Newsflash: There’s no Nepali on Rosetta Stone. But don’t worry; it’s not the end of the world. Ten years ago, it might have been an issue when the likes of Rosetta Stone and Duolingo were dominating the language app field. However, there’s been a proliferation of up-and-coming apps that focus on lesser spoken languages such as Nepali in recent years.
Number 1 among them is Ling. Ling is the brainchild of a German developer working with an international team. Since 2017 Ling has honed its app and, in recent years, has racked up millions of downloads on the Google Playstore and Apple Store.
With Ling, you can learn more than just a second language. With a subscription, you can learn another 50+ foreign languages. And not just the most frequently spoken world language: English. Ling specializes in those languages left in the shadows for too long. Learn to communicate effectively and easily with Ling
But back to our initial question. Why is there no Nepali on Rosetta Stone? There are myriad reasons for this, including Rosetta Stone’s long-term overall strategy of focusing on widely spoken languages and recent takeover bids of the app that made international news. But the primary reason is just the sheer economics of it. Nepal has seen dire poverty in the last 100 years(things are improving), and there has been very little large-scale migration from Nepal to the West or western money finding its way to Nepal. Often, if the financial incentive isn’t there, then the big apps stay away from the language.
What Are Some Alternative Apps To Learn Nepali?
To be honest, Ling is the only real suitable alternative here. However, I would offer a caveat to that. As great as Ling is, which is why I became a writer for them, I think there are some limitations to language learning apps. Chief among them is that it’s very difficult to replicate human-to-human interaction.
Ling does have a chatbot that allows you to simulate a conversation, but it is a little rigid. True learning takes place when the conversation is spontaneous and free-flowing, and the only way you can accomplish that is by talking to a native speaker.
Preply is one of the most highly rated language programs and is the biggest online platform that connects you with native speakers from practically any country on earth. You can take live lessons from the comfort of your own home. You organize your schedule in correspondence with your tutors and then pay for a bundle of lessons. The student always gets a good deal; however, remember that your teacher can sometimes pay very high commission fees.
Today, we’ll look at a few tutors who might be right for you learners. One thing to say about Nepali is that its tutor base is very small. It may be challenging to find a Nepali teacher who just teaches Nepali, which means you’ll have to find a teacher who teaches the Nepali language as a secondary.
This following teacher profile really stands out, and although she is also a newly joined tutor, she is exceptionally well-credentialed.
She studies plasma physics at the top university in Nepal. Although she’s technically a math tutor, the good thing about Preply is that it’s a highly flexible platform. You could send the tutor a message and ask if she can teach you conversational Nepali. And who knows? Maybe you get so good that you want to learn physics in Nepali!
Note: as of writing, the tutor appears to be overbooked but keep an eye out for future slots
This next tutor is also not a primary Nepali teacher, although he does say that he grew up in Nepal and speaks it fluently.
It’s also worth mentioning that his English is perfect, so if you’re coming at Nepali from an English starting point, this is great for you.
What Are Some Interesting Facts About Nepal?
- Mountains. Nepal is undoubtedly most famous for its stunning Himalayan mountain range, which is home to the highest in the world- Mount Everest. Interestingly, you may not know that it has a different name for local people, ‘Sagarmatha,’ which translates as ‘forehead of the sky.’
- British army. An astonishing number of Nepali soldiers have served in the British military, known to the British as Gurkhas. During World War 2, that number was 112,000; however, in the last decade, it dropped to about 3000.
- Monarchy. Nepal officially became secular in 2006 and democratic in 2008.
- Calendar. Nepal is currently in the year 2071 as they use a different calendar to the European Gregorian calendar.
- Yeti. The dreaded abominable snowman is as famous in Asia as Bigfoot is in America and the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland. Unfortunately for all you crypto-zoologists out there, its existence remains purely speculatory. So far, only a few contested tracks have been found.
- Cow. Similar to India, cows are revered in Nepal.
Learn Nepali With Ling!
As we mentioned initially, Ling is by far and away your best option for learning Nepali. No other app is as comprehensive in its construction.
With Ling, you can practice Nepali vocabulary reading, writing, speaking and listening, and a fair portion of Nepali grammar. If you sign up for a yearly subscription now, you pay $4.50 a month.
We also currently have a dedicated Nepali blog that includes helpful cultural tips and vocabulary lists. Check some of these out here: vegetables in Nepali and colors in Nepali.
2022 is going by fast. Now is the time to learn a new language. Come over to Ling and practice Nepali now.
