Should Language Apps be your primary tool for learning a language?

[petesede]

I think they should be your primary tool when you are first learning a language, especially building basic vocabulary.

First off is that they are free, which is always a bonus.  There is just no reason to hire a teacher in the beginning if all you are going to be doing is memorizing lists of words,  the app can do it just the same as the teacher.

Second reason is scheduling.  You can go to sites like duolingo 24/7 and learn.. you can have marathon sessions when you want...  all of that goes out the window when trying to schedule a tutor.  I usually do duolingo at 5am in the morning while I drink my coffee.  

you will definitely need some immersion later on, but you should have a thousand world vocabulary and know how to conjugate verbs before that.

[Trellum]

I definitely think they should be used as a complimentary tool   I am actually in search of an app I can use to memorize new words in Dutch, I think apps like Memrise can he helpful for that, specially if you get involved enough to create your own list of basic words.  I actually have a unfinished word list I still need to work on   I might go back to that, I was also working on adding the audio to the words that didn't already have one in the audio library. 

[宇崎ちゃん]

@Trellum

The most likely app people will mention you will be Anki (AnkiDroid on Android).
However, the main problem with Anki is that you need to rate how well you remember words, rather than Anki doing that for you.
You can simply click "easy" even though you had a hard time recalling a word.
I would rather see something where you need to type the right answer (open questions), that way you know for sure you remember the word or not.

Another suggestion would be to train full sentences too.
Like, in Dutch there's a word called "bank", which can be either a money bank or a sofa.
If you happen to have a flash card like "bank" -> "bank, sofa", you'll quickly get confused when somebody says "kom op de bank zitten" (get on the sofa/bank).

[suprememe]

Probably not a primary, but a helping tool for people who have difficulties with listening to a teacher or studying from the book by themselves. Apps are not that reliable and you can't ask questions from anyone which makes it kind of hard to learn as much as with a teacher. The app only gives you answers to questions it knows so apps don't teach more than what books would - probably even less! It's also expensive to buy learning apps and most of the time you tend to forget that they're there on your phone or tablet. Flashcard type of apps are good thought, those are the ones that I use in my daily basis. They're just helping me to study on the go since I'm a busy little lady!

[SoManyLanguages]

It definitely shouldn't be your main source. Apps are great for learning vocabulary and basic grammar, but the more advanced stuff about grammar can only really be found in books, and certain websites. These apps really leave out a lot about grammar. There's also a need to practice talking to others with the same language, which you can't do with most apps (excluding HelloTalk). So, apps for vocabulary, and memorization, and other sources for pronunciation and advanced grammar concepts.

[ae.swanson]

I think if language learning apps were the only possible option, then yes. But, I think having a human aspect to learning is what really helps the learning process. A lot of language learners tend to struggle when they can't see the teacher speaking. It really does help to watch someone speaking a language you are trying to learn, because you pick up the mouth movements and are overall better able to pronounce the language better. 

Also, you could use a language learning app in a pinch if you don't have access to a more human learning experience. I would not make it the primary way of learning, however. 

[iroxas]

I think you can't learn to be fluent in a language with just the app, since it wouldn't correct you when you say something wrong for example, and it probably wouldn't teach you all the grammar rules. Imo, I think it's good most of the time, but then sometimes you need to practice with someone who's a native speaker of the language so they can guide you, and hey, they might even tell you if you're saying something wrong, which is nice :D.

[hades_leae]

Language apps are so inconsistent that it's impractical to use it to learn. I think that there are so many errors that occur, that anyone who chooses to use it as their main source will have a hard time trying to convince people that they are fluent in the language because they will be speaking inconsistent/broken sentences. 

I have problems using the google translate app all the time, especially for full sentences. 

[MissTe]

I've been using a language app to learn Chinese and it's working out pretty well for me. I think that it has really been beneficial for me because I can learn on the go, so to speak. A few minutes here, a few minutes there... it really adds up. If I tried to just wait for my one weekly lesson only then I wouldn't make so much progress. 

[edmundangelson]

For the written/reading side yes. They are not good for attaining fluency so their usefulness decreases over time, but there is no better way to learn vocabulary. Grammar is also best learned through apps in the beginning, although explanations and examples can be poor at more complex levels. In terms of pure time invested, apps should be your number one, unless you specifically prefer having a physical book.

[宇崎ちゃん]

2 hours ago, edmundangelson said:

Grammar is also best learned through apps in the beginning,

Name 1 app that teaches you grammar AND works.
As far as I've seen, they're all focused towards vocabulary only.
If an app teaches you grammar, it's either bad or with no explanation.

[rz3300]

Well my short answer would have to be no.  I am not sure if you are saying on top of actually getting out there and communicating with others, because that is and always will be the best and primary tool for learning a language.  All of the new technologies and advancements can certainly help along the way, though, and for that I like the idea of language apps and I have used some in the past, to varying degrees of success.  I am sure that they will get better and more incorporated into the experience, though, which I think is a good thing.

[gracerph]

In my own opinion, language apps are great tools in helping us learn a language but they are not the primary tool in learning a certain language. As they say, practice makes perfect and I believe that it is also applied to language learning. One cannot fully learn a language just by doing it in theory but mostly by practicing it in conversations with his/her teachers, fellow learners and native speakers as much as he/she can.

[m1chael]

Language apps are there to help you. You won't use a language app and be extremely fluent at the language even if you consistently use it. Practice makes perfect, and applying what you have used is extremely useful. That goes for all languages. You can learn the basic vocabulary and expressions, and the more you use it, the more familiar you will be with it. 

[WizardX]

An app can really help while learning a different language. Unfortunately you can't only rely on it to teach you a new language. You will need to interact with native speakers if you want to learn quickly. It will be easier for you to learn if you can chat with those who know the language since you will get to know how to pronounce certain words. Attending language classes is also necessary if you want to learn a new language.

[edmundangelson]

11 hours ago, Blaveloper said:

Name 1 app that teaches you grammar AND works.
As far as I've seen, they're all focused towards vocabulary only.
If an app teaches you grammar, it's either bad or with no explanation.

Conjugations, Genders, Number etc can be memorised through apps, although there is usually little or no explanation. I'm pretty sure Duolingo has basic grammar, even memrise can teach you conjugations/genders etc, although they are more lacking in things like word order and higher grammatical features.

Apps often give sentence examples teaching you grammar through exercise and example, although for an explanation and better understanding you need other sources apart from apps.

[AgentD22]

I voted no, because that's my honest opinion. But that being said, even though I think a language app shouldn't be your main source of information, I honestly think IT IS the main source of info for people starting to get interested in learning new languages, so in this case I guess real life is far from the ideal situation sadly.

I think people really like the convenience of language learning apps, those people would not be interested in learning a new language otherwise, IMO they (the apps) will improve before people stop using them.