Here is our selection of some of the best Language Learning Apps for Children
Nowadays, technology is everywhere. Pretty much everybody has a laptop, a smartphone or a tablet. This means that most of us are instantly linked to the Internet and have access to downloading apps or virtual content such as games, music, movies, magazines and books.
If we can do all of these things through our devices, why not give them an educational use for our children. If used in a controlled manner, they will grow up understanding technology and learning how to use it correctly.
One of the many great things you can do online now is to learn languages. In this post, we give you a list 11 of the Best Language Learning Apps for Children.
*Please note that although we think these websites are great for children many of them are also suitable for language learners of all ages.
Duolingo
Duolingo is a 100% free website and app (available for both Android and iOS devices). It has a wide range of languages to choose from which will allow you to grasp the basics of several languages or choose one and immerse yourself in that one language. The website/app is set out in different lessons, starting with the basics of the language and progressing to the most complex grammar aspects.
It also has great features like:
- following friends and being able to check how they are doing and what languages they are learning,
- setting a “daily challenge” to set out the lessons as a routine
- the website’s “currency” (lingots) that you earn as you level up, etc.
Overall, a great app for both children and adults to learn languages.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone has a free demo account which will allow you to trial the website/app (available on both Android and iOS). Rosetta Stone also has a wide variety of languages to choose from and it is also perfect for learning from the most basic words and grammar to more complex content.
The way they teach is great as it imitates how we naturally learn a language when we are a child: we hear words and sentences and relate them to images, situations or ideas and we store them in our memory.
Rosetta Stone is a great way to learn languages and it works well for young learners as their minds are still used to learning and processing a language, in the same way the website teaches us.
Memrise
Memrise is a free website/app (available on Android and iOS) whose main purpose is to help you build up your vocabulary by memorising words. Even though it sounds simple and you might be looking for apps to learn the grammar as well, Memrise is definitely the best website/app to learn vocabulary. At the end of the day this is what really will allow you to say what you mean (grammar is important but without words, grammar is, literally, meaningless).
That’s why we recommend Memrise as a great –and FUN- way of learning new words that will help you, in the long run, speak more fluently. We put a strong emphasis on “fun” because the system they use for you to memorise words is just fantastic and it is a technique that is often suggested not only to learn words but to carry out any type of studying: relate the words or content you need to memorise with something that makes sense for yourself with rhymes, songs, words that sound similar.
Memrise gives you suggestions of ways to memorise words together with an image and it is just great!
DeCuentos
This app was definitely designed for young language learners. As the name suggests, this website is related to “cuentos” or tales/stories. The point of the app is to allow children to listen to the tales being read out by native Spanish speakers which is great because it will allow the children to get used to the way native Spanish speakers use words and how they link them as they speak. Another good feature is that the tales are read out loud, in different accents, so you can train your ears to understand different accents by Spanish speakers.
The app is free and available for IPhone, IPad and Android.
FluentU
FluentU is a fantastic website and app (available on Android and iOS) that allows you to listen to different types of videos with an interactive script. This allows you to better understand better what´s being said and if you have any doubts with any words, you can check them out straight away.
What is really awesome about this app is that there is a great variety of videos that cover different topics such as football, movies, TV shows… so that you can have fun with your favourite hobbies or shows as you are studying Spanish.
As their own website states: “You´ll learn Spanish as it´s spoken in real life!”
My A-Z App
This is a great app for learning new vocabulary in a fun way: with customized flashcards. The app comes with a set amount of words and pictures which allow the learner to start studying straight away. A huge plus for this app is the fact that you can create your own flashcards with the words, images and voice recordings of your choice. Young learners will definitely have lots of fun creating the different flashcards with the new words they want to practise. It’s a great way for them to learn as they have chosen the words. had fun and spent plenty of time working with them.
The app is available only on iOS devices (IPhone, IPod Touch and IPad) and it costs $1.99, which isn´t much for a fantastic way for your children to enjoy studying a foreign language.
Spanish Crossword Puzzles for Kids
This app is amazing for learning Spanish while having fun at the same time. Crosswords are commonly known for giving the clues as sentences but in this case, and that’s why kids will definitely love it, the clues are given with images. This makes it easier for children to guess the words and place them in the correct squares. It’s just a great way for your children to get used to the foreign language they are learning as they have fun and enjoy what they are doing.
The app is available on iOS devices (IPhone, IPod Touch and IPad) and costs $1.99.
GoComics
GoComics is just another fun app that allows you to read old and new comics in both English and Spanish. This app is designed for older children, teenagers and adults that want to learn Spanish. The app includes illustration based comics that have a small amount of text that is ideal for younger learners using the app. Other comics contain more text based are good for learners whose level is a bit higher and can handle longer pieces of text.
The app is updated every day, easy to use and provides plenty of content to have fun with and learn from. The app is available for IPad, IPhone and Android and can be used for free with a basic account but, if you wish, you can upgrade to the Pro Membership which only costs $0.99/month and allows you to get rid of the advertisements.
Play & Learn Spanish HD
An awesome app for learning Spanish! The game is set out with two modes: “learning mode” and “game mode”. In the first mode, the words of the chosen section will pop-up at the bottom in both Spanish and English so that you can start to learn them.
In “game mode”, you will hear and see the word in Spanish and you will have to tap the correct object to earn points. It is a great app for both parents and children to have fun together and learn as you can have several profiles and compete against each other to get the highest scores on each section. The app is only available on IPad and costs $3.99.
Las Mil Puertas (Pocoyó)
Las Mil Puertas is a Pocoyó is an interactive book that follows an episode of Pocoyó in which some mysterious doors always show something different behind them. At one point, Pato goes into one of the doors and disappears and Pocoyó has to find him.
You can change the language from English to Spanish. It allows you to put it on AutoPlay which is a great feature on the app but, of course, you can read it by yourself, taking control of turning the pages. The app is just fantastic both graphics, music and content is perfect for the youngest learners who love Pocoyó. The app is available on IPhone and IPad and costs $1.99.
Learn English & Spanish with Arthur Apple
Last but by no means least, we’d like to introduce you to our own language learning apps. Designed to encourage young learners learn to speak like a native, this first app is an introduction to Arthur Apple, one of our language assistants.
We are not focusing on simply vocabulary nor grammar points. Children can listen, read and repeat what they hear. The vocabulary used is simple and will allow children to quickly obtain phrases and expressions that are useful in their everyday lives.
Future apps will be designed around games and recipes.
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