Babbel Integrated Spanish Language Learning Platform Includes Web Interface, iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad App, Social Networking, More
Babbel Spanish combines multimedia visual and auditory learning, social networking interactivity, sound educational methodology, mobile apps (for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android - Babbel Mobile) in a one-stop integrated platform for learning Spanish.
Over the years, Babbel has expanded its platform by adding loads of new features to the Web interface as well as mobile apps to enhance your Spanish learning efforts online - and take them mobile:
Babbel Mobile: Synchronizes your Babbel account with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, allowing you to study Spanish on your mobile device - even if you're offline! Babbel Mobile is free to download for everybody, and access to the Vocabulary is available for free for those who already are subscribers to Babbel. If you're not on Babbel, you can purchase the vocabulary as a stand alone app, which has 3000 words and phrases.
Babbel's interface is the definition of eye candy, works on any modern Web browser, loads quickly and runs solidly. The dynamic learning system reviews you on terms and phrases you've learned while seamlessly incorporating new ones on topics you select. This guarantees you'll be interested in what you're studying - and that it will be the most applicable to your specific needs and goals.
Part of the Babbel learning system involves media-rich (and user shared) virtual flash cards. The flash card stacks are organized into "packages" (groups of cards) that treat common themes (eg, youth hostels, winter sports, restaurants and eating out, fruits and vegetables, clothing, standard greetings, giving and receiving compliments, etc). With input and contributions from the users, these packages get consistently better as more contributions flow in.
Furthermore, an intelligent system organizes all the vocabulary words you've learned. You get a comprehensive overview of everything you've studied - and it signals which are your problem words so you'll know you need to practice them again. This syncs seamlessly with the Babbel Refresh desktop application as well, using your personalized Vocabulary list to calculate reminders for what's best to review next and how often. Wow - talk about helpful!
Add to all of this Babbel's social networking tools, including the ability to hook up with other users interested in sharing and exchanging language skills, and you have a dynamic Spanish-education platform that covers all the bases.
In addition to Spanish, Babbel is available for learning Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, German, Italian and Swedish.
So try a Babbel lesson free and see if it works for you. You can select one of various options for your free lesson, too (the Travel pack is great). Chances are you'll be up and learning in no time, making friends to share with, quizzing yourself on the go and progressing more quickly than you thought possible.
Treat yourself and have some fun learning Spanish - go Babbel!
Free or Subscription?
Wading through the options for learning Spanish online (and off) can be difficult. The free resources for Spanish can be jumbled and, in our humble opinion, ultimately incomplete. Thus it's well worth subscribing to a paid service to truly open the doors to your virtual classroom.
Having tested many free and commercial options for learning Spanish, we feel that Babbel sits right at the top of your options - it's incredibly fun and intuitive, offers online and offline solutions, mobile options and is amazingly fairly priced. With the likes of Rosetta Stone costing $539 for the full Spanish course, for example, you could use Babbel for years before totaling that much.
So check out Babbel! It's a great way to leap ahead.