Ever think about learning a language, but you think it might be too hard, too expensive, and too time-consuming? I’ve always been interested in learning foreign languages, but either thought I’d have to pay hundreds of dollars to learn it at home, or even more money to go take classes at a college or university. Fortunately, for those who think the same, there may be a solution for you: an app by the name of Beelinguapp.
Beelinguapp is an app for both Android and iPhone that comes in 13 different languages – Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Korean, French, Hindi, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, and Japanese. It is designed to teach you any one (or multiple) of the above-listed languages in a new way – by reading them. The app shows two languages side by side from a book of your choosing, and allows you to follow the book by listening and reading it in a variety of ways.
In the side-by-side reading mode, both your native language and your learning language are on the same screen. As the new language is being read, the sentence will be highlighted in both languages you can follow along. If you want to follow along with pronunciation, or simply want to hear a sentence over again, you can click on a sentence to highlight it, then click the repeat button, and the app will replay it. When you’re feeling more comfortable, or want to challenge yourself, you can even switch to single view mode, where you can change the view to just one language, but don’t worry, you can switch it back anytime you want with just the click of a button.
Another cool feature that you’ll find with this app – and not any others – is a mode called Karaoke Mode. Karaoke Mode allows you to follow the audio with the text, so you can read along while a native speaker reads you the passage. This mode allows continuous reading, so you can keep listening, even if your phone is offline, locked, or in your pocket. This mode is also good for practicing pronunciation, because the story is being read to you by a native speaker. You can listen to a word on repeat to learn how to properly pronounce it. Along with the pronunciation feature, you can also look at a word or sentence to learn how it is written.
Don’t be scared off by the idea of reading a book in a foreign language. If you want to start off simple, there are a variety of children’s books to choose from, and if you are up for more challenging readings, you can also select from news, science papers, and even novels. New reading selections are being added each week, so there’s always going to be some form of reading for you to keep learning with.
Still not sure if Beelinguapp is for you? Just think – you can practice and read a variety of common foreign languages, you can practice not only learning the words but pronouncing them and writing them as well. It’s a fun, free, and easy way to start you off on learning a new language. Even if you are familiar with a language, or you’re currently taking classes, this is a great and free way to keep practicing that language or to brush up on your pronunciation skills.
Have any questions, suggestions, or want to learn more? Beelingapp is on Facebook and Twitter, so you can follow them there. The app has already launched and is available in the App Store and Google Play, so it is available on many phones and platforms. If you want to suggest reading material or different languages, or have any questions, you can visit them on their website at https://www.beelinguapp.com/index.html, and there is an option to email them, too, at feedback@beelinguapp.com.
