BETTER THAN DUOLINGO: The 5 Best Language Learning Tools and Apps

[@christophermichael5764]

I saw the first 20 seconds and thought "yeah, this deserves a like".

[@daysandwords]

Thank you. The YT algo seems to have been finding people who hate "irregardless" as much as me recently, because I've had a lot of comments this week about that intro.

[@ykraineyoon6483]

Damn literally happened to me

[@ProperJohnmusic]

Same

[@potatomilk1234]

Not even past the ad and already liking the vid

[@irisfellous3804]

It was the other way around for me. Saying that someone who makes "mistakes" in their own language isn't a fluent speaker is idiotic and prescriptivist. Starting a video with making fun of potential viewers who might not have much knowledge of the issue is antagonizing and elitist. And speaking in a higher pitched voice to mimic a "stupid" person is misogyny.

[@busuu]

Thank you for including us in your review!

[@daysandwords]

Of course! iTalki are only at number 1 by "effectiveness" but that's not fair because it costs as much for 5 lessons as Busuu costs for a year, so it's not really the same. I have found learning a language without Busuu to be MUCH harder. I also did a standalone review of Busuu :-)

[@epikchannel8728]

Busuu you app is awesome learn now I can memorize French language now thanks you to your app and creator of this app

[@Николай_Николаев]

All good, but you aren't free, unfortunately😭

[@evelieningels9408]

GET SWEDISH

[@daysandwords]

@@josephs1493 Whatever mate.

[@hash8944]

‘U just said irregardless’ so no 😂😂

[@daysandwords]

Thanks for your support!

[@daysandwords]

@@hash8944 I'll give it a try, thanks.

[@chickennuggets6910]

iHashRix is it free?

[@chuckitaway466]

We all know its unregardless

[@paradoxo9111]

@@chickennuggets6910 There's a free version that I like. It has a few limits: you can't translate phrases longer than six words, and you can only translate a few phrases per day. But I wouldn't recommend using their flashcard system all by itself for any terms you learn. Their spaced repetition algorithm is just plain awful. It's better to export those as files and then put them into something like Anki or Memrise.

[@lilil6753]

When your intro for your intro is longer than your intro

[@daysandwords]

Haha, and the outro to my intro too.

[@Nico-pq2ky]

I WANNA LEARN NORWEIGIAN BUT ITS HARD TO LEARN! ERRRRRR!

[@languagesstuffbyandrey2370]

I loooved it 😅👍

[@LAMarshall]

"If you're aiming to start a reading habit" Me: *cries in Japanese study*

[@Mr.Nichan]

I wonder what materials you can get in mostly kana.

[@MorganGale]

Kids books usually have furigana alongside the kanji! You can also try Japanese-specific reading apps like Satori Reader.

[@kanrei]

Learn the kanjis while learning a word. (My flashcards look like this front: word in kanji, backside: reading of the word, meaning. When doin the reverse front: meaning, back: kanji and reading. If this feel too difficult, at least have the word in Kanji and Kana, so that you see the word always with the kanji. Using Wanikani is really useful too, since it teaches you some radicals, then kanjis based on them, then words based on the kanji. So you can build up your kanji recognizing. If you don't use Wanikani, it might help to find a book teaching kanji and make flashcards based on that. The problem with just trying to figure out every word in kanji is that you get a lot of complex kanjis too, so it's better to get books which aim for kanji learning. (This could be kanji books for children, usually sorted based on the class they are in. Books for JLPT. Or maybe directly books for learning kanji, for example "Basic Kanji".)) Children's books are usually with Furigana or you have just to know some simpler kanji. (I don't know how they level it. I felt some books had more kanjis used than others.) For example I read Guardians of Ga'hoole in Japanese, and I felt like you had to know maybe Kanjis which a third grader would know. But books aimed for younger people are usually with Furigana and not overloaded with Kanji. Also same for mangas. Those aiming for children have furigana. However I recommend children's book more for to begin with, since mangas might use more slang. I found "Magic Treehouse" really useful to begin with, since it's really easy. I usually order books on Amazon Japan or honto.jp You might get e-books on both of this sites. (For honto.jp I just had the problem to get the app for iPhone I would have needed a Japanese appstore account. But it was no problem to get the app for the computer.) (Honto.jp might be difficult as beginner to navigate since it is all in Japanese. But at least you find online tutorials on how to reg.)

[@horgh_japan]

I used Anki with the Kanji Damage library. Kanji Damage was made the Tokyo Damage Report guy, a humorous Canadian living in Tokyo who mused about life in his adoptive country. This was his attempt at boosting his learning efforts while helping others through the use of mnemonics. Mnemonics are, in my opinion, a great way to start getting into kanji learning - especially radicals. Here in Japan radicals aren't all that important in the learning process as most kids are expected to just memorize everything in large chunks (they do everything else that way anyway). The thing is a lot of those Kanji with mnemonics books are pretty tame and boring. Kanji damage is pretty irreverent. Plus, it's free. But anki by itself isn't enough. You need to supplement it with reading. After half a year I knew enough kanji to start (slowly) reading various manga with plenty of re-reads using my dictionary.

[@theepicplays1289]

manga ?

[@henrygreen2096]

I repect how staight to the point you are. your intro is literally about a second long. and you have WORTH while information that doesn't make me feel like I wasted my time watching this video. Plus it's entertaining.

[@daysandwords]

Thank you! My new videos are a lot better actually haha.

[@mergesviz]

This isn’t an app per se, however this has helped me with my exposure to my target language (French) and that’s changing the settings on your phone to your target language. Most apps on your phone will automatically adjust to the new language, and it’s free and easy to do. Idk if this’ll help anyone, but it’s the small things that count.

[@daysandwords]

Hi - yep, this is quite an old video now, there is a much newer and better one with 12 free language learning tools: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3y6iYKqjMuVi6c Thanks!

