Language is fundamentally linked to culture. It’s not just a tool we use to communicate. In fact, it’s something that reflects the experiences and values of the people who use it every day.
That’s why learning a language can be a great way to connect with a specific culture or people. And vice versa, learning about a specific culture can be a gateway to learning its language.
Moreover, for those looking to connect with their roots or get to know their family’s traditions more deeply, learning a language while paying special attention to its culture is essential.
And that’s why we’ll be looking at the best language apps that teach culture today. So you can learn a language in a more profound way – by connecting with the people who use it.
Finding A Good Language App That Teaches Culture
Let’s be real, there are so many language-learning apps on the market today that it can be quite a challenge to find the one that’s right for you.
When it comes to language apps that teach culture specifically, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:
- This may sound obvious, but make sure the app isn’t focused only on vocabulary building. Those apps can be great, especially those that use spaced repetition to learn vocabulary. But that’s not what you’re looking for, so make sure from the start that the app has a cultural approach.
- Look for apps that explain the context behind the expressions they teach you. It’s no use just memorizing words and phrases without understanding what’s behind them.
- Prefer apps with content crafted by native speakers, like the Ling app, since it gives more authenticity to your learning.
- Make sure the cultural content is available for the language you’re learning. Some apps are still incorporating this cultural approach, so they might not have it available for all languages.
- Finally, don’t forget that the app doesn’t just have to give you cultural information. In fact, it also has to adapt to your learning style and schedule. Plus, it has to ensure you stay motivated. It won’t work if you give up halfway!
The Science Behind A Cultural Approach To Language Learning
Science has long explored the relationship between language and culture. Both are inextricably linked, and learning one without considering the other won’t give you a complete understanding. After all, language influences culture, and culture influences language.
And a cultural approach to language learning doesn’t just give you a more complete learning experience; it can actually make things easier.
For one, studies show that language and culture activate overlapping brain regions, which goes to show just how important their relationship is and how fruitful it can be to learn them together.
Additionally, research shows that learners who actively engage with culture can achieve higher proficiency than those who don’t.
So, whether you’re learning a new language and want to understand it in a more complete manner, or aim to connect with your roots and family, a cultural approach to language learning can be an excellent idea.
The Best Language Apps That Teach Culture You Can Try Today
Now that you know how useful learning the culture behind your target language can be, let’s find an easy way to do it with some of the best language apps that teach culture.
These apps can give you a more well-rounded approach to language learning by balancing language content and cultural nuances.
1. The Ling App
The Ling app is a language-learning platform designed to make learning languages easy. With short, gamified lessons, it keeps you motivated while you’re learning your chosen language.
When it comes to teaching culture, the app includes short Culture Notes among the lessons for several languages. These help you understand what you’re learning in a deeper way by grounding it in real, daily life, and explain traditions, etiquette, and idiomatic expressions. That said, this feature is not available for all languages, but the team is working hard to have more cultural explanations in more language courses.
Apart from culture notes, the Ling app includes many idiomatic expressions in its courses, and this is true for all languages. Moreover, lessons are context-based, which means you’re not just learning words and phrases, but seeing how they’re used in realistic situations. As such, Ling teaches languages within a cultural context, not in isolation.
Main Features
- Short, gamified lessons to make learning easy and fun.
- Cultural notes for several languages.
- Context-based language learning.
- Speech recognition with instant feedback to improve pronunciation.
- Tips that explain grammar rules for some languages.
- Achievements, streaks, Banana Points, and reminders to keep you motivated to do daily lessons.
- Flashcards, a personal vocabulary bank, and a review section to revisit what you’ve learned.
- Audio by native speakers to improve your listening skills
2. Babbel
Babbel is another language-learning app that teaches culture. It has short lessons and dialogues from real-life scenarios that allow you to learn the language in context. This app also has cultural tips throughout its lessons, and some specific courses about cultural topics and idioms.
Main Features
- Lessons in 14 languages.
- Focuses on everyday vocabulary to reach a conversational level quickly.
- Cultural tips are provided throughout the lessons.
- Course material tailored to the user’s proficiency level.
3. Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone has been a popular language-learning platform for many years. It uses an immersion-based method to teach languages, which aims for a more natural learning experience. It has a feature called “Stories” where you hear, read, and speak texts on a variety of topics, some of them related to culture.
Main Features
- Bite-sized 10-minute lessons personalized for the users’ level.
- Writing exercises.
- Immersion method that lets you learn in context.
- Users can practice speaking with real-time feedback.
- ‘Stories’ feature that includes cultural topics.
4. Beelinguapp
Another great language app that teaches culture is Beelinguapp, and this one has a different approach. It lets you learn through articles, books, and music, which helps you familiarize yourself with the culture behind the language you’re learning.
Main Features
- Lets users read in parallel in the language they’re learning and their native tongue.
- Includes short stories, news articles, and music that match the user’s proficiency level.
- Offers 23 languages.
