Babbel
Babbel review. An app for language learning that allows for systematic study, but lacks excitement.
There are tons of language-learning apps out there. I am already studying using an app to some extent, but I am also continuously trying out other apps. With the mindset that studying is the same, I use apps for a dual purpose, both for studying and using the app. The app I tried recently isn’t very popular in Korea, but strangely, it’s quite popular in the United States. It’s Babbel.
Table of Contents
- Babbel review. An app for language learning that allows for systematic study, but lacks excitement.
- The distinctive feature of Babbel is that it is a completely paid app.
- With Babbel, you can study languages as if you were reading a grammar book.
- It’s likely to have a low chance of being translated into other languages…
- There is an additional element that requires double billing…
- Babbel is undoubtedly a language learning app with its own advantages.
- Babbel Summary
The distinctive feature of Babbel is that it is a completely paid app.
Honestly, it lacks a lot in terms of accessibility, but the download count is quite high.
Most language learning apps I reviewed before, such as Duolingo and Busuu, typically offer basic usage for free, and suggest trying their premium versions for a more comprehensive study experience. However, Babbel is an app that requires complete payment for use. The price isn’t particularly cheap, but they do frequently offer discounts. If you make a one-time payment for a period of about 2 to 3 years, you can have a lifetime subscription.
After contemplating for a while, I went for it. The characteristics of being a paid app weren’t necessarily all negative in the past. However, now there is a lot of dissatisfaction, especially regarding the pricing aspect. I will write more detailed content later on.
With Babbel, you can study languages as if you were reading a grammar book.
If there’s a downside, it’s that the app isn’t particularly entertaining…
I feel that the app has a systematic educational process. However, there is a drawback, namely that the app is lacking in entertainment. Of course, perhaps studying is important, not necessarily the entertainment value. However, since we primarily use other language learning apps on smartphones if they don’t captivate interest appropriately, it’s easier to get distracted, more so than with online lectures. So, even for the sake of education, we make efforts to make it as engaging as possible. However, with Babbel, such efforts are not clear at all.
So, personally, I found it quite disappointing. However, on the flip side, using this app for studying gives me a feeling as if I’m reading a grammar book directly. So, what would you call an app like Duolingo that makes learning fun? While it’s enjoyable to learn in a fun way, it doesn’t lead to a rigorous and efficient learning experience.
In reality, it would be ideal to learn a language naturally through a lot of conversation. However, especially as one gets older, it’s not that easy, is it? However, apps that have a grammar-book-like approach may offer a sense of learning step by step, which could be beneficial. Because there is a greater sense of getting things into your head first;
Another distinctive feature of this app is its emphasis on review, more so than other language learning apps. Other apps naturally include a fair amount of review. However, with other apps, for instance, when learning new words, they incorporate previous ones, or the exercises subtly repeat, giving a sense of ongoing review.
In contrast, Babbel consistently prompts you to review at various points, making you think, ‘Should I review around this point?’ and prompting you to review more deliberately. I have been studying Spanish on my own, but my proficiency is still quite lacking. Perhaps I should do even more reviews like this to improve.
It’s likely to have a low chance of being translated into other languages…
Since it’s a language learning app, it could do a better job with translations as well…
As briefly mentioned at the beginning of the text, people in South Korea do not widely recognize this app. However, it is a subtly popular app with over ten million downloads. If you visit the official website, you’ll find grandiose statements about a Yale professor developing study methods… The rhetoric is quite extravagant.
Of course, most study apps similarly appeal to users. Mainly known in the United States, perhaps that’s why there is no Korean translation for the app. Honestly, with the current popularity of K-pop, it would be reasonable to expect them to create an adequate Korean language course as well.
I’ll write more later, but to be honest, this app is puzzling in terms of why it’s so popular. I think they should quickly provide a Korean translation or something to secure more users. Of course, this is something the development team should handle on their own. Duolingo doesn’t have a Korean version either, but many people in our country use it, nonetheless…
There is an additional element that requires double billing…
I was going to say that the cost-effectiveness is still good even if there wasn’t double billing.
Originally, I was going to talk about the app’s lifetime pass as an advantage, making it cost-effective. However, recently, they introduced something called “Live,” adding an educational element that requires double billing. Certainly, it might be considered relatively better than renewing the annual subscription already paid for, like Fabulous. However, while the lifetime pass allows for lifelong use, it comes at a very high price within the app. Therefore, the conclusion is that, to price, it’s not very favorable.
Certainly, ‘Fabulous’ and even though the app genres are different, ‘Noom Diet’ as well, have their reasons for demanding significant payments similarly. This is because they add significant functionalities in the service aspect, such as consulting with employees through chat. Therefore, there may be unavoidable aspects to the high price. Of course, at that point, the cost is gradually approaching that of offline academies…
Babbel is undoubtedly a language learning app with its own advantages.
As mentioned earlier, Babbel is an app with its advantages, but conversely, it was disappointing not to feel outstanding or excellent aspects. Still, I am using this app occasionally to study. Currently, I occasionally summarize my Duolingo study content and post it on my blog. I am also considering gradually organizing study materials for other apps like Babbel.
For now, Spanish is still quite challenging for me. Once I enjoy learning and build up my skills, I plan to not only post the contents I studied, as I do now but also organize and share them to some extent, similar to how I’ve posted other study materials. I’ll work harder!
Babbel Summary
Good point
- Using the app, I feel that I am studying properly. It’s systematic.
- Places more emphasis on review compared to other apps.
Bad point
- In reality, you need to make a double payment to fully use it.
- The enjoyment of studying is lacking (which is a significant factor for an app).
- Disappointing for non-English-speaking users…
