Mentions | Notion

Oh, and a final one--let me find the name of the app, hang on! Edit: Okay, so the app is called Polygloss , and it was actually first introduced here on Reddit , so you can read a ton about it/people's experiences with it! I studied language acquisition/linguistics and both tutored and taught languages, so I've tried & researched a lot of gamified language learning apps that mostly don't teach much. But what's cool about this one is that it's not a lesson that's gamified, it's the actual communication . The game won't teach you any explicit grammar points or lessons, but you get the chance to use your language skills with an actual person

in a low pressure context, which is key to learning a language (because that's what language is for, communicating with people! using a language = learning a language). Also, you can choose what language level you want to play at, and players tend to be super kind & helpful--if you get matched with someone super advanced, they'll more than likely share puns or jokes and teach you non-textbook phrases, while if you play with someone at a beginner level, you can both practice basic vocab and making simple sentences. The dope thing about this app is also that players can offer corrections and suggestions to each other through the game, so that you can learn from each other! When I was teaching ESL, I used to let my students play on my phone during breaks [and I know the app says it's for intermediate users, but my kiddos were 7 or 8-year-old ESL beginners and they loved it!] . Even my least confident/lowest level students had a blast, because the game really does push you to be creative no matter how much you know, and it also rewards players for working together & helping each other rather than asking them to compete. Imo this is one of the best language learning apps I've ever used--it may not be an "all in one" app where you can learn lessons and study, but it asks you to start using the language right away (even beginners!) in an environment cultivated to be both encouraging and playful. Plus it gives that oh-so-satisfying dopamine boost that Duolingo does when you and your partner win a match, lol.