Apps vs. Online Classes Which is Best for Language Learning?

You’ve decided to learn a language — great choice! But what’s the best method to get started from home? Many learners now hesitate between two popular options: language apps and online lessons with a teacher. Let’s break down how each one works, and what makes them different.

Language Apps vs. Online Lessons: Why Is This Choice Worth Considering?

There are many options to choose between; in-person lessons or online courses with a teacher, group or one-to-one lessons, autonomous online courses, and language applications for your phone. Everyone’s needs are different and there is a language learning solution for every variant of student.

You may be considering using an app or opting for a course of lessons with an instructor online and this article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of learning a new language using applications versus online classes with a language teacher.

The choice you make will depend on factors such as ease of accessibility, availability, and cost. You will also be considering the amount of time you have available to spend learning, your level of ability and what motivates you to continue learning. 

Another consideration is what do you want to achieve? Do you want to learn enough to enjoy a holiday abroad? Maybe you have moved to a new country and need to speak the native language well enough to converse and integrate into the community successfully, or perhaps you need to be fluent or of native level in a language to apply for nationality of your adopted country, alternatively you may need to improve on your existing abilities and master the new language for business or employment opportunities.

We’ll begin by exploring the two options available to you when learning a language from home, applications (apps), and in-person language lessons online. 

Language learning applications (apps)

There are dozens of applications available for learning languages using your mobile phone including free and paid-for versions. Duolingo, Babbel and Busuu are three of the most popular apps and each has its differences which can make the choice of app more difficult.

Is the language you want to learn available on an app? How easy will it be to learn this language autonomously? Does this app suit my learning style?  Can I learn English for engineers ?

Will I become bored too quickly and give up?

The language app you choose to use is a personal choice based on its features and your needs as a language student.

In terms of accessibility, language apps are low cost and easily available. Generally free or inexpensive apps have less features and content, some language apps have higher cost or premium versions with more variety of content, customisation options, progress and goal tracking tools and the ability to adjust the difficulty of lessons based on your abilities.

You have the flexibility to learn anywhere you take your phone, some apps can be used offline if you don’t have an internet connection. This can help if you want to learn in short sessions when you have time available, but this can also be a disadvantage if you need a structured study plan or routine to be able to progress, or are easily distracted.

Small or no financial investment can make learning a language with apps easier to give up on, because you haven’t wasted a lot of money, especially if the content in the app is not engaging or challenging you.

If you prefer interactive learning tools like quizzes, games, flashcards, and speaking exercises offered by apps, this can keep learning interesting for you and these tools cater to different learning styles, some people found this style of content very motivating. There are social elements to using apps too. There can be options for joining communities, competing with other users, joining a group challenge, chat with native speakers or even AI but these have their limitations, AI can only teach as much as it has been taught and it’s still in its infancy at the time of writing this article.

Some apps include visual and audio content which can aid pronunciation but are limited in being able to provide feedback on your abilities, or correct your mistakes which is invaluable if you want to perfect your oral language skills. Being able to be understood through correct pronunciation is sometimes more important than the correct use of grammar when you are communicating with a native.

Are apps better for learning a language? The Advantages and disadvantages to using apps are summarised in the table below.

In-person online language lessons

When we consider accessibility to online language lessons it is equally easy to find a native (https://breakintolingo.com/native-teachers/) language teachers, but for a much wider variety of languages. You may be worried about finding a private tutor who you feel comfortable with and is a qualified professional, but there is a tutor to match every type of student and their needs so you can feel confident in finding the match for you.

The level of financial investment can be higher for online language lessons with a professional tutor but there are a wide range of flexible options when it comes to the length, type, quantity, and frequency of lessons available which can make learning with a native very affordable. A higher level of financial investment can make your commitment to learning more determined and you may be less likely to give up easily.

If you require even greater flexibility, it is possible to customise and design your course of lessons with your teacher according to the specific goals you want to achieve, grammar, speaking and writing skills, or the type of content you prefer. You can also adjust these elements as you progress and gain confidence.

Another feature of having in-person online language lessons is that you have access to native speakers who can provide cultural aspects like common phrases, customs, and traditions, helping you understand the language in context, allowing you to integrate and converse like a native.

Native language teachers provide essential feedback on pronunciation training and correcting your mistakes when speaking a new language and because you have the opportunity to practise your speaking skills regularly with your tutor you gain confidence quickly and can be easily understood, which is very important if you want to take your language skills to the next level.

Are online lessons with a tutor better for learning a language?

The Advantages and disadvantages are summarised in the following table.

What do experts recommend, language apps or in-person lessons?

Studies have been conducted (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371864608_Efficacy_Analysis_of_Mobile_Language_Learning_Apps) to determine the effectiveness of apps in language learning which compared a variety of applications and determined which apps were more effective. (Buusu was found to be most effective).

An article written by language course leaders at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom states that although useful, apps cannot replace traditional in-person language lessons as they provide engagement and real life experiences, apps cannot provide the full experience of a real life native language professional.

https://theconversation.com/just-how-effective-are-language-learning-apps-42913

More studies will be undertaken in the future as AI and apps become increasingly available but language applications can be a useful tool when used in combination with online in-person lessons.

Summary

Having explored the options in detail, we can summarise that online in-person courses are the best way to learn a language. Language apps are more suitable for beginners, bring a fun, competitive element to learning and can be a useful aid if used in tandem with a more dedicated full coverage course of lessons with a professional native language teacher.

For those of you who want to truly master all aspects of a language, the best way to learn a language is to engage in-person with a professional, native language teacher.