Non-language apps help to learn a language

[anna3101]

Do you have apps that are not strictly speaking language-learning related but that help you to study?

Which ones can you recommend?

Maybe there are games that help you learn new words or some motivational apps that keep you on track when it comes to regular study hours.

Let's share the titles that are useful for making progress in language learning!

[Jordan94]

I would probably say that the best app for this is probably google translate. It is actually an app that I first started using when I first started learning a new language. And although it is nowhere near as good as the program that I'm using now to learn a new language, but it is still very good for beginners. The other good thing about Google translate is that it has all languages included. Not just some languages like other language learning apps that are out on the market today. I hope this is A good answer for you.

[Miya]

Do you guys know the game "4 pics 1 word"? It's quite popular in America. I play a game similar to that, but with Chinese slangs/idioms. Basically, they have some emoticons and you have to guess the word. It's called "123 猜猜猜" and there's a Hong Kong (Cantonese) and Taiwan (Mandarin) version of the app. You can learn a lot of Chinese culture (they have some popular song names), slang, idioms, and words from this app. It's a great little game to play if you want to study Chinese. 

[anna3101]

Yes, I know that one! It's quite fun to play and useful for learning. Thanks for reminding me about it!

[Miya]

No problem. I have another app to recommend. This one is for Japanese Kanji study. It's called "Kanji Nankuro" (漢字ナンクロ). It's a crossword puzzle app. It's pretty hard, but do-able if you have a dictionary. Perfect for Kanji studies. 

[KimmyMarkks]

Has anyone every tired Rosetta Stone?  I heard they are one of the best programs to really learn a new language.  However, it is also very pricy.  I want to make sure I am getting my money’s worth before purchasing it.  There are so many online free study guides now I don’t know if it is worth it to just YouTube videos or actually buy a program.  

[Miya]

^Maybe you'll have a better chance at getting an answer if you look here: http://linguaholic.com/topic/3026-rosetta-stone/

Rosette Stone is program/app focused on language learning so it's not really a "non-language app" for language learning. 

[takibari]

I can't think of one right now - at least one that hasn't been mentioned. I truly enjoy "4 pics and 1 word" myself. I often think that I'm pretty good with English vocabulary, but there are levels that I'm just stuck and will have to resort to asking for hints, haha! Anyway, I truly find this app very enjoyable as it forces you to think about the what's in common with the pictures.

[宇崎ちゃん]

If you want apps or games that aren't focussed on language learning, I recommend you to play some RPG games.

RPG games have a lot of excellent real-world dialogues, I'm actually playing Pokémon Omega Ruby in Japanese and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire in Spanish (yes, I'm still attempting to conquer Spanish) now.
Both games have the same story (mostly, OR is more about drying up the world, whereas AS is more about draining the world) and in both cases I try to do my best to read through all the dialogues and once I get bored, I just save the game and quit it.

Each time I see phrases I can't figure out its meaning, I just note those sentences down and do some research after my game session.
If I still don't get it, I ask either my language teacher (Japanese) or a native speaking friend (Spanish).