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How to Learn a Language for Free

It's a truism that education is getting more expensive all the time. That doesn't have to be the case with language learning, however. While there is definitely language-learning software worth paying for, it turns out that you can get many excellent resources for studying a language for no money at all. In this article, we list the best free language apps we've found.

We should to be clear about one thing, however. These language tools (whether they're Android apps, iOS apps, or web apps) can help you learn, study, and practice, but it's highly unlikely that you'll reach fluency without also getting some formal classroom training or rich and consistent exposure to native speakers. Apps are tools. Many of them are adept at helping you build your vocabulary and understanding of a language. But there is no substitution for real-world exposure.

Most of the apps listed here are intended as study aids, rather than full-featured language learning software. Those packages, such as Rosetta Stone and Transparent Language Online, usually cost somewhere in the range of $200 per year, although you can often get them for free through public libraries, particularly in the US and Canada, at least. Libraries often license language-learning software that patrons can use and access from home, when they authenticate through an online library portal. So if you are in need of free language-learning software, we highly recommend seeing what your local library offers in addition to the apps listed here.

Why No Single-Language Apps?

For the purpose of this article, we've excluded from consideration any language-learning app that is specific to one language, to keep the suggestions broad enough to be applicable to a wide range of people. That said, there are many fantastic apps that teach only one language, or even one aspect of one language. Human Japanese comes to mind, for example. It has both free 'lite' and paid versions of its apps, but it only teaches Japanese. We know know of people currently studying Mandarin who swear by ChineseSkill, a free game-based app that only focuses on Chinese for beginners. There are just a few of many possible examples.

To find a free language-specific app, just type the language you need into the search bar of your favorite app store. Something is bound to turn up. But, as mentioned, we've excluded those types of apps from this list to prevent the suggestions from being too niche. If you know of an excellent free app that could be helpful to others, feel free to suggest it in the comments below.

Best Free Language-Learning Apps Overall

Two apps took the Editors' Choice in the category of best free language app: Duolingo and Memrise.

Duolingo has been a fan favorite since its debut a few years ago. It offers a full program of language-learning material in more than 20 languages. It's sequential, meaning you work through the lessons in order. It has gamification elements and the ability to set goals for yourself to help keep you motivated. A lot of the content is crowd-sourced, meaning quality isn't guaranteed to be perfect, but Duolingo has strong communities who actively flag and correct material that's poorly worded, debatable, or otherwise inaccurate.

The other Editors' Choice is Memrise, which shares some similarities with Duolingo, in the sense that it's more than just a study aid and has sequential course material for learning. Memrise has two types of content: that which it (Memrise the company) has uploaded, and that which comes from its user community. The company provides courses in 14 languages, but there are many more language programs if you're open to trying material from unknown sources. Be sure to use the search bar in Memrise! Not all languages surface unless you search for them specifically.

Best Free Language-Learning App for Customized Study Sets

People often learn a language for a specific purpose, such as to work in a particular field abroad. Depending on your purpose, you might need to learn specialized vocabulary. Medical workers, for example, might focus on terminology related to the body and illnesses, whereas a business traveler might need to learn words for negotiating, finance, and so forth.

Quizlet is the best free app to add to your language-learning toolset when you need to customize what you're studying. With Quizlet, you create your own study sets, and the app turns whatever you want to study into flashcards, quizzes, and games.

You can use Quizlet to study anything under the sun, but it has wonderful support for foreign language learning, including special characters and surprisingly good machine-read audio files. For example, you can label the material you're learning as German. Anytime you enter new words into the German area of your app, Quizlet will include a machine-read audio file of the words in a German-sounding voice, with the stress almost always on the correct syllable.

Best Free Language-Learning App for Drills

Learning a new alphabet and new numbers requires repetition. The free app 50 Languages is one of the best resources you'll find for this particular aspect of learning a language. 50 Languages has much more content, such as audio files you can download and play offline, quizzes, and flashcards, but it's not especially well designed, and finding what you need can be a pain. Still, the quality is very high, and the app is completely free.

