There are countless benefits to learning a new language. Not only will you finally be able to tick that item off your bucket list, but you can show off in front of your friends and confidently make your way around new parts of the globe.
The brainwork involved with learning is even shown to help stave off dementia!
A solid language-learning app is one of the best tools at your disposal for making the dream of becoming bilingual a reality. Let's look at everything you need to know about one such app: Mondly.
What Is Mondly?
Mondly is a multi-platform app designed to help you learn new languages in a fun and effective way. Dive into more than 300 bite-sized lessons spread across 40 real-world topics, or take it slow with Mondly's free daily lessons, weekly quizzes, and monthly challenges.
Before long, you'll find yourself addicted to the simple interface as you burn through the syllabus, earning points to level up and compete against your friends in the leaderboard.
Mondly is available for free on iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows so you can keep learning no matter which device you use. You can even access Mondly's web app on any computer. Just be sure to sign up for a premium subscription if you want to unlock the entire catalog of language-learning content.
Download: Mondly for Android | iOS | macOS (Free, subscription available)
Choose From a Huge Range of Target and Native Languages
Mondly offers a staggering 41 languages for you to learn, as well as a range of languages to learn from. While most language-learning apps only let you choose English as your native language, Mondly lets you choose from 40 of the other languages available.
For example, if your native language is French and you want to learn German, you can learn German from French. A lot of other apps force you to learn German from English, which is an added layer of complication you probably don't want.
Here are some of the most popular languages available to learn with Mondly:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Italian
- Russian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Chinese
The app's language portfolio has recently grown from 33 to 41 languages, surpassing most language learning solutions available on the market. Additionally, Mondly teaches languages for which courses are generally scarce---such as Finnish, Latvian, Hungarian, and Latin.
Learn About a Variety of Real-World Topics
Mondly presents its lessons in 40 real-world categories, ranging from basic greetings all the way to medical emergencies. Through the course, you'll learn 5,000 words and phrases to carry you through day-to-day life in a foreign language.
But Mondly doesn't stop there. You can also choose to learn from a range of work-specific courses catering to the following jobs:
- Flight attendant
- Restaurant staff
- Hotel receptionist
- Healthcare professional
- Shop assistant
The syllabus remains the same no matter which language you choose to learn. This is perfectly fine for the most part, but some languages might benefit more from a bespoke learning syllabus, since their use of grammar and tones are so unique. We're looking at you, Chinese.
Even so, it builds your vocabulary at a steady pace that gives you a constant sense of progress without ever stretching you too far. And it works to get you into a position where you can start using your new language as soon as possible.
Engage in Fun Lessons With a Slick Presentation
You'll spend the bulk of your time with Mondly completing different lessons. Most lessons introduce you to around 10 new words and phrases, using a variety of techniques to help you fully absorb the vocabulary.
You might find yourself matching a new word to a photo, translating audio to a different language, filling in the blank space of a sentence, or spelling out a word you just learned.
It's also possible to take part in set conversations with the Chatbot, which lets you choose from preset responses to different questions. The conversations are a little stilted, but it's a good way to start using what you've learned.
The range of tasks throughout each lesson keeps you engaged, as Mondly rarely asks you to do the same task twice. At the end of each topic, Mondly invites you to consolidate your learning by listening to a real-life conversation in your target language and working through a vocabulary review.
Subscribe to Mondly Premium to Unlock Everything
You can download and start learning with Mondly for free, but most of the content is locked behind a premium subscription. Without paying, you can still work through the first topic for any language, as well as the new lessons released each day. This should give you a feel for the app to help decide if you want to subscribe.
If you do sign up for a premium subscription, Mondly unlocks every single lesson at once. You also get access to the entire back-catalog of daily lessons, weekly quizzes, and monthly challenges dating back to the beginning of 2015.
Not interested in paying for a subscription or want to avoid the time constraint while learning a language? Mondly also offers a lifetime access alternative. While this normally costs $1,999.99, Mondly has prepared a limited-time offer for MakeUseOf readers: $89.99 for Lifetime Access with all current and future updates included.
Get the offer now and save 95% off the normal price!
Mondly Kids and Mondly AR
In addition to the entire content of Mondly, a premium subscription provides completely free access to Mondly Kids (worth $9.99 per month) and Mondly AR. These extra offerings can further aid your language-learning journey.
Mondly Kids is a simplified and colorful version of Mondly, aimed at helping children learn a new language. There are 11 topics---including animals, sports, and nature---with a vast catalog of daily lessons to get stuck into.
Mondly AR uses augmented reality to expand your vocabulary in an exciting new way. Simply scan your environment, then place the virtual teacher into your room. She'll conjure up a range of different objects for you to learn about.
Neither of these apps is as comprehensive as Mondly itself, but they are a fun bonus to the premium service.
The Cost of a Mondly Premium Subscription
If you want to unlock everything in Mondly, you can pay for a premium subscription from within the app. You'll have the following options to choose from:
- $9.99 per month for one language
- $47.99 per year for all languages (equivalent to $3.99 per month)
Don't forget about the special limited-time offer Mondly has put together for MakeUseOf readers: Lifetime Access for $89.99.
This investment will give you unlimited access to the entire content of the app, 41 languages and counting, Mondly Kids, Mondly AR, all future updates including new features, languages, lessons, and more. Get the offer now with 95% off Mondly's retail price.
Mondly Is a Great Place to Start Learning
Learning a language is hard work. You need to keep at it for years to make sure the words don't fade from your memory. It requires putting yourself out there to practice speaking with real people. And you need to study the intricacies of grammar to grasp subtext and meaning.
No language-learning app can do all of that for you, but they can certainly make it easier to get started. Think of Mondly as another tool in your belt when it comes to learning a new language. Use it to enforce a daily habit, build a solid foundation, and provide a framework for future growth.
If you use Mondly alongside the other tools available to you, there's nothing to stop you from reaching fluency in a foreign language.
Make the most of this limited-time Lifetime Access offer and start your first lesson today!