[@cherrywillow3983]

Yess I did this with my Instagram,and while some stuff still completely throws me for a loop, I know a handful of words that are surprisingly helpful! When you set IG to languages like French, then I’ve noticed if a post isn’t written in the IG language you can’t click translate, which is useful cause then I see the same stuff I understand written in French

[@chae1557]

My KZbin settings are in Russian. I noticed it’s making a difference

[@whalienpippa]

If you're going to Duolingo to learn sentence structure/grammar, then that's a huge mistake. But if you're going there to get vocabulary, it's wonderful because the vocabulary it teaches you is the most used in daily conversations and it had actually helped me understand conversations in the targeted language for at least a bit.

[@medaoi]

I agree! I learn English, Japanese and German with busuu and Duolingo. I used busuu to learn structure and grammar, while duolingo I use to learn vocabulary and I always note all of them, because, for me, the better way to memorize is writing.

[@the0skeptic]

i hate duolingo now the new update is so bad

[@logan9920]

DUo is great to start with for first few weeks mixed in with KZbin videos it gets you addicted then move on to Babbel etc. and try and talk with people online.

[@ultimategamer2669]

@@the0skeptic I'm happy to say that after the new update which erased most of my progress a second time, I'm done with duolingo forever. Seriously, f***** that app...

[@kargovroom7701]

*BETTER THAN DUOLINGO* Bird kills man after claiming that certain apps are better than Duolingo

[@kieranstark7213]

I guess you can say Duo flipped “der Mann” (German for “the man”) the bird, eh? In all seriousness, though, I have Duolingo, and it is very useful for me to learn various languages!

[@Nico-pq2ky]

@@kieranstark7213 i have a course a norweigian course And i see Which of these are "the man" The mann The kvinne The engutt Or The gutt

[@kieranstark7213]

Nico mannen

[@Nico-pq2ky]

@@kieranstark7213 great! Are you norge or have a same course?

[@kieranstark7213]

Nico Si, mi amigo!

[@Mister.Psychology]

I'm blown away by the quality of the video. Only 388 subscribers. That's just weird. Keep doing this!

[@daysandwords]

Thanks for your encouraging comment! I think I only had about 140 subscribers when I made this. If you want to share it on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, that'd really help me out haha!

[@daysandwords]

Oh and Jurij, you could also help out that sub count by subscribing yourself haha. ;-)

[@winkfish]

Not anymore lol

[@daysandwords]

@@winkfish Funnily enough though, I had a comment just three days ago on one of my new videos that was essentially the same thing but stepped up to now, because as they pointed out, my production value is a lot higher than a normal sub-4000 subcriber channel.

[@Miki-sv6uy]

@@daysandwords Perhaps because your production value is a lot higher? :P Great content, thanks to you I've discovered Busuu which does indeed provide a great introduction into a new language ^^

[@georgiaamerikulad7045]

So no-one is gonna write them in the comments?😬

[@Orange_l3mon]

It's in the description

[@winterflower8792]

😂😂😂

[@zyvnayrthfalconshadow1228]

them in the comments

[@ClipsBolinha]

Is so sad when you click on a video and the summary guy isn't there yet

[@winterflower8792]

@@ClipsBolinha lmaoo

[@gilgaladinfp8452]

I just started learning japanese. . . And just a day using busuu made me learned so much already I use it together with Human Japanese, Quizlet, Drops and Bunpo. . . hope it will help other peeps out there. . .

[@MetalHeart8787]

ive studied Japanese since 2002 and my favorite thing ever was the Cdrom by Transparent Language. they have all kinds of Languages also mainly the basic ones BUT they did put one out called 101 Languages.theres many ways / apps/ programs. to use out there.

[@mapsarabic1227]

Tofugo | lingodeer

[@forget-me-not8522]

Thanks!

[@editorialadventure7580]

@@MetalHeart8787 sry i didnt get you

[@SofiiyaJPG]

I highly recommend japansepod101.com I've been using it for a while as an intermediate learner, and i must say that the lessons are very well organised and entertaining. It's podcast-based, includes conversations, grammar and vocab breakdown

[@cassif19]

7 months after first watching this: Thank you so much for introducing me to Busuu. It is absolutely amazing! I can't believe how much german I've learned in such a short time

[@user-rr1br7gs6u]

I love using lingodeer to study japanese it explain also about grammar and culture, it's not just about memorizing a lot of word

[@akaikkiller]

This guy really hates Duolingo for some reason lmao

[@khangarraty727]

i think duolingo has a bit of a reputation in the language 'community' i guess as overrated. Definitely true. In no way a bad service but it sells itself as 'learn a new language' which if you complete the duolingo course, you will not have done haha

[@iwanjones7334]

The point he is making is that it is over-hyped and only of limited usefulness and I agree with him

[@HELL0NESSA]

@@iwanjones7334 well yeah, nothing compares to immersion or learning in a class setting. But its free and can get you to the basics until you want to step it up and need more advanced instruction.

[@kuhaku9635]

Tbh,as a native indonesian speaker and level b-2 english speaker,it's soo bad. The translation is inaccurate or not well phrased

[@muhammadhelmihibatullah8113]

@@kuhaku9635 agree lol. Im a native indonesian and tried to "learn" bahasa indonesia with english as the first language (just wondering lol). The translation is so bad, i was also got so many wrongs when answering it as a native.

[@notallthatbad]

"My biggest regret with learning Swedish is that I took too many lessons rather than going back and getting everything out of the lessons I already had." Priceless insight - I never thought to record the lessons, although it should have been completely obvious. Thanks for this. I'm currently taking Turkish lessons via Skype and this will be an invaluable approach for me.

[@daysandwords]

Sitting watching the lessons back is something I just hate STARTING but once I start I love it. I dunno why.

[@grayfox6930]

@@daysandwords yeah, no one remembers everything from one lesson the first time. It is very important to redo your lessons to really hammer it into your mind.

