You no longer need to stress to master foreign languages. More and more individuals now participate in virtual distance language learning platforms to obtain online tutoring services.
Many new software applications, technological gadgets, and websites are dedicated to foreign language learning. However, some individuals are hesitant about online language learning since they prefer to study with their professors.
In this Ling App blog, read our detailed comparison review on HelloTalk vs Pimsleur. The Ling app is one of the best apps for language learning with native speakers and has lots of interactive techniques.
HelloTalk Review
What Things Can You Do On HelloTalk?
HelloTalk is a chat software with a platform for language exchange integration at its heart. Its primary purpose is to link you with native speakers rather than teach you a language.
As a result, you may practice speaking your target language while your partner practices speaking theirs.
If we were, to sum up, HelloTalk in one word, we’d say it’s a cross between Facebook and the LINE communication software. The app’s key functionalities are divided into conversations and moments.
Is HelloTalk Good For Learning A Language?
If we compare Hellotalk Vs Pimsleur, HelloTalk is a terrific platform for language exchange in that one or two individuals you genuinely connect with. You cannot come to HelloTalk merely to improve your conversational language skills. It might turn out more like making new friends and learning new things as you go.
But let’s have a look at what HelloTalk can accomplish for you.
The “HelloTalk” feature enables you to communicate with language partners all around the globe.
By joining up for HelloTalk, you’ll be asked to provide information about your native language and the language you want to learn. Premium users can participate in language exchange in up to three languages. At the same time, free members may only study one.
Find Language Partners
You may begin to find language partners after determining your native and target languages.
You may find local companions by inputting your location, or you can narrow your search by gender or how serious language learners are. This information may be gleaned by looking at a user’s self-reported fluency levels.
You may also customize how you appear in search results. You may opt to conceal from regional and neighboring searches. Or you can filter who can find you by gender and native language match.
Remember that you must opt into them rather than out of certain filters. Previously, the software would automatically hide your personal information. Today, it seems to do the reverse.
You may start a language exchange when you’ve chosen a buddy to communicate with. Non-premium users may start a conversation with a new person up to eight times each day. On the other hand, Premium users may participate in up to 25 recent discussions every day.
Interacting With Locals
Using the chat feature, you will feel right at home. It operates like any other messaging app. You send a message, and they respond with one of their own. However, If we compare Hellotalk Vs Pimsleur, HelloTalk does a little more than that.
Auto-Translate
This would be HelloTalk’s shining light if you couldn’t rely on Google Translate.
Any message bubble may be auto-translated to or from your target language by single-tapping it. You can obtain a quick translation if a friend sends you anything in your target language that you don’t understand.
Even more aggravating, other users are restricted to five translations each day. But premium members get unlimited translations. The software effectively charges you to utilize a free service that isn’t trustworthy.
Transliteration
If you don’t want to utilize the auto-translate tool, there are alternative options. A new menu appears when you press and hold any message. This option enables you to transliterate languages that do not use. It is helpful for the Latin alphabet Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic.
Narration
The “talk” function, which narrates the message for you, is another feature. You may change the pace at which these narrations are delivered in your options.
Unfortunately, Google Translate has been used to power this text-to-speech feature. This means you’ll be hearing a computer-generated narrative, which won’t sound very natural.
Corrections
If your friend is searching for feedback on their writing talents, you may also amend any message. They are also capable of doing the same for you. This is, without a doubt, the most beneficial feature of the program.
Popular Languages Available In Hellotalk
HelloTalk claims to support practically every language known to man…at least in principle.
Some of the less prominent languages will have varying degrees of success.
Many languages have few native speakers available for language exchange. It is possible and likely that you will discover at least one individual. But it is also not a certainty. And if you do not get along with that individual, you will have fewer alternatives.
If we were to name a few languages that HelloTalk consistently provides, we would say:
- Mandarin Simplified English
- Japanese
- Korean
- Spanish
- French
- Portuguese
- German
- Italian
- Russian
- Arabic
Remember that many of these popular languages have various dialects, such as Latin American and European Spanish. It would help to locate a speaking partner who speaks the dialect you are studying.
What Is The Price Of Hellotalk?
Once you install HelloTalk, you will need to purchase a subscription. It would not even allow us to skip the subscription page upon download. You had to at least sign up for the three-day trial to access the app. You will also need to provide a payment method.
We were puzzled since the site’s marketing implied a “freemium” business model. A free alternative with advertisements allows you to use most of the site’s other features.
The subscription prices are reasonable in comparison to the market. You may pay $4.99 per week, $8.99 per month, or $49.99 per year to subscribe. The greatest value is the yearly fee, about $4.20 per month.
Pros And Cons
Pros
- The conversation is allowed to flow freely due to the simple framework.
- Instead of using pre-programmed robots, you practice with genuine native speakers.
- Many built-in language tools for your quick learning (if you’re prepared to pay for them)
- More than 30 million active users from all over the globe speak 150+ languages
Cons
- Other features need separate, pricey memberships.
- By default, it shares your personal information with the language exchange partners.
- Time and resources may be better spent enhancing the app instead of wasting money on gimmicky revenue grabs.
- Charges you for services that are otherwise accessible for free.
- Their pricing is also nowhere to be seen on their website.
Full review of Hellotalk here.
Pimsleur Review
Pimsleur is one of the most reputable names in language learning circles. Pimsleur is a strategy, not merely a language learning instrument.
‘Spaced Repetition System’ is a word that is often used in language acquisition debates (or SRS). Most people don’t know what it means.
So, as an example, we will explain it to you in the simplest manner possible:
- You are attempting to learn a new language.
