Tech review: These apps will help your language learning
Duolingo makes language learning fun because it mirrors video games. Credit: Duolingo Education
Always wanted to learn French or Spanish? How about Chinese, Japanese, Korean or even Latin? These apps can help you speak dozens of different languages and you can learn at your own pace.
Duolingo
(iOS, Android; free / subscription)
Duolingo offers more than 30 languages, and unlike the boring repetition lessons you remember from high school, it makes learning fun because it’s like playing a video game. When you start Duolingo, you tell it how long you want to spend studying each day, ranging from five to 20 minutes. Duolingo says spending 34 hours with its app is “equivalent to a semester of university-level education.” A $10 per month subscription removes ads and lets you download lessons to practice offline.
Rosetta Stone
(iOS, Android; free / subscription)
Well-known for its long-running PC-based CD-ROM programs, Rosetta Stone for Android and iOS offers lessons in 24 languages. Rosetta Stone is also aimed at helping you speak the language better — its TruAccent technology offers feedback on your pronunciation. The free version is limited. There are several subscription packages with varying prices depending on the length of time and device you are using (check the Rosetta Stone website for details).
Memrise
(iOS, Android; free / subscription)
A new entry in the language-learning field, Memrise offers lessons in 19 languages and was named one of 2017’s best apps by Google. Memrise uses a flashcard learning method, but it’s far different than the flashcards you remember from high school. The lessons employ a fun and entertaining combination of videos, chatbots and games. The free version offers access to a good number of features. An “advanced learning” subscription costs $9 per month.
Google Translate
(iOS, Android; free)
Google Translate is not aimed at helping you learn a language, but it can help you speak and understand words and phrases. A must-have for world travelers or anyone who wants to communicate with someone speaking a different language, the app translates between more than 100 languages by simply typing words. You can also snap a picture of, for example, a sign or a menu and get an immediate translation. Best of all, the app is totally free.
Face time
When it comes to facial-recognition technology, more people trust Big Brother than big tech. Pew Research Center says 56 percent of Americans believe government law enforcement agencies can be trusted to use these technologies, which can identify someone based on a picture. But only 36 percent trust technology companies to use it responsibly. And only 18 percent said it’s OK for advertisers to use the technology to track people’s responses to ads.
— PETER KING
Season’s greeting
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Half of all consumers have already begun planning their holiday gift lists, according to a new Harris Poll sponsored by marketing firm OpenX. And 37 percent have already made purchases. If you’re reading this online, you’re probably about to take a break from work to do some shopping. The poll found that 69 percent admit to online shopping while at work.
— PETER KING
FTC probing Amazon
The Federal Trade Commission has begun interviewing small businesses that sell products on Amazon to determine whether the e-commerce giant is using its market power to hurt competition. The probe, part of a broader examination of the control companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook have over the U.S. economy, indicates the FTC is seeking to spot practices that break the law and identify markets dominated by Amazon.
— BLOOMBERG NEWS
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