[@mochhhhee]

Ahhhh I took like 2 years of Japanese lessons in Skype and now I regret that I didn't record them

[@asdfds45]

I can help you with Turkish if you want

[@notallthatbad]

@@asdfds45 That is very kind. Do you have Tandem (phone app)?

[@tristacho5472]

I’m so traumatized by tech youtube I was waiting for the nord sponsorship when you said vpn 🤣

[@ajisroadtrippin5505]

I learn German by watching the Nico’s Weg series on KZbin. I wish there were more series in other languages like that.

[@justarandomperson4296]

Good luck german is a pretty hard language.

[@Tobi-nz5vg]

You can also try MrWissen2go :) Greetings from Munich

[@RareEarthSeries]

Irregardless is correct. It is a very common misconception that it isn't a real word, but it is. It just happens to be an irregular and somewhat redundant word, like inflammable or dethaw.

[@daysandwords]

BAHAHAHA. A few things to go through here: 1) I never said it wasn't a real word. I just made fun of my alter ego for using it. WE ALL KNOW that it's a "real word", meaning that the dictionaries were forced to put it in because enough window lickers started using it. 2) Being a real word doesn't make it correct. You can use a word and be wrong. You can use an acrhcipelago word and jump rustic. (See, they are all real words there.) 3) Just say regardless. Being a real word doesn't excuse you using a longer word where a simpler, shorter one would have done. 4) Many have come here fighting this fight before, and none have lived to tell the tale.

[@katya_fhs]

@@RareEarthSeries I still think it's an ugly word that sounds redundant, and as a non-native English speaker I have a strong feeling it would make me sound like I don't have a proper grasp of the language if speaking with natives (never heard anyone in my work environment use it, and most of my coworkers are American, Irish, and Canadian). I like Merriam-Webster's Q&A under its definition.

[@RareEarthSeries]

​@@katya_fhs The word itself isn't 'wrong', because it doesn't break any of the hard rules of English. That's why its useful to teach, I argue. As English is an amalgam of German, Celtic, Pictish, French, Latin, Greek and Norse, correct 'proper' conventions often contain correct 'improper' forms as well. A great example of this is in how we pluralize animal names (s, or no s). People tend not to use unconventional words, particularly in work settings, because they've been socially prompted to treat those words as 'less educated'. But the question is really what is language, and what is its purpose. If the goal is to get meaning across to a different person while following the patterns and rules that allow English comprehension, then irregardless is fine. There is a more 'proper' term to use, yes, but in this language that in no way negates the 'improper' use entirely. The intent of language is to express meaning, and irregardless does that exactly as well as regardless, with the same meaning and grammatical structure. It just makes the speaker sound slightly less educated, as that's how much of society (as seen by this video) treats unconventional words. Conceptually, it is virtually indistinguishable from the difference between "no" and "nuh uh".

[@Jauphrey]

@@RareEarthSeries Just to make things more confusing for this discussion--my degrees are in linguistics, I'm currently a grammar instructor and freelance technical writer, and am often pulled in to these kinds of debates. My credentials don't--nor should they--matter. What I'm about to spout is easily verified. :) Also fair warning, I'm not going to be a rude or claim that anyone is an idiot. This is a good debate and I want to jump on in this bad boy! I agree with both of you. That isn't to say that "irregardless" both is and is not correct, but rather that both interpretations are accurate depending on where you stand and the situation. Etymologically, it's generally not difficult to trace the history of a word, even and especially "incorrect" words like irregardless. Have you ever been told that it's wrong to say "less than" and that you should say "fewer than"? Or did you have a physical reaction to the fact that my question mark was placed outside of the quotations I used? What about prepositions at the end of a sentence? There's all kinds of these things. The history of both language and grammar is long and ever evolving and it rubs me the wrong way when someone's intellect comes into question because of misspellings or misused grammar. I understand why people feel so strongly about certain "rules," but I also believe there's a time and place to judge. Let's take "irregardless," for example: This is the perfect word to describe "linguistic prescription." I just realized how long this response is so I'll be super quick: the way a word should be used VS the way a word is actually used. Irregardless is certainly incorrect according to prescriptive linguistics, no question there. But according to descriptive linguistics, it's an a-okay colloquialism. That said, I would not advise using it in written or formal documents. In speech...that's up to the person you're speaking with. I've heard it all at this point so I might be biased in that I no longer have grammatical pet peeves. If we're speaking and I understand you, then we're good. :) Have a good one, y'all!

[@Adam-hp2xg]

Words are words.

[@sincerelyme1193]

Duolingo is not bad. You can use it for the basics. You can also use it to test your skills. It does not necessarily make you completely fluent in any language but it will definitely give you a head start. Imagine this: You are stuck in a cave and you have a flashlight. The cave symbolizes the language barrier. That flashlight symbolizes duolingo or any online learning app like it. It can give you light so you can be guided throughout the cave. You come across what seems to be some incredibly large boulders about twelve feet tall that are blocking the exit. You obviously can't carry the boulders by yourself, and the flashlight won't be of use for this so you need another set of tools for this job. PS. I did not come up with this metaphor on my own. Courtesy to Rafael Leon, the youtuber who came up with this.

[@gatopardoantico5657]

Actually it's Plato who came up with the cave metaphor. Definitely not a youtuber.

[@NautilusXO]

HOO boy, I got really bothered by the non-word "irregardless" and then realized you used it as a set-up for the joke. Genius.

[@lawrencemaitland]

I subscribed because I LOVE how fast your intro was... I hate how people have videos of themselves laughing amongst friends and slow music and shit. Yours is straight to the point. Cracking videos well

[@daysandwords]

Hey there - thanks for watching and for your comment! The channel has changed names now so it's kind of moot about the intro but anyway haha. My newer videos are way better.

