Learning German for the Sake of Ancestry: Part 5 – Busuu Review

So I got a new phone and lost all my apps. Then, of course, I got busy at school and…well, my German lessons have been nachlassen. Translation – I’ve been slacking. Shame on me! I have been studying some, though, and recently tried out yet another app in my quest for free language lessons.

Today’s language app is Busuu. Founded in 2008 and based in London, England, Busuu offers lessons in 12 different languages to over 100 million people worldwide.

Busuu Review

I had never heard of this language app before I found it on Google Play. I thought it had a funny name. It turns out that the name Busuu comes from the Busuu language in Cameroon, a language that has almost disappeared. How appropriate! Overall, this app is impressive and I’ve enjoyed the lessons. In fact, this app is my favorite so far as lesson structure goes.

Pros

Busuu presents beginning lessons in a very easy to understand, multimedia format. You learn words and phrases through listening, writing, and speaking, with photo hints throughout. Lessons have plenty of repetition, allowing the learner to practice. Busuu also has separate sections for reviewing vocabulary and grammar. Each word learned is included in the vocabulary list and the words are marked as strong (you got all the questions right), medium (you got some wrong but not terrible), or weak (you really bombed on that one!). Grammar rules are explained in clear, easy-to-understand explanations with plenty of examples.

The most unique aspect of Busuu is its social media component. Busuu allows learners to pair together to help each other learn languages. The app sends notifications that prompt you to correct lessons from other students. For example, I get notifications to correct English lessons for those learning English on the app, while someone who speaks German might get a notification to correct my lesson. The exchange allows learners to interact with each other and try out their new words and phrases.

Cons

As with most language apps, Busuu’s free content is limited. Still, I was able to complete 12 free lessons before running into that ol’ “upgrade” wall. Busuu offers the following subscription levels:

  • Monthly – $10.99 per month
  • 6 Months – $9.08 per month
  • 12 Months – $7.17 per month

You’ll find these prices in Euros on the website, but they’re similar to the dollar amounts above. If you subscribe through the app, you may see the special offer that I saw when entering the premium subscription section, which was to save 50% on the 12-month subscription level. This would mean that you would pay $3.58 per month if subscribing for 12 months. That’s $42.96 per year – a pretty good deal as far as language apps go.

Busuu is available through the App Store and Google Play, as well as Busuu’s website, busuu.com. I’d say the amount of free content available is slightly more than average, but still not the best. If I have to pay for lessons, though, Busuu is one of the top contenders for my hard-earned dollars! 

Now Janet, an die Arbeit gehen!

Check out my full German language learning (for free) journey here:

Photo Credit:
Header photo by Edouard TAMBA on Unsplash