Have you tried copying Japanese characters and become lost along the way? How about learning one of the known complex languages like Chinese as an English speaker? Let’s find out how a few lessons of LingoDeer will make you fluent in this Lingodeer review.
It’s not surprising that classes for learning Asian languages are always fully-booked. There are a lot of new experiences not just for cultural appreciation but also for discovering food, landmarks, and even the beauty of speaking any of the Asian languages. However, it is not so easy to find well-detailed language programs with writing and pronunciation tests. Furthermore, they are usually in libraries or costly private courses. Hence, a free online language learning app is sought-after the demand.
Realistically, learning a language takes time. Mainly if it contains an alphabet and script, you haven’t touched. This situation is common for many who haven’t been exposed to Chinese characters or an Abugida script such as the Punjabi alphabet.
Also, spending too much time trying to become fluent in sounding like a native speaker can be exhausting if you don’t have the correct language courses. Remarkably, many of these Asian languages can be confusing with their many grammar explanations and a complex alphabet section. But, did you know there’s a better way to improve learning your Chinese course? LingoDeer is a comprehensive app for learning similar languages around this branch and more.
However, can LingoDeer teach languages beyond what it started as? Let’s take a closer look if LingoDeer is more than just an exclusive language learning app for East Asian languages.
What Is LingoDeer?
Lingodeer is a self-learning language app with many features that mimic how we’ve been learning languages as a child. Like many spaced repetition method apps, LingoDeer maximizes the creativity of flashcards while incorporating learning tips and grammar lessons. LingoDeer was created by Wang Zhulong, a computer scientist and language teacher that wanted to share his passion for teaching Chinese language courses.
If you’ve been looking for an alternative to Duolingo or Memrise for gamified apps that teach Asian languages better, then LingoDeer is your pick. Apart from your speaking practice, you can learn a few words from the spaced repetition method for a more effective way of memorizing information.
Furthermore, Lingodeer has authentic lessons you can rarely find among its peers. It doesn’t repeat topics you’ve already learned from their previous studies or other available languages.
Over the years, LingoDeer also improved audio files, which many users have commented were lacking. But is the quality the same as the other languages they’re still expanding for? As we revisit LingoDeer, let’s look at how this new language learning experience will take you to a higher level of fluency.
What Is It For? Lingodeer offers complete language courses for beginners that need a simple-to-use language app.
Languages Offered: Main languages are Korean, Japanese, And Chinese, but also offer the following languages: Spanish, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Italian, and Vietnamese.
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, And Advanced Learners
Pros:
- Highlights multiple languages in East Asia
- Improved listening and speaking lessons with native speakers
- Comprehensive grammar lessons with learning tips
- Learn by context and visual graphics
Cons:
- No visual content other than pictures
- Fewer language materials for non-Asian languages
- Many users feel that the courses are incomplete
- A bit expensive for limited languages
Who Is LingoDeer For? For language learners that want an all-inclusive gamified app for learning Asian languages and more.
How Does LingoDeer Work?
LingoDeer is one of the most accessible language learning apps we have ever used. It doesn’t require you to create an account to log in and access the LingoDeer lessons. However, you will need to create a free account to save your progress should you need to change your platforms.
So if you’ve created a free account or not, you can already start your Lesson 1. You can choose what mode you’ll be learning in the Lingodeer app. However, the web version goes straight toward the first few topics. Simply select what language you want to know first, or you can even switch to your mother tongue and learn from that instead of using English. You can check your statistics in its built-in progress tracker.
However, accessing advanced grammar lessons requires a membership. But, we’ve got you covered for the rest of the LingoDeer pricing in this review.
Is LingoDeer Easy To Use? LingoDeer User Interface And Design
The app and desktop/browser versions of LingoDeer are very user-friendly and straightforward. We’ve already mentioned the ease of use when learning a language quickly since it doesn’t require you to log in. But, the way the lessons are arranged per se is well-thought. The topics are not all over the place, and you can start exploring via the Learn, Review, Membership, or Me tab for the mobile app. It also doesn’t have a steep learning curve for the desktop version.
Of course, as with every mobile app available now, the Dark mode is always the winner. Regarding design preferences, you can easily switch to dark mode on the LingoDeer app. However, this feature is not available on the desktop or browser version.
What Makes LingoDeer Features Surpass Other Language Apps?