[@Aerinn21]

I used Duo for quite some time, had a super short affair with Babbel (only one lesson available for free, come on...), then switched to Busuu and yes, it is awesome. (I'm learning Russian with them) I hope they're gonna add more languages, fingers crossed for Norwegian and Romanian. Drops is nice as well, quite fun method of learning. And don't forget old school flash cards :)

[@paraschivadiana1386]

Oooh, as an Romanian girl I'm proud someone want to learn my language :))

[@JoeJoe-lq6bd]

@@paraschivadiana1386 I am trying right now but there aren't that many resources for it.

[@that1guycliff]

I'm finding this video over a year after it came out but exactly when I need it. You've got a new subscriber. Thank you.

[@daysandwords]

KZbin insists on promoting my old videos. Don't let anyone tell you that you need good sound and light, because none of my videos have done as well as this one and my sound and light is 10x as good now.

[@ackoonsgaming]

Just recently stumbled upon this channel today. As a language enthusiast, I've finally found the perfect channel. Cheers, you god damned underrated gem.

[@nolwheezy1008]

But Duo is so cute 😢

[@chanterelledesign8310]

I like duo too! I also use babbel and drops right now.

[@nolwheezy1008]

@Mustiboi Salman Why 😂

[@nolwheezy1008]

@Mustiboi Salman memes?

[@nolwheezy1008]

@Mustiboi Salman Okay... they are pretty creepy But I still trust him 😂

[@zamahsays7888]

What language are you learning Nolwazi?

[@hayhay1818]

Thank you! I was so tired of Duolingo lessons in Russian that made me repeat "The horses eat apples", babbel doesn't allow you to learn more than one language at once, and memrise is great for vocabulary (especially Mandarin) but to learn how to speak not so much.

[@divereconomist3960]

Many many thanks for your advice and information! Currently learning Russian for 1 year. I can't believe I can now read in Russian and understand elementary conversations. BTW I'm Saudi Arabian and I have lived in Australia for nearly 4 years from 2008-2012. It was one of my best years of my life. I made lots of friends and good memories.. Accept my regards and I hope you will keep posting these useful videos for language learners.

[@rebeccanorris4586]

"Well you just said irregardless so....no." OMG I choked LOL

[@simplypretentious]

I signed up for Busuu because of you. I'm very excited to continue my French and German language learning journey

[@chelos5]

I learned French by Duolingo. It was worthful for me.

[@daysandwords]

Worthwhile. Yeah, it was for me too, but that doesn't automatically put it into the top 5 apps for language learning. The good think about 5 of the 6 apps I mentioned are that they can be used for ANY language. Busuu is the only one that has a limit to the languages you can use it for.

[@Nick.ureuil]

I speak French fluently I try to learn English I am at my beginnings I can help you with your French

[@bro-ss2eu]

What level are you now

[@chelos5]

@@bro-ss2eu after Duolingo I continued to learn French by the Book New French With Easy. It was Published by Assimil. This method so improved my skills in French.

[@chelos5]

@@bro-ss2eu I can assure that, my level now is at least B1 in according to CERF.

[@DemoysView]

Busuu is amazing, I'm excited to finally hear a language KZbinr positively talking about it

[@3atrocks]

i've just started using Pimsleur to attempt to learn some Japanese.. 2 lessons in and it's going pretty well besides the fact that i'm *extremely* unmotivated 😂

[@danm7596]

Great stuff. I feel like a lot of people get hung up on boring apps and then lose motivation (like I did). I've had way more fun just wandering through all parts of the web seeing what I can find in my target language. It feels like an adventure into another culture and makes me genuinely want to understand the things that I come across.

[@Alexander-om7oj]

I would add VLC Player to this list! I use it to watch movies with subtitles loaded in both my native language and target language. It has hotkeys for virtually every function. So I watch a piece of a movie without any subtitles and if I have difficulties understanding a phrase I just rewind it, listen again, then maybe turn on subtitles in my native language and then rewind again and again with subtitles in target language. And all that just by using arrow keys and two letter keys as hotkeys. Very convenient

[@daysandwords]

Yeah that's fair.

[@bmoraga01]

Absolute bombshell video! Cannot thank you enough. Will let you know when I make the changes you've researched and recommended. Thanks from southern California.

[@btbjorsvik]

After seeing the same tips and tricks in thousands of videos, this was something new and creative, amazing job. Greetings from Norway :)

[@daysandwords]

Thank you! These sorts of comments really help. I am planning on an update to this video with 10 apps/programs soon!

[@btbjorsvik]

@@daysandwords Can't wait, already tried do subscribe a month to that ebook thing of yours, lets see if it works out for me, even though im not that much of a reader

[@AndrewDaniele87]

I hardly subscribe to a channel after just a couple of videos, but your honesty did it! I'm trying to learn Italian which led me to the fascination of language learning in general

[@qazzy9861]

This video just changed my whole perspective about learing language💖 Subed

[@ulyssesdecastro2261]

I used shortly videos in KZbin, Anki, and Cambly my plan 5 days for week (30 minutes/day) I talked natives speakers, i pay about 30 dollars monthly. Today after one year that started learning English I begining in Duolingo and think is good.

[@onesyphorus]

Thought it was gonna be a vpn sponsor but no!

[@daysandwords]

Ha. I made this video when I had 200 subs, so no one was offering to do any kind of deal. I did get an email from one a few months later but since it's not the VPN I use, I wouldn't feel right recommending it. I might ask the company that I use it if they'd be keen, but it's because I use them anyway.

[@acquaura4404]

@@daysandwords What vpn do you use? I

[@daysandwords]

@@acquaura4404 Well I use nordvpn but these days Netflix stops you from using one at all. One viewer did tell me that it is tricked by Express VPN but I haven't tried that myself. Also most of them do have a "streaming" setting but I think that just prioritises speed, I don't think it gets around the streaming services firewall. A normal VPN normally does work for the free government services from the country, e.g. Sweden has one called SVT (Sverige Television) which means I can watch whatever is on there if my VPN is set to Sweden.

