Everyone has their own opinion about the best or fastest way to learn a new language, but I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all approach. I think that the best way to learn a new language is to be patient and gracious with yourself, be reasonable with your goals and expectations, and find the learning style that works for you.
There are so many ways to learn online now, from one-on-one tutoring to sites that translate your favorite book and shows. Here’s a compilation of our favorite language learning tools from across the web along with our recommendations for finding the best language program for you.
Note: We may receive a commission if you purchase items on this page.
Language Apps & Courses
If you learn best at your own pace, these sites offer engaging language lesson activities that operate like workbooks, labs, or games.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/rocket-logo-horizontal-e1672167342218-200×38.png
RocketLanguages offers lifetime access to language courses where you can check your pronunciation using their state-of-the-art voice recognition system and practice on-the-spot speaking. Their activities use algorithms to identify where you’re having trouble and help you practice problematic words and phrases. Rocket also comes with tons of downloadable audio tracks that train your ear.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/pimsleur_logo-200×89.png
Pimsleur is named after Dr. Paul Pimsleur, a linguistics professor and researcher at Ohio State University and UCLA, who says that the way to rapidly acquire a new language is by hearing the language used in everyday situations and interacting with it so it easily sticks in your mind. They say you can use their scientifically proven method to go from not knowing a single word to confidently speaking in just 30 days.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Memrise-new-logo-200×200.png
Memrise uses video examples, online courses, immersive learning, and game-like tests to teach 23 languages. You can practice speaking with their new Language Partner Chatbot, called MemBot.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Duolingo-logo-200×200.png
Duolingo uses fun lessons, colorful animations, and gamified rewards. With quick, bite-sized lessons, you’ll earn points and unlock new levels while gaining real-world communication skills.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/MangoLanguages_Logo-200×200.png
Mango is a highly rated app that uses Intuitive Language Construction™ to build the 6 critical skills necessary for true language learning: vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, culture, comprehension and retention.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/synergy-spanish-e1672167464101-200×45.png
Synergy Spanish has a new system for learning Spanish that’s ideal for adult learners. The creator’s method includes becoming fluent in just 138 Spanish words and using those to improve your expat quality of life quickly and dramatically.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Rosetta_Stone_logo-e1672167496631-200×86.png
Rosetta Stone is a low-cost option for self-study with a monthly subscription or lifetime purchase option. Live tutoring and group lessons are built into the program, but aren’t the main components.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ill_logo-200×33.png
InnovativeLanguage has one of the largest breadths of tools available, from video courses to audiobooks to apps and even a Roku TV channel. Communicate with your fellow learners in their online community.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/babbel-logo-e1672167541378-200×46.png
Babbel has been used by more than 10 million people to learn languages using tools developed at Yale University, City University of New York, and Michigan State University. Lessons are app based, or use Babbel Live for group classes.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mondly-languages-e1672167564108-200×64.png
Mondly is an app-based program that makes learning language a fun, game-based activity. There are options to learn with AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and a version just for kids.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cudoo-logo-e1672167591498-200×64.png
Cudoo offers video classes on thousands of topics, including languages. You pay by the course, with each course consisting of a number of video lessons. For each course you buy, one is donated to someone with limited access to education.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/drops_kahoot_darkPurple-200×90.png
Drops is an app-based tool for learning languages. Drops uses game-like play to track your progress and recommends starting with five minutes each day.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Artboard-_2.png
Promova is online language learning tailored to your needs. Get a personal study plan and improve your skills.
Getting Comfortable in a New Country Starts With Communication
Most Americans who move abroad say the same thing looking back: they wished they’d started working on the local tongue sooner. Not because fluency is required before you leave, but because even basic ability changes how people respond to you and how quickly you settle in.
Good language learning apps let you build practical skills during the gaps of a normal day, without textbooks or scheduled classes. A commute, a lunch break, twenty minutes before bed. It adds up faster than most people expect.
At Expatsi, we point clients toward options that fit how they actually live. Learning new languages abroad is a different experience than studying at home. You have daily exposure, constant motivation, and a built-in reason to keep going. The right tool takes advantage of all of that.
Practice, Immersion, and Choosing the Right Approach
There’s a genuine difference between memorizing vocabulary and holding a conversation. Language learning tools vary quite a bit in how they tackle this, and knowing the distinction helps you choose wisely.
Language practice apps are good for building a foundation. They reinforce grammar through repetition, which works well early on. Interactive language apps go further by simulating everyday conversations, helping you develop listening and speaking skills at the same time.
For those who want to move faster, immersion-based tools drop you into realistic scenarios from day one. You’re not translating isolated words. You’re getting a feel for how people actually communicate, which is what matters when you’re living somewhere new.
Real World Content
If you learn best by consuming real-world content, like TV shows and books, in the language you want to learn, these sites may help you learn language fastest.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/lingo-pie-logo-e1680649872226-200×200.png
LingoPie uses real TV shows and movies to help you learn a new language. The idea is to make language learning as simple as watching your favorite TV show (including kids’ shows!). After you watch an episode you can easily review all your new vocabulary & grammar rules with built-in flashcards and word lists.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/fluentu-logo-e1672167665742-200×40.png
FluentU provides video, audio, news, and other content to teach you languages in real-world scenarios on your own time. Explore language in context and test yourself with immersive quizzes.
