A Duolingo user uses the language learning app.
Duolingo Inc.
A new year often brings new resolutions – and if yours is to learn a new language, you’re not alone. According to data from the language app Duolingo, 30 million people tried to learn a new language in 2020. There are several ways to do this: “Studying abroad and living abroad are always experiences life-changing issues,” said Kevin Chen, CEO and co-founder of italki, a language education platform. That said, as COVID makes traveling and practicing a new language in foreign countries harder to practice, online language apps and courses are even more important. So we’ve rounded up some of the best-reviewed and award-winning language courses you might want to try this year.
Premium
Rosetta stone
$299 for a lifetime subscription $199 for a lifetime subscription
- Winner of PCMag’s Editors’ Choice award for best language learning software, the site noting, “Rosetta Stone remains the best premium software for building a foundation in a foreign language.”
- Offers 24 languages including Mandarin, Spanish, Italian and Japanese
- Learn to develop both basic conversational skills and reading and writing skills
1 on 1 instruction
Italki
From $7 per hour
- Private lessons given by instructors in more than 150 languages; for each instructor you can see how many lessons they have taught and read reviews from other students who have practiced with them
- Practice with other students trying to learn the same language
- A Business Insider reviewer, program editor: “If your goal this year is to become a more confident foreign language speaker, I suggest you take a course on the site.”
Premium
Babbel language learning
$299 for a lifetime subscription $199 for a lifetime subscription
- CNET named Babbel the best language learning app
- Developed by over 100 linguists, this app can teach you 14 languages including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Swedish and Turkish
- Over 10 million users worldwide and rated 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store with over 556,000 reviews
Goal-oriented
Busu
From $7.54 per month
- Winner of Language App of the Year at the 2020 EdTech Breakthrough Awards
- Offers lessons in 12 of the most popular languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese
- The app allows users to create personalized study plans, access a community of native speakers and set specific goals
- 4.7 out of 5 stars in the App Store
casual talk
Memorize
From $7.50 per month
- CBS notes that it is “best for learning to speak casually in a new language”
- Focuses on the language you use in real conversations
- 4.8 out of 5 stars in the App Store with over 150,000 reviews