Every time you want to learn a new language, you’ll never run out of apps to choose from, Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. It’s inevitable! Learning a foreign language is beneficial, not just for traveling but for meeting new friends. You’ll have to know how a few words first before speaking to them. But, if your focus is more than just speaking practice, you will need a simple but fun way to learn.
Let’s expand this Lingodeer review with some features that make LingoDeer excel among its competitors.
A powerful app for reviewing sentence structure and vocabulary
LingoDeer is among the best in a well-structured way of learning and reviewing words. If you have been looking for a consistent app that doesn’t feel like you’re jumping into many topics, try if Lingodeer is a deserving app for a subscription.
You can start practicing a new vocabulary by word matching or looking at entirely new whole sentences and finding their meaning. You can also have a valuable review with a 5-minute quiz or take their challenging Pop quiz. Most of their vocabulary test also asks you to write the characters or do word matching. Using its clear audio files, you can also practice your grammar lessons while trying to sound native.
Change your Lessons From Your native language to other languages
The majority of people studying foreign languages are usually those that can speak English. But if you’re not a native English speaker, you can also choose to learn all the lessons taught by LingoDeer in your mother tongue. However, the only available languages besides English lessons are Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Japanese.
As the love for languages continues to expand today, it’s a great way of showing love for their users. It’s a plus for us!
Learn essential travel phrases
It’s not surprising that someone desires to improve their conversational skills while traveling. An excellent solution for travelers is to stop looking at a book and start memorizing vocabulary through realistic scenarios. LingoDeer’s Travel Phrasebook feature teaches a few handy words and phrases when you’re in your target language’s country.
You can get topics like greetings, shopping, travel and sightseeing, shopping, and even a lesson page for dating! If you’re interested in learning more than just grammar rules, now is the time to do it!
Exemplary Writing Practice
Their Character Drill feature found in LingoDeer is present among a few apps. However, it is one of the necessary features when learning an alphabet lesson, such as learning Japanese characters. Since so many strokes characterize many East Asian languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, you’ll need to improve your daily writing skills. Lingodeer features a virtual way to memorize the strokes and repeat them until you’ve learned the correct steps. It can be very useful for writing complicated Chinese characters like 己 (JǏ), 已 (YǏ), and 巳 (SÌ).
Downloadable Content For Offline Learning
It’s worth noting that offline language resources are scarce now since everything is always online, and LingoDeer is quite handy in this case. Many people can’t learn grammar while on the go as Wi-Fi signals falter while on the move. With LingoDeer, you can keep listening and matching words and sentences even if you’re on the subway or your next flight to your dream destination. You can either download entire sentences from your ongoing lessons or Knowledge Cards for old lesson materials you may need to review.
How Much LingoDeer Cost?
You might ask, “Is there a free trial of LingoDeer premium plans?”. Sad to say, there’s only a free version and a paid version. If you have to upgrade and unlock more words and features, you’ll need to subscribe to LingoDeer premium plans.
For a monthly payment of $14.99, you can enjoy unlimited access to all of what Lingodeer teaches. You can even have all of your plans applied and synced across all your devices like iOS, Android, and the Web. If you want to save up more, you can pay $39.99 quarterly or $79.99 yearly. There is even a discounted one-time purchase of $159.99 to get uninterrupted fun in your Lingodeer app.
But, don’t look for additional features. There is nothing much more that you can unlock as you go higher in the premium level tiers, but it will save you money if you opt for their annual.
Are the costs worth the hype? Is LingoDeer worth it? If you haven’t tried out LingoDeer, why not check its benefits first?
Benefits Of Learning Languages With LingoDeer
Highlights Popular Languages In East Asia
As mentioned earlier, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese have complex writing systems and grammar rules that can take English speakers 5-6 years or more to become fluent. It is indeed very challenging, so you need a well-researched language teaching platform.
Lingodeer is one of the best language learning resources for East Asian languages. If you have searched high and low for the correct pronunciation of 순두부찌개 (Sundubu Jjigae), then you can repeat it through LingoDeer’s speaking skills tests. You can even download your favorite words to review after you’ve done at least one topic.
Do Your Listening and Speaking Exercises with Native Speakers
Learning a language doesn’t only mean you’ll have to memorize your alphabet lessons, you’ll have to speak it! Lingodeer has a fun way of making you sound like a native and isn’t robotic at all. What we love about this feature is how it also shows you the Romanization spelling of Korean, Japanese, And Chinese. But, the other languages also have ongoing improvements in their speaking lessons. You can also change the volume speed of the language and you’ll be speaking accurately in no time!
