Thursday, January 23rd
2025 Language Learning Program Reviews
LingQ
- Pricing: Premium at $14.99/month, $119.88/year; Premium Plus at $41.99/month, $443.88/year
- 47 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese
- Import and study any web content, including books and movies
- Vast library with thousands of hours of audio and transcripts
- Slider bar to filter video difficulties based on unknown words
- Fantastic flashcard review tools
- Powerful vocabulary tools and known words tracking system
- Guided courses and categorized YouTube video collections
- Available on desktop, iOS, and Google Play
LingQ, founded by Steve Kaufmann, operates on the philosophy that engaging with written and spoken content that you find compelling is the best way to learn a new language. Kaufmann's 7 Secrets of Success emphasize spending time, doing what you enjoy, noticing details, prioritizing words over grammar, being patient, acquiring the right tools, and becoming an independent learner. On LingQ, you primarily learn through reading and listening to authentic, compelling content. As you read, you save unknown words to your list for later review, gradually expanding your vocabulary. LingQ boasts one of the best foreign language libraries on the web, with thousands of hours of audio and matching transcripts, powerful vocabulary tools, and a known words tracking system that helps you measure your progress.
47 languages, but some are in beta
LingQ offers 47 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Swedish, Korean, and Japanese. There are also several Beta languages included in this count with limited but functional content. New content is added regularly, and users can import and study any web content. More languages will be added in the future.
Challenge yourself with unknown words
The LingQ video transcript library uses a slider bar to filter videos for difficulty based on how many words you don't already know. For example, a video might appear with "47% new words", and a further breakdown of "56 new words," "3 LingQs”. This allows you to challenge yourself just outside your comfort zone, which is where most growth happens. As you read text or watch videos, you'll click on blue words you don't know to save their meanings, creating "LingQs” which will then be marked in yellow. You can rate words from 1 (new) to 4 (learned) or mark them as "known." "New” LingQs appear in bright yellow, which fades as you mark yourself more and more familiar with them. It's extremely satisfying to watch a transcript become less highlighted as you learn.
Take guided courses or explore your interests
When you're just starting out, all of the videos will have a high percentage of unknown words. If that feels daunting, you might find it helpful to take guided courses that begin with basic topics and gradually become more complex. As you become more confident, you can explore collections of YouTube videos on the page categorized into topics like culture, science, or entertainment. Note that for one of these scripts to appear in LingQ, you do have to use the "import” button to create a lesson from the video's transcript, which if you're on a free plan, will cost you one of your 5 free lesson imports.
Import movies and entire books
Incredibly, you can even import entire transcripts of movies or episodes of Netflix shows using the LingQ Chrome extension. Some users even import entire books into LingQ via PDF or ePub files. One customer appreciated being able to read "Harry Potter” and use the "sentence view" feature, which shows one sentence at a time along with its translation to English. They found this method much better than other tools like Kindle, which only translates one word at a time. They also appreciated the ease of getting word translations with a single click and having access to multiple translations and dictionaries for comparison.
Fantastic flashcard review feature
LingQ's review flashcards are excellent. As you complete lessons, the words you learn will automatically appear in your flashcards. During review, you might see entire sentences from content you've read and be asked to fill in the blank with the correct word from a list of options - all other words you've seen before. Additionally, there will be links to LingQ pages with basic information about grammar features relevant to the word or sentence being reviewed. Your vocabulary words are read aloud by an artificial voice, and you may also encounter type-what-you-hear questions for further practice. But be aware that sometimes the artificial voice gets the pronunciation wrong.
Community and tutoring aspects available
Want to interact with other learners? You can join monthly challenges and do writing corrections for other users, then receive them in return. There also appears to be one-on-one and group tutoring, but we wouldn't necessarily recommend LingQ for this feature. The tutor profiles are not that thorough and it's confusing trying to book a session. Only Premium Plus users can get tutoring anyway, and apparently that's for an additional price on top of what you pay for Plus.
A few small hiccups in usability
You can use LingQ on desktop, iOS, and Google Play. However, there are some issues you might encounter. For example, when you upload an ePub file, it splits the book into individual chapters, which can be annoying. If you want to skip to the middle of a chapter, the slider bar at the top doesn't let you adjust your position, so you have to click "next page" multiple times. Also, while we were reading a book and marking known words, the page refreshed unexpectedly, displaying a message that LingQ was temporarily down for improvements. (Hopefully, the offline version doesn't have this problem.) We also came across a review from a long-term user who once recommended LingQ often but now advises against it. According to this user, although the concept of LingQ is excellent and it works well when it functions properly, the browser app is full of bugs and the user experience is "abysmal”. We didn't experience quite as much frustration with the interface as that reviewer seems to have, but it's possible we missed something, so we're including their assessment for a balanced perspective.