[@Yehezkel82773]

It’s great to pick music in your target language, write down the lyrics, and then playback at half speed or slower and speak and read along with the song

[@llddau]

I’ve been singing in Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish and I love it, they are such beautiful languages. Anyway I’ve made absolutely sure I know exactly what I’m singing, I hate the idea of just going through the motions, and now I’m starting lessons in Spanish as I really hope to be able to speak it, not just sing it.

[@nikosoikou4649]

music speed changer

[@daysandwords]

Yeah, I use it all the time. For example, today, I had almost 4 hours of driving to do for work - and I used music speed changer to listen to my French lessons at 110%, because I really don't need to hear the lesson played back at normal speed. So in that time, I get in almost 5 lessons of 'playback' instead of 4.

[@alexanderperepelitsa9095]

Thanks for this nice video, it is the very first video of yours I watch and immediately subscribed to your channel. I do agree with you, it is very sad busuu does not have Swedish.

[@daysandwords]

This is quite old now. For Swedish I would recommend the second half of this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5_Udo16eMZ_iNU

[@leiragamer6823]

I don’t want to be that one person who disagrees, but I have been using Duolingo. Maybe when I learn a little bit more of the language I could try to use some of the others to learn it better. I may even try to learn to read a children’s story in Spanish. But this is a really good review. Gran trabajo 👍

[@daysandwords]

Oh don't worry, you are far from being the one person who disagrees. Pro-Duolingo comments are my most common comments.

[@harmenbreedeveld8026]

The moment you mentioned VPN as a crucial tool, I knew you were going to give good tips. A VPN is so useful, it helps me to watch Norwegian tv programs, which are free in Norway, but not accessbile abroad. Watching a country's tv programs is often fun, and fun is so crucial in language learning. Also love the other tips, am going to try out some of them.

[@daysandwords]

Yeah I do the same for Swedish. It literally quadruples the amount of Swedish content available.

[@peterlockitt6771]

I am enjoying Busu for learning Spanish and would highly recommend it. I like that you can also review and revise any problem areas without limit.

[@camilozarama7539]

buena suerte :D

[@ingrainedcyclist3311]

I'm using Lingo Deer, and Talk to Me In Korean text books with website. Listening and watching to whatever Korean content I can to get used to hearing it.

[@spawn6000]

High recommend LingoDeerPlus if ur learning Korean. It helps a ton for vocab, practicing grammar rules and the listening exercises. I use it as an add-on for LingoDeer

[@felipemontero9839]

I really like Duolingo and it taught me a lot of german. It won't teach you a language but it's a fun (though probably inneficient) way to learn the basics of a language. BTW I tried to use a vpn but I don't think it allowed me to access german netflix because the titles aviable were the same as before (very few movies or seres in german)

[@daysandwords]

Hi - yep, this is quite an old video now, and Netflix no longer accepts most VPNs. There is a much newer and better one with 12 free language learning tools: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3y6iYKqjMuVi6c Thanks!

[@jeanp.5929]

I actually use a very simple method. I use an e-note card app. It's very simple, I want to learn a word, so I look it up on google translate, grab the proper spelling and the *english* definition, then I make an oral recording of the word. Sweet and simple. In this way, I'm building my vocab slowly on some days because I have other commitments but it's a very steady way of doing it. The most important thing I would say though is to find people to communicate with once you start learning vocab. Do it through both text and orally. This is an absolute must for gaining fluency in a language.

[@sandraalvarezestrada6655]

I agree with you, the key of learning a language is having someone to communicate with, otherwise, it's pointless.

[@silent_cipher9308]

Well that's ironic. I got the duolingo ad at the beginning of this video 🤣🤣

[@robinheiborgstrand660]

HelloTalk is also a fantastic language learning app, where you can get in contact with "natives" from your target language, wanting to learn your language. You can teach each other your langauages. You can chat, and correct each other's sentences. You can also talk to each other in audio, there are courses you can take, and much more. I simply love the app. It's free.

[@thisisbgm]

Thanks for making this. I just started my learning language journey and these tools will be super helpful. I already had my first italki lesson otherwise I would use your link. Gonna get Evaer for lesson 2 and onward! Also: I'm learning Danish so I feel your pain on Swedish not being on Busuu... It sounds great! Tak!

[@daysandwords]

Thanks, yeah, I am actually working on a course (set of videos) exclusively about the Nordic languages (all except Icelandic) and what I did with Swedish versus what I would do differently this time, and where to get all the best free resources and everything. It is HUGE so it has to be a members' course (Patreon) but yeah that's the plan.

[@thisisbgm]

@@daysandwords sounds like that will be really helpful for folks. Tracking stuff down in Danish is a bit like sifting gold! I've been cobbling together bits and pieces from all over. Keep me posted (if it's ready soon) and let me know if there's anything you're looking for that I could contribute (if it's more in the future and any of the on-my-own compiling of resources would be helpful),

[@Korixon.]

I just started to learn Swedish and it’s my first time learning a language that’s not native. Right now I am useing Duolingo to get started until I get done books Tack för videon

[@daysandwords]

My tip: Get a Storytel subscription (sign up for a Swedish one... they let you sign up as though you're from anyway) and just listen to basic audiobooks until you get onto LasseMajas Detektivbyrå and then work your way up from there.

[@nikablue9340]

The amount of sass in that intro, though 😂

[@daysandwords]

He has become a regular character haha: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3y6iYKqjMuVi6c

[@uniquechannelnames]

Dude wow the VPN is big brain. I did try it once on Netflix for French shows but they were all still English titles, so I didn't try further. But it does make total sense. And a language app that actually tells you that French speakers don't really say "ne" in negative sentences! Impressive lol. (It's a logical outcome, the "pas" part already shows a sentence is negative, two words is just too much) Also for finding casual conversation friends, HelloTalk can be a great tool, but I'd highly recommend joining a group, not just having a bunch of 1-on-1 conversations! The 1-on-1 convos tend to fizzle out, but with groups it's far easier to become immersed in a group, you meet more friends, and there's almost always someone online willing to talk, or you can just read the other messages going by. You get a tonne of great corrections, and their in-app tools for showing corrections are perfect. Also you can have phone calls (or group calls), or send recorded audio messages. and it's free! Great app to have.

