Apps like Duolingo and Babbel make language learning easier than ever.
How does Babbel work?
TheBabbelprogram focuses on practical, conversational language.
Lessons start by teaching you individual words before building on them to form phrases and then sentences.
These sessions take between 10 to 15 minutes and come from real-life native speakers.
Theyre quick, use multiple teaching methods and mimic natural conversation, which many users will find useful.
Notably, the program doesnt include a free tier, but its still reasonably affordable.
Babbel offers a lot of support outside of its regular lessons.
It also offers articles in all supported languages to help build your reading comprehension.
Babbel has weak spots too
The most significant downside to Babbel is its cost.
The platform only offers courses in 14 languages, which is significantly less than some alternatives.
How does Duolingo work?
Like Babbel,Duolingouses 10-15-minute lessons and starts with simple building blocks before moving to longer, conversational language.
Like Babbel, these exercises also use spaced repetition, bringing back old lessons to help you remember them.
While Duolingo doesnt offer a personalized review manager, it does tailor lessons to the user.
Unlike Babbel, Duolingos courses are gamified.
The most notable difference between the two apps is that Duolingo has a free version, while Babbel doesnt.
Duolingos best feature is that its free
Duolingos most obvious benefit is that its free.
Duolingo alsosupports 38 different languages for English-language learners, with more on the way, compared to Babbels 14.
Gamifying the experience can help you work past that.
Duolingos exercises are also broad and diverse, using multiple methods to avoid repetition and match different learning styles.
Some users also complain that the apps language doesnt feel very natural.
Thats likely because where Babbels resources come from natural speakers, Duolingos is partly generated by AI.
Which is better, Babbel or Duolingo?
Overall, Babbel is the best option for those seeking a more practical and in-depth learning experience.
This article was edited after publication to clarify how Duolingo uses AI to individualize courses for its users.