Free plan isn't really functional
LingQ offers three plans: Free, Premium, and Premium Plus. The Free plan is very limited, and only lets you save 20 words, import 5 lessons, and create 1 audio playlist. The Premium plan includes unlimited saved words, full sentence translations, audio playlists, flashcard quizzes, and the ability to create lessons from imported content. Premium Plus comes with 3000 LingQ Points that you can exchange for live tutoring, writing corrections, and premium lessons. Both Premium and Premium Plus offer offline access and participation in language challenges.
- Premium: $14.99/month, $119.88/year, or $215.76/2 years
- Premium Plus: $41.99/month, $443.88/year, or $863.76/2 years
A separate tab has the option to pay for lifetime membership for $229 per language. We find all of these prices to be a bit high - especially in light of the fact that Premium used to cost only $10 per month, and reports from users that there are unresolved bugs.
Potential billing issues
If you subscribe to LingQ, you should be aware that some users have had issues with canceling directly through the site, often still being charged even after cancellation. This might be due to technical difficulties on the customer's end, especially for older users, but one reviewer helpfully suggests paying with PayPal for an easier way to cancel.
Needs some work to rank higher
We think LingQ has a really promising approach. Reading is a great way to learn a language, but it can't reach its full potential unless you combine it with review. You could spend hours adding new vocabulary to an Anki deck or physical flashcards, but those methods lack many of LingQ's features. For example, LingQ allows you to hear the word aloud, see multiple dictionary definitions, and view it in the context of the original sentence. Unfortunately, the program is a bit too expensive to compete with our other language learning platforms, and we wouldn't recommend it as a splurge given the uncertainty about its functionality. We hope that LingQ will improve its reliability in the future so that we can recommend it more highly (and maybe even purchase a Lifetime subscription ourselves!).
More Language Learning Program Reviews
What is the Best Language Learning Program?
Language learning programs are great for all kinds of people. Students often find them useful for supplementary learning in tandem with their school coursework. Professionals might use them to gain an edge in the global job market, where knowing more than one language can be a big advantage. Travelers can use these programs to learn the basics of a language before visiting a new country.
Online language learning programs can solve several problems. Traditional classes can be expensive, time-consuming, and inflexible, with fixed schedules that can be hard to fit into a busy life. Language learning programs, on the other hand, are often more affordable and can be used anytime and anywhere you have an internet connection. They offer different ways to learn, such as interactive exercises, games, and conversation practice, making learning more engaging and effective.
Language Learning Program FAQ
Continued from above...
Imagine this: In high school, you struggled through Spanish class, barely passing and feeling frustrated every step of the way. The rigid schedule and overwhelming, boring homework of the traditional classroom setting just didn't work for you. Years later, as an adult, you find yourself wishing you could speak another language fluently.
Maybe you want to try again with Spanish, or branch out to something new, like French, German, Italian, or even Arabic. You realize there must be a better way to learn than those old high school methods, and you start exploring language learning programs designed to fit into your busy life.
Language enthusiasts and lifelong learners can use these tools to explore new languages and cultures. There are many types of language learning programs, each with its own strengths. Some focus on "immersive” learning, using pictures and audio to teach you in a way similar to how babies acquire their first languages. Others use games and competition with other students to make learning fun. Some programs offer audio-based instruction, which is great if you prefer to listen and practice speaking while on the go.
There are a handful of things to keep in mind when choosing the best language learning program for you:
- Learning style. Think about how you learn best. Do you prefer seeing, hearing, or interacting with what you are learning? Pick a program that matches your learning style to help you stay interested and retain more information.
- Language focus. Not all programs offer every language. Make sure the program you choose has good resources for the language you want to learn, including conversation practice, grammar lessons, and cultural insights.
- Cost. Language programs can be free, paid, or a combination of both. Consider what you can afford and compare the cost with the features and benefits. Free programs can be great, but paid services often offer more comprehensive and structured content.
- Flexibility. Look for programs that fit into your schedule. Mobile apps are good for learning on the go, while desktop versions might offer more detailed resources. Some platforms offer a combination of both. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure the program's format works with your lifestyle, or you won't use it.
- Difficulty. Some language learning programs are so much fun that you don't find it difficult to get some practice in every day. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you're actually learning to speak the language. Look for a program that challenges you to step outside of your comfort zone and provides you with opportunities to test how much you really know.
- User experience. A user-friendly interface can make learning a new language much easier and more enjoyable. Read reviews and, if possible, try a demo.
The language-loving experts at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated and ranked the best language learning programs available. We hope this information helps you find the right service for you, making your journey to fluency in a second (or third, or fourth) language enjoyable and successful.
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