App stores are chock-a-block with apps for language learning. Most of
them boast colorful flashcards and cute characters for kids, and others
are translators that help travelers with phrases, vocabulary, and
pronunciation. The big names are in the mix: Rosetta Stone has apps for
both Android and iPhones/iPads, but they’re mobile companions to the
expensive software packets that contain the main course. Berlitz sells
apps to help you brush up on your vocabulary and phrases before you
travel.
But a few new language learning apps are moving in on the “gamification”
trend in education, making a game out of learning phrases and words.
For young students accustomed to playing games during their off-hours
from school, or for adults who have a few minutes to kill on the bus,
these game apps are meant to help with casual, conversational language
learning in languages like Spanish, Italian, French, German, Mandarin,
and Portuguese.