[@dilaisy_loone2846]

Duolingo is pretty good. I learned most of my English there (like, enough for me to star pretty good in school

[@paul-laurienelson4127]

Love your stuff Lamont - your down-to-earth, 'I'm a language nerd and I own it', style is very endearing! About lingq: you have it listed in the text below video, but don't mention it in the video. Do you see Bookmate as something of an analog? I haven't used it myself. I don't necessarily care for the Lingq design either (though they've recently updated with the scrolling text in the audio playback which seems to be a great design upgrade) but I use it primarily to bring outside content into - from ebooks, articles etc I find myself. Again, thanks for the tips here - I'm not super techie, so I appreciate the tips on stuff I would never find myself ;) Gonna try some of this audio and recording wizardry!

[@variousartists-topic6823]

*_My fingers brought me here._*

[@joaninha3484]

Just came on to say Thanks for the Busuu recommendation. It’s amazingly comprehensive and I like the community feel 👍🏼

[@julianevasconcelos5047]

I discovered the best app to learn a new language. It is called Falou App and I love it so much!! I've been studying french and I was able improve my pronunciation very fast. Highly recommend it guys!!

[@pedropercorino2768]

DDAAAMN I"VE BEEN USING FALOU AS WELL is definitely the best app. I'm trying to learn Spanish it's awesome

[@daysandwords]

I'll have a look, thanks guys.

[@henry.g.9093]

@@daysandwords did you have a chance to take a look?

[@francescaamato16]

I saw the intro and immediately liked the video

[@Tomanita]

This was super helpful! Thank you😃 I never thought about setting up a VPN but it really makes sense if you can't get access to the content otherwise. It's also a great idea to record your iTalki lessons. I'm definitely doing that once I start taking lessons on there.

[@daysandwords]

The weirdest thing with a VPN is that even if I just turn it on to the 'default' which is an Australian server, even THAT manages to confuse the Netflix servers and Netflix shows me a TONNE of foreign stuff that doesn't come up otherwise. I actually have another app that I find useful, which can cut the beginning and end off mp3 files (quickly and en masse), but it's a bit complicated because it's really only useful with the Pod101 series... so that was getting a bit specific. But I want to do a review of the Pod101 series sometime soon. Yeah... even though I get annoyed with iTalki the company, I love the teachers on there so much. I also used to teach on there.

[@Tomanita]

The Reykjavik Review Oh wow, that's cool😃 I might set one up if run out of good stuff to watch on Netflix. I never studied with Pod101, so I'm curious to hear your opinion.

[@Urduseekhiye]

I completely agree. I often do record my lessons, but they're just sitting there. I need to go back and review them - great reminder! Thanks!

[@debbiewilson9712]

Wonderful!!! Such awesome info and short intro!!

[@daysandwords]

Thanks Debbie! I didn't think I'd have to update this list by the end of the year but now I think I do!

[@stressburneryoga7659]

Very useful ideas outside the language app box! Thank you!

[@jedhatfield42]

i also like when they give you homework to practice the reading and writing

[@kaalengoonga1584]

Well what can I say thank you. I will give those tools a try but to be honest I have been EXTREMELY HAPPY with DUOLINGO especially their Spanish course. Unfortunately not all their courses are at the same level. And I think that Duolingo is so confident about their product that they have made it free. Because I was so satisfied and impressed with Duolingo that I decided to subscribe for a year!

[@daysandwords]

Hi - yep, this is quite an old video now, there is a much newer and better one with 12 free language learning tools: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3y6iYKqjMuVi6c&t=1s Thanks!

[@BrentStrathdeePehi]

Thanks I’ll definitely check a couple of these tools out - I’m learning Indonesian and as a non mainstream language it can be difficult to find effective tools

[@daysandwords]

Yeah, although I think there is IndonesianPod101 isn't there?

[@mikelimosterm4780]

So many fake channels that don't help you at all just entertainment but this is legit. Thanks.

[@daysandwords]

Thank you!

[@racheldurban2051]

Have you tried HelloTalk or Tandem? They're free and when I've wanted them I've always been able to find a native speak who's willing to give me a lesson in their language, or else you can help others in your languages and you can just have general conversations... it's great!

[@ktyy777]

Rachel Durban yes I love Tandem so far! SO MANY people message me at once and I’m only able to reply to 2-3, but they’re so helpful with grammar. I love the “correction” feature because it helped me with my French

[@racheldurban2051]

@@ktyy777I love that too! You can get fewer people messaging you by turning 'online' off on your profile once you've got someone to talk to. I think I prefer HelloTalk, though, because it just feels easier to use and slightly less overwhelming!

[@ktyy777]

Rachel Durban ah gotcha!! Thanks for telling me that!

[@stevenbagley9858]

Just subscribed to your channel and liked this video. Super informative and definitely will try some of these out. Keep up the great work.

[@chuweyayekin8108]

Harry potter is a great way to learn a language. The books have been translated into loads of different languages. The different translations are fairly easy to find for sale online (or at your local library) and typically aren't very expensive. The audio book formats (many of which have been uploaded to youtube) can be paired with the print books so you can see and hear words in your target language.

[@alexisrene2442]

Seriously one of the best videos about this on here. Thanks a ton man 🤙🏼

[@daysandwords]

Thank you!

[@abbymedeiros8387]

Thank you! I just started learning Portuguese about 8 months ago through classes at my university. I’ve been trying to find an app to use along with the tools that you mentioned, however it seems like many don’t offer European Portuguese and they only offer Brazilian Portuguese. I know that they are similar and it would be important to learn both so that I can communicate with both types of Portuguese speakers in the future, but how do I find an online app or program that can help me learn European Portuguese and not just Brazilian?