- Incorporates quizzes to test what you’ve learned.
5. Mango Languages
Mango Languages is another app that includes culture notes in its lessons, helping you get a more well-rounded understanding of the language you’re learning. This app relies on an adaptive learning process to teach the many languages it offers.
Main Features
- Real-life conversations for practical learning.
- Native speaker audio.
- Cultural insights in the form of culture notes.
- Interactive exercises.
- Spaced repetition system to improve retention.
6. Fluent U
Fluent U is another not-so-traditional language-learning app. It teaches you languages through videos, which makes it a great way to learn about other cultures, not just languages. The way it works is that you pick Netflix or YouTube videos, and the app adds interactive subtitles that you can click on to see word explanations.
It’s worth mentioning that there are other apps and sites that also take this approach, such as Lingopie and Language Reactor.
Main Features
- Turns YouTube and Netflix videos into language lessons.
- Interactive subtitles to see the words’ meanings.
- Vast video library.
- Allows for a cultural approach to language learning by incorporating real-world videos.
- Quizzes and review options to reinforce learning.
7. Tandem
Another way to learn culture when learning a different language is with language exchange apps like Tandem, HelloTalk, HiNative, and more.
Tandem lets you connect with someone who’s learning your native language and speaks the language you’re learning, so you can both teach and practice with each other. It makes for a great way to truly get to know the culture behind a language through human interaction.
Main Features
- Search by language, location, interests, and more to find a language partner.
- Allows for text messages, voice notes, and audio and video calls.
- Community feature to connect with other users.
- In-app translation feature to help users communicate and improve their speaking skills.
Why The Ling App Is Built For Serious Learners
As we’ve mentioned, the Ling app is among the best language apps that teach culture, and it’s also a great language-learning resource in general.
Its carefully crafted content, lessons with native speaker audio, and a gamified approach to learning make it an excellent option for learning your favorite language.
Plus, features like the review section, flashcards, and personal vocabulary bank ensure you have plenty of options to reinforce what you’re learning and improve retention. All while learning at your own pace and with the option to choose your learning path.
But don’t take my word for it, let’s see what language learners have to say about the app:
Real Results From Real Learners
With 4.8 stars on Google Play and 4.6 on the App Store, Ling has made a name for itself among language learners around the world. Let’s see what they think with a few reviews taken directly from Google Play:
“A natural way of learning a language by listening and reading in the native language by showing you, rather than sharing the English to learning language translation. This method allows the learner to absorb grammar, like children learn a language instead of memorizing words and rules. It is a very useful app!”
★★★★★
Sestra Mae
“Amazing app, loved learning from this app, great experience, loved how it teaches about the background and everything about the language it just makes the journey very joyous.”
★★★★★
Avishi
“That is a wonderful App. Easy use. Friendly interface. And very attractive design. Can let you learn from vocabulary, sentence, writing, listening, grammar and culture. That is really really good for me.”
★★★★★
Tiankun Wang
What You Can Learn In Just 7 Days
Not sure yet? The Ling app offers a free 7-day trial that you can use to get to know all its features. Here’s what you can learn if you use it for just a week.
| Day | What You Can Learn |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Basic words and key phrases |
| Day 2 | Basic sentences |
| Day 3 | Numbers and family |
| Day 4 | Counting |
| Day 5 | Activities |
| Day 6 | Food and tastes |
| Day 7 | Vegetables and fruits |
FAQs About Language Learning Apps That Teach Culture
Why Is Cultural Context Important In Language Learning?
Languages are intrinsically linked to culture. The beliefs, customs, and social norms of the people who use a language deeply affect it, and understanding that can give you a more authentic knowledge of that language.
How Does Language Connect To Culture?
Language and culture are deeply connected in many ways. Language is the main way to transmit culture, and it can shape and reflect the worldview of its people. To give an example, honorifics in the Korean language reflect the importance of social hierarchy in that culture.
How Can Culture Be Acquired Through Language?
Language is the main tool to transmit culture and values, as it enables people to learn history, traditions, social experiences, beliefs, and more. People acquire culture through language when interacting with others, often without realizing it. When learning a foreign language, it can be an excellent practice to ask yourself why certain things are the way they are. For example, why some languages have gendered nouns when others don’t, or why some have honorifics but not others. Understanding such cultural nuances can lead to a deeper understanding of a language.
Learn A New Language And Discover Its Culture With Ling!
Among the language apps that teach culture we’ve seen, Ling can be an excellent choice when it comes to well-rounded language learning with a cultural approach.
With culture notes for some languages, idiomatic expressions, and context-based lessons, Ling makes sure you’re not only learning a language but understanding what’s behind it.
What’s more, its short, engaging lessons, audio by native speakers, review features, and more give you a holistic approach to language learning that focuses on all language skills.
So don’t wait any longer, make use of the 7-day free trial and find out if Ling is what you’re looking for! We’re confident you’re gonna love it.
