when I started speaking Spanish and French as I was able to find people to chat with who were either learning English (so an exchange), or who were also just learning and we could fumble along together. Since those people moved on to other things, I haven't really been practicing my speaking other than to myself, my family who don't know any of the languages, or my axolotls, haha. Thanks for the in depth reviews!
Yeah, I do feel pretty weird about using these sites, I would really prefer to do a direct exchange or tutor, but tbh I find the stress of finding an italki tutor a fairly significant barrier lol which may be silly but became a rather pressing reality when I realized I was going to Spain in like two months and wasn't practicing :0 I liked the italki tutor I had for a while but it was expensive (justifiably!) and difficult to schedule because he was in Europe. I really enjoy Babbel but I definitely want to supplement with a more direct relationship next year. Hopefully you'll be able to find something for the less blockbuster languages!
@@joreneelanguages I absolutely understand the stress of finding someone, hence why I am just not practicing right now, haha. When I started, I tried HelloTalk and even found a really wonderful man to chat with via texts/voice messages, but when he got busy with other things, I deleted the app fairly quickly because of all of the problems with an app like that. Not really practicing is ok for me because I'm in no hurry, but I totally understand needing to get some real practice before traveling. I am also the kind of person who wouldn't do well with getting my money's worth on an unlimited plan.
that’s a bummer about the language exchange. my coworker somehow found two people that she talked to daily for over a year on hellotalk!!! sorcery 😆 I have the worst luck on those apps, but I should give it another try.
I so far have been very impressed and happy with Babble live. I have been using Italki for Spanish for the last two years and recently started French with Babble. I love that I can also supplement my regular Spanish classes. I signed up for the 12 months subscription. So far the teachers use French almost exclusively at the A1 level. Just a little English now and then. Great review. Thanks
I also love Babbel Live! I've been using it for the last 2-3 months for Spanish and Italian 😊 also, because you get access to the other languages, it tipped me over the edge to start German one month ago 😅 so I can definitely say that I'm an advocate for Babbel Live.
This was the sort of video i was looking for a few months ago when i was trying to decide because there is very little out there about Babbel Live.
Generally speaking, I agree with everything you said about Babbel (I've never used Lingoda so I can't comment on that). I've already had a lot of classes and the majority of the times, they are very conversation focused (which I love). 99% of the teachers have been amazing and I think it's a great additional resource to enhance your speaking skills but it certainly doesn't replace more formal learning.
Although I love it, there are a few things that can be difficult with Babbel and most of it comes down to there being an almost non-existant placement test.
For example, I am in the A1.1 classes for German and I have generally found that people's speaking abilities are higher than the stuff being taught on the slides. This has been a little difficult for me because I only started one month ago and some students are giving seemingly A2+ level responses to questions. However , because this isn't my first experience learning a language, it doesn't bother me too much but I have seen other students look completely overwhelmed
Then, on the other side, I have been in B2 Spanish classes with people who seemingly have an A2/B1- level, so this can sometimes affect the dynamic of the class. (I also know that not everyday is the same and these students might be B2 but having an off day, which definitely happens to me too)
However, like you mentioned, because it's unlimited classes, I don't feel annoyed in these situations because I'm not "using up" a credit. I feel like most students are supportive of each other and sometimes students will ask each other questions because they are generally interested in hearing more.
Great video, I think it will be very helpful and useful for other learners (I know I would have loved this a few months ago) 😁
And I'll maybe see you around in the B1/2 Spanish classes and it'll be the second time you get noticed in a language class haha 😁
yaaaasss can’t wait to virtually “bump into you” there!!! 😆
it’s funny, since filming this I’ve kind of had both of those experiences as well - I had a Spanish class where someone was a total beginner and said he hadn’t been able to tell which classes were for beginners. he ended up just logging out of the class after like 2 minutes 😬 and my first French class (which was the second class they offer, there weren’t any sessions of the first one open), I was definitely a far lower level than most- one other girl was similarly struggling but the other people, while definitely still beginners, could form complete sentences and said they’d been learning for months/years. it wasn’t super fun and if it was my first experience with an online class I probably would have been somewhat put off.
but I agree, I love it. I will also be letting it influence me into German I think 😆
Appreciate your comment... I'm debating on babbel live....do you feel classes have helped you in the end?
