Finding free and valuable apps can be stressful at the beginning of your language learning. From the start of this process, I downloaded Memrise, a dictionary app, Spotify, YouTube, and Duolingo. They are all free (with optional premium plans), and I still use these apps, some more frequently than others. If you need tips to boost your motivation, check out the apps below to see how you can get the best out of them.
Memrise is the best place to write down vocabulary words and to learn how to memorize them. There are a lot of apps like Memrise, but this is the one I have used for six months without stopping. Memrise allows you to make a plan by focusing on how many words you would like to review a day. In the beginning, I had my daily word goal set to 5. As I got more accustomed to the language, I increased it to 30 words daily. However, I was already seeing the vocabulary words in my textbook for months, so they were not randomized. I was using Memrise to solidify what I was learning. It was a review after weeks of studying chapters and dissecting books. Make sure your list is from the book you are learning or create a list of words related to topics you are interested in. Do not add random words because it will make learning them tougher. I enjoy that Memrise also lets me know how many words I have “learned” in total on my account page. It also has a ranking system which I don’t look at, but it could be fun if you add friends. Overall, this app has been a powerful tool for my language learning since it has allowed me to keep track of the vocabulary words I review in my textbooks or novels I am reading. I also can always go back and do a review whenever I want. Other alternatives are Quizlet and Anki.
A Dictionary is extremely important for your journey. Thankfully, the digital age can allow you to get that for free. Dictionaries are essential because you can see how words are used in context. For Korean, I use Papago/Naver Dictionary since it is the best resource for the language. Most digital dictionaries also allow you to see a list of conjugations to boost your comprehension.
Spotify is another valuable tool for language learning because it has music and podcasts, two excellent ways to keep you invested and entertained in your journey. I mostly listen to music that I discover while watching a television show. Some songs even have lyrics, making it a great way to see how words are pronounced and used in context. Music also can improve your listening skills. Podcasts on Spotify are also great. I am subscribed to the SpongeMind and Talk To Me in Korean Podcasts. The ability to go back and replay an episode while you are working on other things makes things easier for learning. If I missed something during the first listen, I go back and listen to it a second time.
YouTube has been a blessing because it is the predominant way I remain invested. Some influencers make learning a new language fun. Discover an influencer that aligns with the things you enjoy, and you will become hooked. Seeing how the language is used daily adds to my motivation to continue. There are also great teachers on YouTube and you can make some playlists for your target language. You can also discover fellow language learners there who will give valuable tips to keep you invested and inspired. It is all about encouragement, so find someone with the same interests as you. Build a vocabulary list based on that episode, learn the words, rewatch, and voila! You will have more words in your word bank and you are also entertained so rewatching will not be as annoying because the content is related to something you are interested in.
Finally, Duolingo is an app I use even though it is polarizing. A lot of people might complain about Duolingo, but it has some little treasures. After all, something is better than nothing. I’ve heard from plenty of people that Duolingo Korean is not great, and I can see the flaws now that I have managed to clear a few checkpoints. However, I use it predominantly for vocabulary words and evaluate how many I can understand. In the beginner tree, I saw how quickly I could respond to a question and it boosted my ego. Like everything else, I sentence mine Duolingo, copy the vocabulary words I do not know and add them to Memrise, and then take a break from it for a few days (or weeks) and come back and work on the next mini-lesson. A drawback is that it can get boring, so use it occasionally. Nonetheless, I did enjoy the new stories recently added in Korean and I was also surprised that I understood 80% of the content. So if you want to review it, go for it. However, if you are using Duolingo as a novice with no exposure to Korean, I would not advise it because getting through Hangul was frustrating for me. However, if you already know Hangul and want to review what you know, give it a go. Try the stories because they are pretty fun. Romance languages are better on Duolingo, but it should not be your only resource, supplement with different resources to get the most benefit.
These apps were pretty great tools at all stages. I still use them, some more than others. The other great benefit is that they are generally free. You do have the option to pay for a premium, but I would suggest sticking with the free versions and using them for your day-to-day learning.
Originally published at http://thoughtsofang.wordpress.com on August 14, 2022.