Best Free Language-Learning App for Interaction

At some point while learning a language, you need to connect with real speakers. HelloTalk lets you do exactly that. It asks you what language you're learning and which language you speak and finds you appropriate counterparts. You can chat, post status updates and photos, and even request an online video call with people. One downside of HelloTalk is that there aren't any conversations prompts, so it's not ideal for introverts or people who prefer a structured environment.

Best Free Language-Learning App for Reading Comprehension

Beelinguapp is unique in that it focuses on longer-form reading. This is an aspect of language learning that's often overlooked or omitted from free language apps. With Beelinguapp, you can filter what's available in order to find texts that are the appropriate level for your skills and that are on a topic you actually enjoy, such as pop culture or science and technology. Beelinguapp incorporates listening skills, too, as every story comes with an audio file of the text being read by a native speaker. If you get stumped, you can always look at a translation of the material.

Build Your Own Free Language-Learning Kit

When it comes to choosing software, you have to pick the best option from among a list of contenders. That's just not the case with language learning apps. Instead of looking for one app that will do it all, you're better off compiling a bunch of different apps that meet different learning needs. Build a toolkit of resources. Keep yourself engaged by switching apps when you get bored with one. Use different apps to strengthen different skills. Of course, that's extremely easy when the apps are all free.

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Best Free Language-Learning Apps Featured in This Roundup:

• Duolingo Review

  
  MSRP: $0.00
  

  Pros: Free. Wonderful new podcast and interactive stories for some languages. Clear structure. Lets you test out of lessons that are too easy. Long list of supported languages.

  Cons: Varying quantity of material for different languages.

  Bottom Line: Duolingo is the best free online language learning program. Unique features and a clear structure make it a reliable place to learn new languages or sharpen your skills.

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• Memrise Review

  
  MSRP: $9.00
  

  Pros: Strong language study content for beginners. More than just flashcard learning. Good customization options in settings. High quality.

  Cons: No guarantee on quality of user-generated content.

  Bottom Line: Freemium study app Memrise has a wealth of content in foreign languages as well as other subjects. Beginners will find it's a valuable resource.

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• Quizlet Review

  
  MSRP: $0.00
  

  Pros: Simple to use and configure. Excellent for self-study. Various modes. Ample language localization options. Free version quite generous.

  Cons: Only suited for quizzing on certain types of information. Limited interoperability. Some spelling errors.

  Bottom Line: Though limited in scope, the excellent Quizlet provides a simple, user-centric online tool for rote learning. It's particularly popular among language learners.

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• busuu Review

  
  MSRP:
  

  Pros: Very well structured courses. Clear and accurate. Excellent value for long-term subscription.

  Cons: Relatively small language selection. Some tedious typing exercises.

  Bottom Line: Busuu has a modest selection of language courses, but top-notch content. It's well worth adding to a language-learning regimen.

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• Beelinguapp Review

  
  MSRP: $0.00
  

  Pros: Excellent for reading in foreign languages. Plenty of free materials included. Supports 12 languages.

  Cons: Complicated pricing and plans.

  Bottom Line: When you need to practice reading in a foreign language, try Beelinguapp, which offers a generous amount of content for free.

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• 50 Languages Review

  
  MSRP: $0.00
  

  Pros: High-quality content. Many languages included, both to learn and for the language of instruction. Free. No data collection; anonymous usage.

  Cons: Progress not saved in the cloud or synced across devices. No bird's eye view/road map of all the materials. Lessons lack clear descriptions.

  Bottom Line: The 50 Languages app has a wealth of material for studying dozens of languages, and all for free, but the experience is rather low-tech.

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• HelloTalk Review

  
  MSRP: $6.99
  

  Pros: Encourages free-form interactions. Matches language learners with fluent speakers. Good privacy settings.

  Cons: No structured learning content. Value of the app is highly dependent on other users.

  Bottom Line: When you're ready to experiment with a foreign language, HelloTalk provides an excellent opportunity for interaction with other speakers.

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• TinyCards by Duolingo Review

  
  MSRP: $0.00
  

  Pros: Free. Can build your own flash card deck. Includes language vocabulary from Duolingo.

  Cons: Flashcard decks built by others are unreliable and prone to errors. Little variety in study method, quizzes.

  Bottom Line: TinyCards, a free app from Duolingo, helps you study with digital flashcards and quizzes. It has some problems, though, and there are better alternatives for language learning.

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