As things stand, there’s no Serbian on Babbel. This Slavic language has been overlooked. That might change in the future, but at the moment, the only place you can get a high-quality Serbian course is with the Ling app. Today we’re mainly looking at why it’s beneficial for you to learn Serbian. Still, we’re also wondering why Babbel has foregone Serbian and what are some other alternatives along with Ling.
Why Is There No Serbian On Babbel?
Essentially it boils down to a question of finances and demographics. Creating a new language course is expensive. Although some apps like Duolingo do a certain amount of crowdsourcing, most have to employ language learning experts. To justify creating a new language course, an app needs a guarantee that it will see a return on its money. This usually means a language that already has a solid core of speakers like English and Spanish. There are examples of more minor languages that have soared in popularity. With the recent explosion of K-pop and K-drama, Korean is in demand.
To put it simply, there’s not a lot of people who are keen on learning Serbian. This is also why Babbel does not have it in their roster.
Reasons To Learn Serbian
The following reasons will be linked more directly with why you should visit Serbia. It goes without saying that speaking the Serbian language while exploring Serbia is the ideal scenario. If you can speak some words in the mother language of someone else, it goes a long way to winning your plaudits.
- Serbian History is closely linked with the Ottoman Empire, the empire that destroyed the last of the East Romans and ended several centuries of Christian rule in the East. The Ottomans absorbed Serbia in the 15th century and ruled it for five centuries until Yugoslavia was formed in 1918. Whatever period you want to consider, Serbia has a riveting history.
- Serbian nightlife is next level. All the pieces are in place for a raucous time wherever you go, including a massive student population, an amazing beer culture, as well as masses of stag parties.
- Serbian monasteries and spas. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum are the monasteries and spas. The UNESCO listed Studenica Monastery is the most widely regarded. The sanctuary is almost 1000 years old and was founded by Stevan Nemanja, a former King. The monastery houses two famous monuments built of white marble, the church of the virgin and the king’s church. Serbia also has many natural springs, first popularized by the Romans and then refined by the Ottomans with their famous Turkish bath. The best area is called Vrnjačka Banja, where there are numerous high-end hotels centered around spa living.
- Serbian food is great, particularly for meat lovers. Serbian cuisine reflects the East/West divide we mentioned earlier. Some national dishes include sarma(ground beef and rice in a cabbage leaf), gibanica(an egg and cheese pie) ćevapi (grilled meat). Of course, the national drink is raki which is also commonly consumed in nearby Turkey. N.B. Serbians don’t leave food on the plate. Everything is eaten whether you’re full or not!
- Serbian Festivals are common. This ties in heavily with the abundant Serbian nightlife. Some famous ones include Exit festival, the Belgrade beer festival, and the Nišville Jazz Festival. There is a little something for everyone.
- Serbian Natural Beauty. As you’d imagine, from a country that boasts legendary hot springs, there is a great amount of scenic beauty. The Fruška Gora National Park has been described as Serbia’s jewel. It is home to much of what we’ve already discussed, such as monasteries. There’s an interesting historical dimension to the park, namely that it was home to the Serbian resistance movement during WW2. Another thing not to be missed is Đavola Varoš, where famous rock formations exist.
Alternatives To Learning Serbian
- Simply learn is a product brought to you by Simya Solutions, the parent company of Ling. Simply Learn is an easy-to-use phrasebook designed to help you out of common situations such as checking into a hotel, ordering food, or going shopping. It won’t teach you the native language of Serbian in-depth, but it will help.
- Youtube is a great resource for practicing your listening and grammar skills. Many learners have solely taught themselves through Youtube channels. The best channel to learn Serbian is ‘Hani learning languages’. The channel only has about 1000 subscribers, giving it a very communal feel. She has basic videos on Serbian, mainly focusing on the beginner level.
- Hire a private Serbian tutor to take Serbian lessons. Preply is the best place to do this. Although apps have built-in functions, nothing compares to having a real-life conversation with native Serbian speakers. Thinking on your feet in a conversational language setting challenges you and builds those neural pathways that facilitate growth.
- Learn Serbian With Ling
Learn Serbian With Ling
Ling is the best app for lesser-spoken languages. It does everything Babbel and Duolingo do, but we like to think, with a little more charm.
For those unfamiliar with language apps, that means using a platform that allows users to learn a new language through various engaging methodologies interactively. We have listening, reading, vocabulary, speaking, and grammar practice. We have speaking practice with our patented chatbot. And finally, we have grammar lessons to untangle the complex grammar of Serbian.
At the moment, we have an active Serbian blog. Take advantage of the free resources that are in short supply. Also, do not forget our language tips blog, where we do reviews of language learning apps and give you advice on best practices.