Great video! I have used both Lingoda and Babbel Live for my French lessons. I tired Lingoda first, so I had low expectation of Babbel Live because it is part of the Babbel app. However, I was so wrong. From my experience, an annual membership of Babbel offers more value to a student. On an average day off , I took 2-3 courses a day. Lingoda may have better slides but the Babbel live teacher would use supplement if needed. As an American, I noticed that Babbel Live had less classes during the weekends especially in the afternoons, which was fine for me as I was out enjoying the weekends. Overall, I would choose annual Babbel Live subscription.
I agree! about 6 months into my year subscription and still loving it. have gotten so much more value out of it than lingoda
Thanks for providing the comparision. Each of these platforms say they are the best 🤣😂
every app and website is THE best!! 😆
I watched your video when deciding between Babbel Live and Lingoda. I went with Babbel Live because the scheduling is more flexible and it is much more affordable. So far, I definitely am finding it helpful. I find that the teachers use break out rooms to manage the time on the classes. I really find that the experience in the class is much better when there are only 3 or 4 people in the class. When there are 6, there is definitely less time for interaction and feedback.
Thank you! This is indeed a good comparison
Thank you!!
Thank you for this very informative video! I've been with Lingoda for about a year. I started with sprints before transitioning to subscriptions when they restricted sprints to new users. I really like Lingoda but have recently begun considering alternatives as it's getting more and more expensive. I didn't know the existence of Babbel Live until I saw this video and it sounds very attractive to take unlimited classes with such a decent price! I'm wondering on average how many students have you had in Babbel classes? I find smaller groups of 1-3 students more ideal to me. Looking forward to your next video update!
The Babbel classes definitely fill up more because of the freedom of unlimited lol, but attendance is also less regular - I pretty often will be the 6th student to book a class but only 4 show up etc. However, on average there are more students on Babbel than Lingoda from what I recall. I would say the average is probably 4 students? Not sure what your time zone/preferred class time is, but the classes that are during the day in eastern time zone are almost always wide open (as I scroll past them longingly lol) - you could probably get a lot of small classes if you're available those hours.
Haha that makes sense - it’s more like gym membership without much pressure 😂 I’m also in eastern time zone so that’s good news! Will probably give it a try next month. Thanks for the prompt reply :)
I absolutely love Lingoda. Their German classes are amazing. I'm considering Babbel just because Lingoda doesn't offer Italian. Best bet that as soon as they add it though, I'm heading to Lingoda immediately.
that’s awesome! if you do Babbel, I’d love to hear how you feel it compares
Would you consider filming a portion of either both Babbel or Lingoda so that we could see them?
I may include a clip of my side of the class in vlogs, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable asking to film the screen or audio since there's almost always more students in the class - even though I would obviously edit them out. I wouldn't want to make someone feel uncomfortable.
Thanks for making this video, glad to see this. Been learning French in Lingoda since 2020. In total, I completed 4 Super Sprints and got all the 100% cashbacks. I stopped since they removed the 100% cashback option. I'm looking for alternatives, and after watching your video, I will definitely try Babel Live. Thanks again and more power to your channel/community.
I’ve done both Spanish and French Lingoda. It was fairly easy for me to find classes. If you schedule the classes far enough in advance, like at least 7 days in advance, you can book any class you want at any time you want and they will assign a teacher to it. The negative of that is you won’t know who is going to be assigned to it so it could be someone you don’t like but I’ve only had two negative experiences with Lingoda teachers in the hundreds of classes I’ve taken with them
thanks for sharing, that is very helpful!
I used to always wish that Lingoda offered one or more of my target languages because I liked the idea of challenging myself to the Lingoda Sprint. As someone who a) doesn't get enough speaking practice and b) is very frugal, the idea of getting my money back was very appealing. But honestly, it's probably for the best that they didn't offer it in my languages, because like you said, I probably would have completely stressed myself out and not completed it successfully anyways 😅
For several years now I've toyed with the idea of taking italki lessons to get more comfortable actually speaking for long periods of time in Korean and decreasing my stumbling/searching for words when discussing deeper topics, but the price always makes me hesitate. Like you said, I know that the value of the time and effort of these tutors deserves a higher price tag, especially if they live in a country with a high cost of living, but that higher cost is just so hard for me to justify on a regular basis, especially since I also have to budget for things like trips across the world to visit family once or twice a year.