Detailed Grammar Explanations With Learning Tips
Among all the reviews we’ve done so far, we’ve only seen LingoDeer as an app with a dedicated lessons page for grammar rules and tips. We’ve noticed that it not only provides an introduction to what you’re learning, but also helps with conjugations and polite and honorific (formal) and informal speaking.
It also has a portion that explains why many of the sentences may seem unnatural as LingoDeer tries to stick to the source of your target language.
Learn By Context And Visual Graphics
Language acquisition is the way to go when you want real fluency. You’ll notice how LingoDeer dives into questions like everyday vocabulary without first teaching you the meaning. But, you’re not going to feel lost with your progress as LingoDeer guides you with exercises for fill-in-the-blanks, arranging the letters, and mimicking the native speaker. Are you joining as a beginner? Don’t worry; you won’t feel you should be a qualified intermediate learner to understand what full sentences are all about.
Gaps And Improvements Needed For LingoDeer
No visual Content other than pictures
For some learners that want interactive features in language apps like LingoDeer, you’ll get disappointed with the lack of visual learning materials. Of course, there are the gamified apps that will give you cute pictures, badges, and rewards for your achievements. But, some users find that learning a language through real-world videos is better for immersion and visualization of example conversations. Ultimately, it feels like a combination of Duolingo and lacks the video lessons that Busuu or Memrise has.
Fewer language materials for non-Asian languages
Since LingoDeer is still relatively new to the list of language apps available today, it is still expanding. So it’s quite understandable that it still has some room for improvement. What you hear in some of their speaking tests isn’t as interactive or practical for memorizing as it should be. Don’t get us wrong, audio lessons are clear and have helped many people develop oral communication skills. Then again, it’s an ongoing app that should focus on speaking practice skills like Pimsleur’s accomplishments over the years.
You Can’t Access Other Topics Without Doing A Test Out
This gap may seem unimportant for some who are used to language learning apps. But, if this is your first time learning, you may find it bothering to not access phrases for everyday items or possessive nouns without completing your other lessons. You will have to pass their placement test, or a Test Out, to unlock the rest of the topics.
A Bit Expensive For A Small Language App
As with many of our reviews, we value the pricing plans that each app entails. It’s crucial as many of you, our readers, are probably beginners who want to get the best bang for your buck. But it may be too expensive to try LingoDeer as a beginner. Hence, you might feel like you’ll save more if you’ve paid yearly. Nevertheless, beginners are assured that the lessons you’ll find in LingoDeer are worth the money you’ve invested. Or, you can still just try out the free version and see if you need to pay more if you like their features.
LingoDeer Review: An App That Needs More Languages Going Forward
Lingodeer offers fully-detailed lessons for all your language skills. For every lesson, you get your turn to speak in Japanese, write the word in Spanish, listen to basic French conversations, and read Russian travel phrases. It hasn’t stopped its mission to add more languages to cater to a growing community of language enthusiasts.
However, as it targets users that want to learn East Asian languages, many of its language lessons (apart from beginner lessons) are not at par. So, don’t expect to have your Russian or Spanish course at the same level as their Japanese course. Some European or Southeast Asian languages are also unavailable. So, if you really want to learn Japanese, Chinese, or Korean, you can get LingoDeer. But if your target language is Serbian, Tagalog, or Swahili, you better look for a complete app that accommodates more languages.
You don’t need to pay so much for learning a new word. What’s a better alternative to LingoDeer? Well, it’s the Ling app, of course!
Want To Learn More Languages? Explore With The Ling App!
Learning new words in various languages opens your eyes to the rich culture, people, and perspective in your language learning journey. Of course, you won’t have to stop in just Chinese, Japanese, and Korean for a whole experience! Ling can help you discover other beautiful 60+ language courses without paying for each.
It is also a beneficial app for learners seeking less-spoken languages globally. If you are a linguist enthusiast, a polyglot, or want to try a new language. Ling is the best app to take with you. Did we forget that Ling also has a feature where you can practice writing the alphabet from other languages? And it’s not just Asian languages too!
It just takes a few seconds to download Ling on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and you’ll get lifetime access to enjoying learning a new language with Ling.