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Duolingo
reported it had surpassed the 300 million user mark last year. Other
free options like Busuu and Memrise count their users in the tens of
millions (Busuu is nearing 100 million). Babbel, which offers
subscriptions to its language learning mobile and web app, announced 1
million paying customers in 2016. This popularity speaks for itself. But
outside of these figures, user reviews, and personal anecdotes, few
know how well these language learning apps work. Babbel has been trying
to change that. In recent years, the company has commissioned three
efficacy studies into its product, the latest of which was published earlier this month.
The study was conducted by two
researchers from the Yale University Center for Language Study, Director
Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl and Associate Director Mary Jo Lubrano...
Learning Spanish with Babbel
The Babbel language learning app is
comprised mostly of short 10-15 minute lessons which focus on every day
conversations that language learners are likely to use, like asking for
directions, ordering food, and speaking about one’s personal life. It
also employs a personalized vocabulary teaching feature, which tracks
the words a user knows and retests them at determined periods to employ a
‘spaced repetition’ learning technique. To conduct all of this
activity, the app listens to and understands a users’ speech, looking
for qualities like correct pronunciation.
Over the course of 12 weeks of study, the
average student put in 48 hours on the Babbel app and completed 110
lessons. While many stuck exclusively to the app, others were more
enthusiastic and looked to other materials to further their study.
Source: eLearningInside News