Yeah I love the idea of the Sprint, but I know I would hate it in reality 😆 i agree, I might do some focused italki lessons for test prep, but as a regular thing it is well out of my budget 😬
@@klamot. you can still cancel the subscription during the second month of the sprint! But you’re right, it’s not nearly as good of a deal as it used to be/as it seems at first.
Good review! I'm going crazy though. I've been searching for reviews all day, and not one person has shared the single most important piece of info about these platforms: do the teachers use the target language or is in just in English? I promised myself I will never subject myself to American style language classes again, it's a total time sink. Not only do you not develop any listening skills, you also don't have a safe space to practice what you're learning because you'll feel constant pressure to "just ask your question in English, ok?"
haha good point, I didn’t even think to say! they both encourage TL only. I’ve taken the very beginning French class now and it had quite a lot of English for obvious reasons but French first always. Definitely have never heard an instructor encourage someone to use English
I found in the Babble A1 French classes some of the students will push for a little English explanation now and then. Definitely focused on French not at all like an American high school or college class.
I am studying w Lingado at the moment but I have to admit that the price of Babble is very attractive! Base on your spanish class experience, the techers in Babble mostly from Latinamertiamerican countries? O you sometimes met the techers from Spain also?
I am asking bc I currectly live in Spain, so It will be a bit advantageous to study w them. Dont get me wrong, I also love having the class of the teachers from latinamerican countries 😊
I’ve had 1 (maybe 2?) teachers from Spain, definitely most have been from LatAm. but you also might get more since you’re in their time zone 🤔 I am still really liking Babbel!
@@joreneelanguagesThis is my question too. I’m focusing on the Spain accent and would love to know if teachers on Spain are on the platform before signing up.
@@bajanalpha4 on Babbel I have had 2-3 teachers from Spain. The majority I have had were from LatAm. But I also take them during US hours which is evening/night in Europe, so if you’re able to take them during working hours of CEST I imagine you can get more Spain teachers. It does not tell you who is from where when signing up, which would be helpful
@@joreneelanguages Okay so it’s possible but would be very much trial and error.
I have yet to pay specifically for conversation classes (or any classes) in my languages, but I might need to at some point. (I was part of a paid community at one point that provided conversation groups in addition to so many other things) Of course, it would be for languages that are never included in big sites like Somali or Irish. That does mean that I will be more likely to pay teachers more directly, which is also an important factor to me.
I really miss when I started speaking Spanish and French as I was able to find people to chat with who were either learning English (so an exchange), or who were also just learning and we could fumble along together. Since those people moved on to other things, I haven't really been practicing my speaking other than to myself, my family who don't know any of the languages, or my axolotls, haha.
Thanks for the in depth reviews!
Yeah, I do feel pretty weird about using these sites, I would really prefer to do a direct exchange or tutor, but tbh I find the stress of finding an italki tutor a fairly significant barrier lol which may be silly but became a rather pressing reality when I realized I was going to Spain in like two months and wasn't practicing :0 I liked the italki tutor I had for a while but it was expensive (justifiably!) and difficult to schedule because he was in Europe. I really enjoy Babbel but I definitely want to supplement with a more direct relationship next year. Hopefully you'll be able to find something for the less blockbuster languages!
@@joreneelanguages I absolutely understand the stress of finding someone, hence why I am just not practicing right now, haha. When I started, I tried HelloTalk and even found a really wonderful man to chat with via texts/voice messages, but when he got busy with other things, I deleted the app fairly quickly because of all of the problems with an app like that. Not really practicing is ok for me because I'm in no hurry, but I totally understand needing to get some real practice before traveling. I am also the kind of person who wouldn't do well with getting my money's worth on an unlimited plan.
that’s a bummer about the language exchange. my coworker somehow found two people that she talked to daily for over a year on hellotalk!!! sorcery 😆 I have the worst luck on those apps, but I should give it another try.