Language learning apps allow you to quickly learn the basic phrases and words of a language before traveling there. Traveling for business means that you’ll have to spend time in countries where English isn’t the language. Whether it’s Japan, Germany or Spain, many of the residents will appreciate you taking the time to learn some of the language before you visit. The business owners and presidents of companies that you’re visiting will understand you better if you’re speaking the same language.
Rosetta Course
While some of the apps on this list are free, this one is brought to you by the same company that created Rosetta Stone. The courses cost approximately $100 per language to download onto your device. There are 21 languages available to download, and they’re incredibly detailed. The courses are created around photos to help you learn the language in depth. It can take a long time to finish a course, and to learn a language with these courses. They can be well worth the cost if you want to be fluent in a language before visiting the country.
Duolingo
Lessons from Duolingo are available on the app. They’re designed to help learn a language based on topic, which is great for business travelers. There are a wide range of ways to learn with this app. In answer to questions, you might have to type or speak the answers. There are also multiple choice questions to answer. There are 14 languages available with Duolingo. It’s available in offline mode if you don’t want to use your data and don’t have access to a WiFi connection. The app is free to use on many devices.
Anki Mobile Flashcards
If you remember using flashcards in elementary school for learning a subject, you’ll be familiar with the way this app teaches language. This is a free, open-source project that has flashcards uploaded by users. The decks of flashcards are uploaded by users to include images as well as audio. There are decks for a variety of languages as well as sub-categories within the language for certain situations. You might want to learn popular phrases when visiting a country, ones for shopping or those for business. The website can help you decide whether it’s worth a download.
Mindsnacks
This app takes a “gamified” approach to learning a language. There are short lessons and games to reinforce what was learned. There are at least 9 games that can be played to help remember what was learned through repetition. The app is free, and there are plenty of lessons to help you learn the language. At the moment, the app only has 7 languages available to learn though. The first 9 games are free, but you can pay to expand the number of games with each language as well as more lessons.
Google Translate
This app isn’t a language learning tool. It’s a translator for when you’re stuck without the proper vocabulary in your head. It can take years to learn a new language, and if you’re traveling constantly on business, you won’t be able to learn every word of every language. This means you’ll need an aid while you’re in the country. The translator has a huge database with 90 languages available. The tool is fantastic for reading signs too. Simply point the camera at the sign and the translator will read it and give you a translation.
The fear of making mistakes is one of the biggest barriers adults face when learning a new language. They’re nervous and afraid of making themselves look foolish. Most native speakers of the language will be flattered and appreciative of the effort you’re making to learn. Fear should never hold you back from language learning apps.
