Speakly VS Duolingo: The 2 Best Apps For Newbies?

There are various language learning apps. But there is a common problem, which app is the best for learning a new language? In today’s Speakly vs. Duolingo post, we will review the features of these two amazing apps and compare them so that you can easily choose which one best fits your needs as a language learner. If you are ready for that, keep reading below!

Language learning has always been a dream for many of us. Some are willing to move to another country just to expose themselves to real native speakers and get themself accustomed to the language. Others may even spend a considerable sum of money and enroll in prestigious language universities with the hopes of mastering their target languages. Fortunately, we now have basic applications to help us get started in our language learning journey. Two of the best examples of that are Speakly and Duolingo.

 

Speakly VS Duolingo: Which Is Worth Your Time?

With thousands of language learning applications available on the market, we understand how difficult it must be to find the one that best fits your needs. The good thing about this is that you can try everything out and see which one is perfect for your learning style. For instance, you may use apps based solely on teaching vocabulary or go on an advanced level and download those that offer online language exchange.

We believe that using language learning tools is worth your time because they are flexible to use, and many of them are available for free or at a low price. Let’s take a look at Speakly and Duolingo and check out which one is your perfect match.

 

Speakly: First Look

Speakly is a language learning app with six languages offered. The app promises faster learning than other apps. Speakly teaches words and phrases in a real-life context. It teaches you the most commonly used vocabulary words in your target language to avoid wasting time learning unuseful words. One of the best things about Speakly is that you can choose the purpose for your learning, maybe it is for business or travel or school.

We will get to the details, but for now, I can say that this app looks professional to me. Maybe it is because Speakly is designed by two polyglots also language specialists. They have a long history of learning new languages, and they have transferred their experiences into this app for all other language learners out there.

Features Of Speakly

Speakly VS Duolingo

Holistic Teaching Method

They claim that the language learning process should be holistic and natural, like how children learn their native language. Holistic means looking at the whole instead of focusing on just one part of something, so Speakly approaches language learning as a whole which means you learn every aspect of a language. That’s why Speakly is influenced by the natural way language acquisition happens with native speakers.

Real-Life Based Vocabulary

Speakly suggests vocabulary words according to their statistics of real-life usage. That means language learners won’t waste time on unuseful vocabulary, which almost every language learner complains about. This way, your learning process can be faster with Speakly.

Speakly’s statistical relevance lists and complicated mathematical algorithms that control how Speakly teaches the language have been developed in 4 years on more than 3000 real-life learners.

Memory Techniques

Speakly has different memory techniques for you to save the information into your long-term memory. The most common technique is spaced repetition, as we all know. Speakly also uses this technique but in a specific order.

For example, let’s say you have just seen some new words in your target language, and it is okay to keep seeing that word constantly to memorize it. However, it is useless to keep seeing it often after learning it. Speakly is different than other language apps at this point. After the first time, you will see that word a few days later, then a few weeks later, and always at the time when you need to recall it most so that the word stays in your long-term memory.

Speakly has an excellent algorithm that analyzes your memory patterns all the time and makes decisions based on your actions. This way, it decides whether a word needs to be repeated or not; it also knows which word it is.

Learning Style

First, you learn vocabulary, and you read and write the phrases after you know enough words in your target language. Speakly gives you a real-life situation to practice the language in context. This way, you will gain more confidence as a new learner.

Grammar & Vocabulary

Speakly teaches the most common 4000 vocabulary words currently used by native speakers in each language, and when we come to grammar, there is a superficial focus on it. If you want to learn grammar thoroughly, you may need to look for an extra resource.

Pros

  • Holistic learning style
  • Useful vocabulary
  • Useful repetition

Cons

  • Lack of grammar lessons
  • Not free

 

Duolingo: First Look

Duolingo is a language learning app that has a gamified approach to teaching. It is the first language app that integrates fun into teaching, and with its quick, bite-sized lessons, you will earn points and unlock new levels while gaining real-world communication skills simultaneously.

Duolingo offers you about 90 different language courses. It covers fundamental language skills in each lesson. The app focuses on motivation as a learning method because once you lose your motivation to learn a language, you won’t get efficiency. This app aims to protect your motivation with a gamified approach and ranking system.

Features Of Duolingo

Speakly VS Duolingo

Different Ways To Learn

Duolingo is aware of the fact that everybody has a personal learning style. Every person is different so is their learning style. As we know, there are different learning styles: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and reading-writing. So Duolingo has various materials for each learner type except for the kinesthetics (which we can’t expect from an online resource). There are plenty of illustrations for visual learners, voiceovers, and podcasts for auditory learners, and reading-writing is the base of activities.

A Balanced Teaching Method

Duolingo uses an implicit learning style on grammar and language rules which means it doesn’t teach you grammar directly but instead makes you learn the rules from the context. However, this method does not apply to all parts of language teaching. That’s why Duolingo uses an explicit learning style on vocabulary. So, it gives you the vocabulary words directly. In addition to lessons, you can go to the ‘Tips’ section for explanations about grammar and pronunciation.

Dictionary

Duolingo also offers an online dictionary service for more than 50 languages. You learn the meaning of the word and how to use it in a context with the help of example sentences are given. I think most language apps don’t have this feature.

Ranking System

Since sometimes you may lose motivation to learn a foreign language, Duolingo has a great way to protect your learning motivation with a ranking system. You can take place in the top three and get the opportunity to go to the upper league on the condition that you complete your daily strikes and study hard. You can also earn displayable various medals and badges for your achievements.

Duolingo Plus

Learning languages is already accessible on Duolingo. However, unpleasant details like interrupting ads, limited hearts, etc. If you get a Duolingo Plus account with $6.99 per month, you will have unlimited hearts, get rid of ads, and you will have a mastery quiz for each lesson.

Pros

  • It has a free version
  • Different learning styles
  • Appealing design

Cons

  • Interrupting ads
  • Limited hearts

We have compared Duolingo and Speakly, and highlighted their unique features in this post. We all know that Duolingo is the most popular language-learning app, but is it necessarily the best language app to learn a new language? Which one would you prefer the next time you start learning a new language? Let us know your thoughts!

 

A Bonus Alternative For You!

Speakly VS Duolingo

The Ling App by Simya Solutions is a language learning app with more than 60 different languages. It is a younger app among other language learning apps, but it has already been featured on many platforms and liked by many language learners. As soon as you log in, you can learn a foreign language and improve your language skills.

You can try it for free! If you want to learn about a new culture and the language learning secrets, don’t forget to look at our Ling blogs too!

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