[@LenyLiza]

daym yeah youre on your own

[@viniciusdasilvamaria3142]

I think it will be very difficult. t There are 10 million speakers of european portuguese against 250 millions of brazilian one. GDP Portugal is very ok. Brazil is one of the ten most powerful countries in the world.

[@himesilva]

My dad speaks European Portuguese and he says he can’t understand Brazilians at all haha

[@carlosmagalhaes7109]

@@himesilva Is he Portuguese? If he is, he should be able to understand Brazilians. Portuguese people don't usually have any problem understanding them.

[@laurac1101]

Most of the people forget that an app must be a complimentary resource of your language learning process, not a primary resource

[@julianwierny31]

Like that I have a advertisement of babbel, before the video starts

[@ryanfairbank2582]

I am so glad to have found Busuu by way of this video!!! I've been using Duolingo for 2 years to learn German and Busuu IS so much better!

[@dalenichols9211]

You just convinced me to give Busuu a try. I really like DuoLingo, but if there is something better I want to try it!

[@IshmaelVargas]

That intro made laugh out loud. 😂🤣

[@daysandwords]

Thank you! I have had the odd comment about the "irregardless" thing haha.

[@IshmaelVargas]

@@daysandwords I noticed irregardless right away but I didn't expect the comeback. Brilliant! 😂

[@daysandwords]

Haha, brilliant comeback... to myself, in my own script haha.

[@daxna3668]

I'm learning Korean just with KZbin grammar lessons, but I don't like kpop and not even kdramas, so I don't have where to test my skills, so I looked on KZbin for "tips on learn Korean" an they AWAYS give bad apps or kpop or dramas, but now I am here and I am really thankful.

[@aurora3107]

The best app for me is LingQ!!

[@daysandwords]

Thanks for your comment! I have been meaning to give LingQ a go - a Swedish psychology student who knows a lot about the science of learning recommended it to me. I must say that I don't think Steve Kaufmann does a lot for its image in my mind at least haha, but I can appreciate that it sounds like a very clever system. It also has Finnish, which most others don't. I'll get back to you when I do use it!

[@elliottmcfadden6261]

A second recommendation for LinQ. The library of starter material plus the ability to bring in your own content, including transcripts of Netflix with audio, is really great. The ability to look up phrases across multiple dictionaries is as great.

[@daysandwords]

@@elliottmcfadden6261 Fair enough. I just made a review of a new-kid in town (Lingvist) which is a similar thing. It's not as "good" as LingQ but it's SO much nicer to look at and to use that I prefer it anyway.

[@parlbesatt]

Vilken fantastiskt post! Rekommenderades till mig och jag blev så glad! :)

[@samueltamang2305]

I need a best app for learning French language!!!

[@daysandwords]

Hi Samuel! If you are a beginner I'd probably recommend Busuu or a relatively unknown app called Ouino. If you commit to one Busuu lesson a day (25 minutes-ish) for 40 days, that should give you a good grounding in French. Also listen to the FrenchPod101 dialogue only tracks over and over. Do those two things for 40 days and you'll be ready to do the things that will REALLY teach you French.

[@samueltamang2305]

Days of French 'n' Swedish thanks man!!! It may help me a lot.

[@camelopardalis84]

@@samueltamang2305 No matter how far along with your French learning you are: If you haven't yet started taking the gendering of nouns seriously, start now! I didn't pay enough attention to whether a noun in French is masculine of feminine as a child and teen, during my years of mandatory French lessons, and in retrospect I can say that this is easily one of the top two things that went wrong with my French learning.

[@_moonmoth]

I've been using Busuu for Spanish for about 2 months, I completed the A1 stage and it did help a lot, however I noticed that if you only use the free version it kinda doesn't let you see some key features which can leave you struggling. For example, they will introduce a new piece of grammar, but a pop up will show to tell you that you can't access grammar units if you're not paying premium, then if you close that and go back to the lesson, it will start quizzing you on that new piece of grammar or rule that you didn't actually learn so you kinda have to figure it out based on the mistakes you do, which kinda sucks. Duolingo for example doesn't have this problem, but on the other hand Duolingo doesn't follow a structure that's as efficient as Busuu. So I ended up using both simultaneously.

[@elidzialo5914]

Busuu is really efffective, but I am learning Spanish, and they only have Spanish from Spain and not Latin America. I don't want to waste time on vosotros.

[@sandraalvarezestrada6655]

Hahaha vosotros sucks, mejor ustedes ;)

[@nataliaguzman3687]

I'm thinking of creating a youtube channel to teach chilean spanish through listening and reading exercises. I'm chilean and I know how hard it can be to understand us lol

[@sandraalvarezestrada6655]

@@nataliaguzman3687 please don't... Not even other Latin Americans can understand you, guess how a foreigner could feel

[@elidzialo5914]

natalia guzman thanks great! thx sm

[@elidzialo5914]

natalia guzman id definitely use that as a resource

[@anik_2109]

Gotta respect that intro!

[@homosapien.a6364]

Doulingo: you have to wait four hours for a one heart! Me:it's ok i don't need you Me from inside: 😭

[@MsMyra22]

Wow I'm super impressed with how quickly you responded to my question. Thank you very much.

[@katalinandorko7362]

Hi! I'm trying to learn german and it's hard to find the shows i like with english or other subtitles.... can you make a full video on how you use a vpn for that? or any other ways because i am not a huge fan of those typical language learning videos i rather watch the series i like. Thanks :)

[@MrNiceguyjin]

I’m learning German also, and I really enjoy watching (and re-watching) “Nicos Weg” here on KZbin. It has subtitles, it’s separated into A1/A2/B1-level episodes, and it has a website with exercises.

