What Language Tutors Offer that
Duolingo and Babble Cannot
Most of us remember back a couple of decades ago when if a person wanted to learn a new language and they didn’t want to do it in a classroom setting, they would go for the courses on compact disks or in language-focused books.
Nowadays, those books and compact disks with very learnable foreign languages (Spanish, German, Italian, etc.) have evolved into smartphone applications. Two of the most popular ones in the world right now are called Babbel and Duolingo.
Still, there are many folks out there who want to learn a new tongue who doubt these apps could be as effective as verified online tutors are. And, there is a lot of truth in that assumption. If you’re looking for verified online tutors, click here.
Verified Online Tutors vs Duolingo
What attracts learners to Duolingo most is the price, because it is free. As we know, verified online tutors charge an hourly fee in most instances, which is standard practice in the industry.
Duolingo is set up like a game, where when you remember words and phrases you move on to the next level, get rewards and prizes, etc. And, in effect, a learner could possibly pick up a small amount of a new language by using this app regularly, especially if the person enjoys playing games all the time on their smartphone anyway!
But, when it comes down to mastering a particular language, an app such as Duolingo will never work better than having a verified online tutor. Why? Because there is no personal interaction with anyone who truly knows and speaks the language that the student is trying to learn.
Having a real, live person as a tutor a couple of times a week in hourly sessions will render much better results because they are actually preparing the learner for real-world conversation that they will use in their everyday life. For example, when a tutor role-plays with a learner in a situation that the learner is regularly in (such as ordering a morning latte or conversing with a Spanish co-worker), the information tends to stick to their long-term memory much more effectively.
Verified Online Tutors vs Babbel
Babbel is a more focused platform than Duolingo. It is not set up like a game, and it is not free. The first lesson does not cost any money, but, after that, you’ll have to pay either monthly, every three months, every six months, or annually to continue using the application.
Babbel has a more structured setup, in that you can go back and forth more freely and have a lot more flexibility with the specific terms and phrases that you want to focus on at any given time.
But, like with Duolingo, without being able to go back and forth talking in the new language with a real person (as you would with verified online tutors) you still don’t get that truly authentic language-learning education that you are searching for.
Verified Online Tutors are Better than Babble and Duolingo
These two applications will continue to grow in popularity, one for its addictive games like atmosphere, the other for its more standard method of language learning.
Still, when you have a real person as a language tutor, there is no application that will ever replace an actual human being who will prepare you to confidently speak your new language in the real world.