Apps are a great tool for learning English. They are quick, easy to access and fun. It’s almost like having a mini classroom on your phone – there to use whenever you are bored or have some time to kill. And although apps can’t replace your real-life teacher, they do make great supplements to your regular English classes. Many offer games for vocabulary, grammar lessons, storybooks and audios. So if you haven’t downloaded one already, what are you waiting for? Here are our of our favourite apps for learning English!

1. Duolingo – The best all-rounder

We’re sure you’ve heard of the world’s most popular language app! But did you know that 34 hours of Duolingo is equal to one university semester of language courses?

One of the reasons it’s so popular is the leaderboard challenge, where you are competing against other real players. It feels just like a game – one where you unlock the levels and win virtual coins, but all the while you’re collecting new vocabulary and grammatical structures. Learning English has never been so fun – or so addictive!

Download Duolingo here!

2. Quiz your English – The best for exam prep

If you’re preparing for an exam, Quiz your English will be your new favourite app! It’s designed by Cambridge Assessment English and there are levels which are specifically for the Cambridge B2 First and IELTS. You can expect to see the kind of vocabulary and grammar you’ll find in the real thing, and if you have a Cambridge exam coming up, playing on the app might provide some light relief after all that intense preparation. You can even play against your friends and family!

Download Quiz your English here.

3. The British Council – The best for grammar

This is a great one for getting to grips with grammar. The Learn English British Council app has lessons and games on a variety of topics. Starting with beginner level Imperatives, Questions, Simple Present and Gerunds, all the way up to advanced lessons on Modal Verbs of Obligation and Necessity – there’s something for everyone. Once you’ve finished, click ’test’ to check your progress and see how much you’ve improved.

Download The British Council Learn English Grammar here.

4. 6,000 Words – The best for vocabulary

When it comes to expanding your vocabulary, often the simple way is the best! FunEasyLearn have created a fun app which helps you learn new words with text and pictures. The app has a whopping 6000 lexical items which are categorised into themes. They include obvious themes like Sport and Food but the sub-topics are as specific as hockey, dentistry, rocks and internal organs so the vocabulary you’ll learn is actually quite advanced.

Download 6,000 Words here.

5. Beelingu – The best for reading

This story-telling app is excellent for practising reading. It’s cleverly designed to tell a story in two different languages side by side. First you read in English, then you can check in your own language. The karaoke-style text will help you listen and read-along at the same time. And there’s lots of interesting content to choose from including children’s classics and popular tales to articles on science and technology. Reading in English just got interesting!

Download Beelingu here.

6. HelloTalk – The best for speaking

Don’t have a suitable speaking partner? No problem! HelloTalk is a free app which connects you with over 15 million members. That means you’ll definitely find a native speaker to teach you English. The only catch is you have to teach them your language in return – it works like a language exchange. If you’re feeling too shy to video call, don’t panic! There’s also the option to text and voice record, alongside tools for translation and pronunciation.

Download HelloTalk here.

7. Grammarly – The best for writing

There are lots of apps out there which will help to improve your writing. And ones like HelloTalk even connect you with a native speaker. But if you’re looking for instant corrections, Grammarly is your best bet! Not only does it check for mistakes, but it also gives an explanation of your error so you won’t make the same error again. Download the keyboard to use on your phone, and check your spelling wherever you go. Want to sound more formal? Grammarly also checks your tone, so you’ll never accidentally send an informal email again!

Download Grammarly here.

8. BBC Learning English – The best for everyday English

BBC Learning English definitely have a reputation for being a bit wacky, and their app for learning English is no different! Our favourite feature of this app is the mini daily lesson which only takes 3 minutes to watch. Learn new vocabulary, listen to news stories and practise everyday English.

Download BBC Learning English here.

Looking for more creative ways to learn English outside of the classroom? Check out these other apps to help give your English a boost!

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Time-to-kill (exp): a period when you have nothing to do.

Leaderboard (n): a ranking of people’s names and position in a competition.

Unlock (v): to open or gain access.

Light relief (exp) : something fun which comes after something tedious or serious.

Cleverly (adv): in an intelligent way.

Get to grips (exp) : to begin to understand something.

Catch (n) : a hidden clause or disadvantage.

Best bet (n): most reliable choice.

Wacky (adj): peculiar.

Key

exp = expression

n = noun

v = verb

adv = adverb

adj = adjective

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