[@user-wb1qr6sq2j]

I'm watching Skam-Druck on youtube and some shows on ZDFtivi with VPN connected to Germany. But I don't know they have English subtitles, I watch them with german subtitles.

[@nerevarchthn6860]

Katalin Andorkó oh im german i wish you Luck learning the articles 🙃 be prepared for much grammar non sense

[@nerevarchthn6860]

MrNiceguyjin I would recommend watching the „ZDF heute show“ it has always subtitles i think and also some English content

[@nerevarchthn6860]

Katalin Andorkó also I recommend „learn german with Anja“ she does her job really well ;)

[@josephr.gainey2079]

You just got me as a new subscriber because of the quality of information in this video. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!!! It would be interesting to see what your top five would be now (2022) compared with this video.

[@raretympa]

Made a mistake sir you missed a icelandic lesson

[@daysandwords]

Hi - thanks for the comment. Icelandic isn't on Duo, unfortunately. They might win me back if it were.

[@groggle_noggle3348]

The Reykjavik Review It’s being added next month.

[@daysandwords]

@@groggle_noggle3348 REALLY? That is the most interesting language learning news I have heard in a very long time. I couldn't find anything on the discussion forum about it, would you mind me asking where you heard that? Either way thanks for the comment and this info... I'll have to review it.

[@daysandwords]

@@groggle_noggle3348 I think you mean Finnish. I couldn't find a single bit of evidence to suggest Icelandic was added? I am still excited about Finnish though.

[@groggle_noggle3348]

The Reykjavik Review Is yours updated?

[@LarsWagner]

maaaaan this intro was the best i´ve ever seen on youtube 😅😅

[@phenomenalphysics3548]

Has memarise and duolingo helped anyone here learn a language?

[@כמובבית-ל1ג]

Yes, I used Duolingo at the very beginning of my Polish studies. It helped me a lot to learn the Polish spelling which is not easy at all, for example, "Szczęście" (= happiness). I also got a nice passive vocabulary to start with. Now, I am using DuoLingo in my Turkish studies. I like it!

[@psalm-tree]

Yes, I'm currently learning Portuguese and I have not paid a cent. I am very happy with my results so far. Although what he is saying is this video is also very helpful, his advice gives you more depth to your learning. I think Duolingo is great to start but you should also watch movies and music in your target language and use the apps this guy recommends 👍

[@carerforever2118]

I started 7 days ago, l learnt about 200 French words on the Memrise app. I post my progress on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/rose-fernandez-953a6b1a9

[@phenomenalphysics3548]

@@carerforever2118 even I learned a lot of German vocabulary but German has different grammar so mesmerize was not enough for me.

[@julietteboser1202]

I was holding my breath hoping you’d say Busuu. I’ve used it for years and I love it.

[@eyemotif]

Hey, love your videos - do you know any good online resources for learning Icelandic?

[@daysandwords]

Hi kaleb - thanks for the question. Yes, I do! Please note, that despite my username, I am not actually an Icelandic speaker, though I would really like to learn it one day. So I have only checked out ONE of these resources personally, and that's this iTalki teacher - he is fantastic, and he's much cheaper than the others because he is not actually Icelandic, but trust me he KNOWS HIS STUFF. www.italki.com/teacher/5979160 There are also the links and resources listed here. I hope that helps you! Gangi þér vel. learnicelandicnow.wordpress.com/free-resources/

[@1974attaboy]

This is the first video I watched on your channel looking for an app to learn a language with. I like the way you approach langauge leaning. I believe you genuinley know how a language is acquired or learned. Besides you sound very trustworthy helping others learn languages not trying to sell stuff. Please don’t lose it. I have subscribed your channel and thank you. :) PS: what do you think of Rosetta Stone. Now I am looking into Buusu.

[@AuntLALA]

Hahaha I started to turn off the video as soon as I heard "irregardless" lol

[@daysandwords]

And judging by your comment, I'm assuming you made it through the next 6 seconds?

[@WordsofHarmony]

Its a real word lol

[@daysandwords]

@@WordsofHarmony It's been "forced" into being a recognised word by the dictionary because there were enough people stupid enough to use it that it became a "real" word. However, it is still almost universally acknowledged to only be used by idiots, since "regardless" and "irrespective" are both much clearer in meaning, save the speaker a syllable and don't make them stupid.

[@matec.1773]

@@daysandwords This is a good video, but you seem kind of unnecessarily salty in your reply. That's literally how the language is formed. If people use a word more and more frequently, it eventually becomes common language. Sadly, (ir)regardless, if it's right or wrong. There are a lot of native speakers, who even use an "a" before a vowel.

[@daysandwords]

@@matec.1773 OK, sorry if you find me too salty. I know all that already. But you agree with me that it's "sad" that this has happened. So what's the difference between you and I? Edit: Actually I don't agree with the part where you said "this is a good video". It's not haha. Way newer and better is this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3y6iYKqjMuVi6c

[@mathieuboumal1394]

Man this is such a good video. I signed up to italki through your link, will not start using it right now but looking forward :) Just started with Russian.

[@flystraight7994]

Bro I'm opting to learn Dutch, in a short time hopefully. I'm working with Dutch people in Africa and this would be something exciting to add to my life achievements. Any advise on what to use? Busuu doesn't offer this language. And thanks for the amazing vids,

[@daysandwords]

No worries man, thanks for your comment. Ummm, DutchPod101... that's all I know of unfortunately, and it can be used to good effect but you have to be careful NOT to do all the stuff THEY tell you to do haha, it's such a waste of time. I am doing a video soon (maybe about 3-4 weeks to be honest), but it'll be all about how to get the most out of the Pod101 series. I have a friend who is decent in Flemish and he used the Pimsleur Dutch course to get started.

[@perriergaz3612]

I give online courses via skype dm me if you’re interested. Veel succes alvast!

[@brandonsmith1198]

I do enjoy this. I hope you have fun with a happy learning.