This week in my journey to learning Spanish, I have continued to use the app Duolingo. As stated last week, this app is great for learning vocabulary, however in my opinion is not great for sentence structure or for one day being able to speak fluently. The application teaches non-practical phrases. For example, I now know how to say, “Where is the library” and “The cat drinks milk.” As you can see, these aren’t everyday phrases that a beginner of the language would say on a regular basis.
In addition to using Duolingo, I also incorporated the app Babbel into my repertoire. When it comes to practical conversations and phrases, Babbel is the opposite of Duolingo. The app emphasizes real-life situations, aiming to get learners speaking the language quickly. Phrases such as, “Where do you work?’ and “How old are you?” As you can see, phrases that you could potentially ask someone while meeting someone for the first time.
The other thing that Babbel does that Duolingo does not is focus on verb conjugation and explaining grammar rules to improve sentence structure. This is exactly what I have been looking for in an app to improve my learning. I strongly feel that if I would continue to use this app on a regular basis, it would greatly improve my fluency in the language.
Now time to talk about the negatives of Babbel. I’m glad that I have some knowledge in the language prior to using it. The app does not overly prepare the user with basic vocabulary that Duolingo does. While the phrases are practical in everyday scenarios, the app is very fast paced, and a true beginner could get lost very easily. Lastly, to be a user of Babbel, you need to pay for a subscription. The prices vary for how long you pay for the subscription anywhere from $12 a month to $20 a month. I was able to sign up for a free trial period while experimenting with the app. As good as I found the app to be, being a fugal university student, I think I will be trying other apps out in the weeks to come.
Has anyone paid for a Babbel subscription? If so, was it worth it? Let me know and comment below.
The link below comes from the T.V. show called, “Community”. The main characters rap a short song in Spanish talking about libraries and moustaches, reminding me the odd words that Duolingo teaches their users. Enjoy!
Spanish Rap | Community (youtube.com)
Hasta luego (see you later)
Zach Nenson