- You come upon a brand-new term that you haven’t encountered before.
- You almost forget about it.
- Then you see it again an hour later.
- You recognize it, but you can’t recall it until the solution is given.
- After some time, you forget about it eventually.
- You see it again the following day.
- It’s familiar this time, but you won’t remember it until displayed.
- The term is displayed to you again three days later.
- Finally, the word comes back to you.
Now, that is a simplistic explanation of how SRS works, but let’s look at what’s going on.
There is a wider gap between the time the word is revealed and the last time you saw it. You almost quickly forget the new language at first. It progressively gets more and more familiar until you can recall it with ease.
Pimsleur Languages
Pimsleur offers 50 languages to learn. Pimsleur offers multiple languages, such as European Spanish and Latin American Spanish.
Finnish, French, German (German and Swiss), Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Pashto, Polish. Armenian (Eastern and Western) ItalianCzech, Danish, Dari Persian, Dutch, Farsi Persian, Pimsleur also present Albanian, Arabic (Eastern, Egyptian, and Modern Standard), Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Croatian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish.
Questions regarding whether Pimsleur works spring up all over the place, and a quick web search turns up a slew of reviews and opinions on the subject here:
It’s A Completely Audio-Based Technique.
Most of us learn better by being able to visualize what we are learning.
Because Pimsleur is audio-based except for a short reading booklet. It is sometimes not suitable for visual learners.
Pimsleur Graphics For Completely Audio Lessons
First and foremost, the presenter encourages you to consider several scenarios:
- “Imagine a meeting between an American guy and an Irish lady in a place where Irish is spoken.
- He would want to start a dialogue…”
- This mental picture may be more exciting for us as visual language learners than reading words on paper. Most of us don’t understand at first.
Imagine if we read those same lines as words on paper or computer. “Imagine an American guy meeting an Irish lady…”
It may even prevent us from imagining it. Since we would be more focused on the actual text, we are reading.
- Another point to consider is how the word pronunciation is conveyed.
- The new words are spoken backward, only a syllable at a time.
- This enables you to visualize and concentrate on each word.
We continually correlate sounds with mental pictures. It is these mental images that assist us in remembering what we hear.
If you utilize Pimsleur, make sure you are not busy with anything else while listening to it. For example, you are commuting, since attention is very vital.
Language Is Very Courteous
I noted the extremely formal and polite language used in the conversations when listening to Pimsleur Korean, Russian, Egyptian, and Eastern Arabic. For example, they use polite verb forms in Korean and plural в pronouns in Russian.
Although it is a good idea to learn and use these forms when they are suitable. Native speakers are not always so formal, particularly when speaking with relatives or people of their age or younger.
To Pimsleur’s credit, the majority of the exchanges are between strangers. Thus the usage of polite phrases is quite justified.
The Number Of Words In Your Vocabulary Is Restricted
The Pimsleur Method is often criticized for not teaching enough vocabulary.
In all, each language series adds just a few hundred new terms. The number of levels determines the precise quantity. Some languages have just one level, while others have three, four, or five.
Pimsleur language packages are not intended to be comprehensive vocabularies. They are there to teach you the ‘foundation’ of a language so you can figure out the remainder on your own.
Is Pimsleur Better Than Duolingo?
Two prominent language learning apps are Duolingo and Pimsleur. They educate in diverse ways, each with strengths and shortcomings.
The following are the primary distinctions between the language apps, Duolingo and Pimsleur:
- Pimsleur needs a membership or purchase of their courses, but Duolingo is free to use.
- Duolingo focuses on many parts of a language without providing enough speaking practice. Moreover, Pimsleur’s courses are largely focused on spoken language.
- Due to its game-like characteristics, Duolingo’s courses are more enjoyable with interactive features, while Pimsleur’s may get tedious.
When comparing the two language apps, we would suggest Pimsleur over Duolingo. Pimsleur provides higher-quality courses that will develop your conversational skills far faster.
Is Pimsleur Worth The Money?
If you purchase the course outright, Pimsleur is ridiculously pricey.
It is a terrific product about which I have largely positive things to say. But honestly, the price is high and out of reach for most people.
For example, on the Simon and Schuster website, French 1 – 5 (CD format) is presently available for $1,190! Or $550 if you choose the MP3 paid version.
Pros:
- A tried-and-true strategy supported by research
- System of spaced repetitions that works
- With a new subscription plan, it’s now more affordable.
Cons:
- Only audio lessons are available.
- Social situations from the past
- Higher amounts are not recommended
Final Thoughts On HelloTalk Vs Pimsleur: Which One Is Better?
Comparing HelloTalk vs Pimsleur, Pimsleur’s courses are far more comprehensive, for their new, reduced monthly rate.
It is a pleasant method to start a language learning journey. Many learners value Pimsleur for the comfort and sense of accomplishment that comes with it. As a result, this emotional boost might significantly contribute to success and perhaps make it a highly beneficial way to learn.
Considering the benefits, we believe one should use the audio learning techniques more. This is just for phrases that we are likely to require. We can all do this for free by creating our own “Pimsleur” classes.
We hope you have found this HelloTalk vs Pimsleur review helpful. You can also read our other language learning apps reviews, like Pimsleur vs Lingvist review and Lingvist vs Duolingo review to find the best app for learning.
Ling App – A Fantastic Alternative
If nothing mentioned fits your preferences, you can utilize a mobile app, such as the Ling app.
Ling thinks that online compliance training should be enjoyable. Mini-games, quizzes, and an active community may rapidly help you learn your target language.
