What applications will help in learning English?

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Anastasia Mukhina

English teacher and blogger.

Now, when absolutely everyone wants to speak English and the choice of educational applications is huge, it can be difficult to find really effective ones. I constantly test various services to advise my students, so I know a lot about them.

English proficiency consists of different aspects: vocabulary, pronunciation and the ability to understand speech, grammar, the ability to formulate your thoughts in writing and orally.

In this article, I want to recommend apps that can help improve some of these skills.

1. BBC Learning English

Allows you to independently work on pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. For each of these points, there are video tutorials with subtitles and consolidation exercises. You can choose materials in Business English or Everyday English format. By the way, the application is absolutely free.

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BBC Learning English

Developer: Media Applications Technologies for the BBC

Price: Free

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BBC Learning English

Developer: BBC Media Applications Technologies Limited

Price: Free

2. Lingualeo

At the beginning of work, it determines your level in order to select suitable materials. Offers reading, listening and grammar assignments. In the texts, you can easily look at the translation of incomprehensible words and enter them into a personal dictionary in order to learn later (for this there is a section of vocabulary training).

What I like most about Lingualeo is the grammar courses: detailed explanations + enough practice exercises. Access to most courses is paid, now it is 999 rubles for 12 months.

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Learn English with Lingualeo

Developer: Lingualeo LLC

Price: Free

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Lingualeo

Developer: LinguaLeo

Price: Free

3. Quizlet

The best, in my opinion, application for memorizing words. You can create learning modules with vocabulary on a specific topic and learn words using different exercises (memorization, flashcards, writing, and so on). Annual access costs 949 rubles.

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Quizlet: languages ​​and vocabulary on flashcards

Developer: Quizlet Inc.

Price: Free

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Quizlet Quizlet

Developer: Quizlet Inc

Price: Free

4. TED Talks

This application contains small video lectures (10–20 minutes each) from a variety of people on a wide variety of topics. The materials are authentic and allow you to get acquainted with different accents and manners of speech. There are subtitles. TED also offers podcasts: they are much longer (from 30 minutes) and do not have subtitles, so they are not suitable for beginners. The app is free.

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TED

Developer: TED Conferences LLC

Price: Free

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TED

Developer: TED Conferences LLC

Price: Free

5. Puzzle Movies

An excellent application for watching movies and TV shows. You can choose genre, accent and difficulty. There are “smart” subtitles that show the translation of a word as soon as you touch it with your finger. All this is also free.

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Puzzle Movies

Developer: 'English Films' LLC

Price: Free

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Puzzle Movies

Developer: English Films, OOO

Price: Free

6. Italki

Helps to train spoken language. When registering, you must indicate your native and studied languages ​​- in the user base you can find native speakers not only English. Among them there are both professional teachers and those who are interested in language exchange. I especially like the opportunity to find an interlocutor who is ready to get in touch right now - this is very convenient if you have an unstable schedule.

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italki

Developer: ITALKI HK LIMITED

Price: Free

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italki

Developer: italki HK Limited

Price: Free

In conclusion, I want to say that applications are a big help in working on language learning, but they are unlikely will be able to give you enough practice and answer all the questions that will inevitably arise in process. So I recommend using them to complement your instructor-led sessions.