Online Language Classes
If you learn best with the support of a group classroom environment, these sites offer remote language classes from trained language teachers where you learn alongside your peers.
Related: I Tried 5 Foreign Language Apps; I’m Sticking with One
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/babbel-logo-e1672167541378-200×46.png
Babbel has been used by more than 10 million people to learn languages using tools developed at Yale University, City University of New York, and Michigan State University. Lessons are app based, or use Babbel Live for group classes.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/spanishvip-e1672167711466-200×48.png
Take as many classes as you need each month, around the clock, Monday-Friday from SpanishVIP. Your immersive study alongside your peers is supplemented with self-led resources for out-of-classroom study.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/italki-logo-e1672168257783-200×126.png
Italki lets you choose between one-on-one tutoring sessions and group classes from a variety of specialized instructors at a range of price points. Book classes online and pay as you go. Italki identifies the home country of its teachers so you can learn the dialect that best meets your needs.
One-on-one Language Tutors
If you learn best by building a relationship with a dedicated expert who can guide you through your lessons, these sites offer one-on-one private tutoring from full-time language instructors.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/LanguaTalk-logo-e1672168285390-200×48.png
LanguaTalk offers personalized language classes with the tutor of your choice at times that fit your weekly schedule. You can choose from a variety of instruction rates to find a tutor who fits your budget.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/italki-logo-e1672168257783-200×126.png
Italki lets you choose between one-on-one tutoring sessions and group classes from a variety of specialized instructors at a range of price points. Book classes online and pay as you go. Italki identifies the home country of its teachers so you can learn the dialect that best meets your needs.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/My-project-e1672168328275-200×66.png
Preply is a tutoring company that teaches more that languages. They boast 32,000+ experienced tutors and offer structured lesson plans, and you can sign up for lessons 24/7.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/rype-logo-e1672168361804-200×81.png
Rype offers one-on-one tutoring from native speakers by buying credits or a subscription instead of the pay-as-you-go model. You can choose your teacher and take classes 24/7.
What You’re Trying to Achieve Changes How You Should Study
Not everyone has the same goal, and the approach should reflect that. Language learning for travel is mostly about short-term situations. Enough to get around, order food, and ask for directions – not enough to handle a job interview.
Professional contexts are a different story entirely. Workplace communication means learning vocabulary around your specific field, understanding local norms, and expressing yourself clearly with colleagues or clients. That takes structure and honest consistency over time.
Long-term residents often need both. Solid communication skills make everyday life smoother and open doors to genuine connections with local people. That kind of social integration is one of the clearest signs that a move is working out the way you hoped.
Moving Beyond the Basics
Once you get past the beginner stage, the challenge shifts. You need more nuance, better pronunciation, and the ability to handle complex conversations without losing the thread. Advanced language learning apps and more structured programs start making a noticeable difference at this point.
Online language courses provide the kind of progression that self-guided tools sometimes lack. There’s a syllabus, clear milestones, and usually a feedback mechanism built in. For people with professional goals, that structure tends to produce better outcomes than open-ended practice alone.
One-on-one tutoring connects you with an instructor who can focus on your specific gaps. If pronunciation is the sticking point, or you need to prepare for a particular professional context, personalized instruction is often the most efficient path forward.
Finding What Actually Works for You
The best apps for expats depend on your goals, your schedule, and how you personally absorb new material. Some people respond well to short gamified lessons. Others need more structure or human interaction to stay engaged. It’s worth trying a couple before settling on one.
Beyond digital tools, community resources add something no platform can fully replicate. Talking with locals, making mistakes in low-stakes situations, and hearing how people actually speak builds a kind of fluency that structured lessons alone won’t give you.
The most consistent learners tend to combine both. An app keeps the daily habit alive. A community makes the whole thing stick.
AI Tools
If you’re interested in the latest tech, try an artificial intelligence approach.
https://expatsi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/63d3b575e68d878551c95b33_logo_black_transparent_bg-200×66.png
Opeton teaches you a language while chatting naturally with you on Telegram. The tool includes weekly reports and gets more challenging as your skills improve.
FAQs
How effective are digital tools for picking up a new tongue?
Pretty effective, honestly, when you stick with them. The flexibility suits life abroad because your schedule shifts constantly. Fifteen focused minutes each day tends to outperform an occasional two-hour session by a wide margin.
Can apps replace courses or tutors?
For daily vocabulary and basic fluency, they hold up well. But structured online language courses and one-on-one tutoring offer feedback that self-guided tools can’t fully replicate, especially once you push past the intermediate level. Most serious learners end up combining both approaches.
Which tools work best for professional situations?
Look for platforms that include workplace vocabulary and scenarios you’d actually encounter on the job. Getting up to speed professionally requires more than conversational basics. Some services specialize in business communication specifically, which is worth seeking out if that’s your context.
How long does it take while living abroad?
Honestly, it varies. The target tongue, your starting point, and how much you immerse yourself day to day all play a role. Living in the country accelerates things significantly. Most people hit functional conversational ability somewhere between six and twelve months in, assuming consistent daily practice.
