Babbel German Review: Can It Take You from Beginner to Bilingual?

Can the foreign language app Babbel take you from beginner to bilingual? Read on to find out what Babbel is, how you can use it, and if Babbel is the right language app for you. Who knows… there might also be a better match out there.

What is Babbel?

Babbel is a popular online subscription-based language app that offers interactive and practical lessons for people at the beginner level and intermediate level of German. If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll find Babbel’s beginner-friendly content easy to follow and engaging.

With tailored content designed to meet diverse learning needs and objectives, Babbel lets you learn at your own pace to achieve your language learning goals effectively.

Let’s explore Babbel’s offerings further.

The Babbel German Program Structure

Here is how learning is structured on the Babbel platform:

App Version

Babbel offers an array of pre-recorded audio lessons and interactive exercises for students to use as learning guides. These resources serve as a flexible alternative to traditional language classes, allowing you as a learner to progress through your language studies at your own pace.

Live Classes

For those of you who want live interaction, Babbel Live might be a solution. Babbel Live provides an option to join small-group lessons with fellow students from around the world. With a variety of live foreign language classes available, learners like you can find sessions that align perfectly with your schedules, offering the benefits of real-time interaction while still accommodating your other commitments.

It’s important to note that it’s unclear if all of Babbel’s lessons are taught by native speakers if that’s important to you in choosing a language app. As native speakers provide an important aspect of language learning, this could be a drawback for learners who want to learn the most “authentic” German possible.

Subscription Methods

Babbel offers 2 different subscription options for learners to use to improve their German knowledge. Let’s quickly take a look at both:

Babbel App

For the Babbel app, the subscription options typically include monthly and yearly plans. These plans grant access to all the features and courses available within the app.

You pay for how much time you want to use the app instead of the levels, so if you learn quickly, you can advance quite far in a short amount of time, thus saving you some money.

Babbel Live

For Babbel Live, subscription options may vary depending on the specific live class package you choose. Generally, you can select from different packages based on how long you want to attend live classes. You can take unlimited classes through Babbel Live, which is great if you are trying to learn as quickly as possible.

As you can see, Babbel offers options depending on what your language goals are. It’s also important to note that the Babbel Live membership includes the Babbel App membership.

Subscription Costs

This is the cost breakdown of the subscriptions at the time of writing:

A traditional Babbel App membership starts at 16,99 EUR a month.
The Babbel Live app starts at 99 EUR a month.

Curriculum

Babbel’s curriculum covers many of the crucial aspects of learning German, especially for beginner and intermediate-level learners.

According to their website, by using the Babbel App, you’ll “sharpen your pronunciation using speech recognition, build your conversation skills with engaging, interactive dialogues, and get helpful grammar tips while reading, writing, listening, and exploring culture bites.”

By teaching all these different aspects of your target language, Babbel aims to help you develop a well-rounded proficiency in German, especially for intermediate and beginner German learners. If you’re a more advanced learner, this style of learning might not be your best option.

You may need more real-world practice and use of the target language in your everyday life. This would be an instance that the Babbel Live subscription might be a better choice than the Babbel app. But keep in mind that the Babbel Live app is on the pricier side. If you want to save a little bit of money or have a more natural language learning experience, you can download the app tandem which lets you look for a language exchange partner based on your personal interests, your location, and your language of choice.

All in all, whether you’re focusing on mastering dreaded German grammar, building your basic vocabulary, perfecting your pronunciation, or enhancing your conversational skills, Babbel provides a decent foundation to help guide you through the earlier days of your language learning journey.

If you’re an advanced learner looking for a refresher, the Babbel App offers a perfect opportunity to revisit lower-level lessons. These review sessions can help ensure your language journey stays on track. Additionally, consider exploring lingoni GERMAN’s YouTube channel, where you can find beginner and intermediate videos to reinforce your understanding of German language rules. This approach is not only cost-effective but also guarantees that the lessons are taught by native speakers, providing you with authentic and reliable instruction.

Speech Recognition Technology

Babbel uses speech recognition technology to help you learn German pronunciation within the Babbel App. In theory, this is a great way to practice your spoken language skills, but in actuality, the reviews are mixed on their technology.

Many people report crashes and errors when trying to use the speech recognition technology. So, if you want the app for this specific feature, you might be disappointed.

Tip: There’s another app out there with similar speech recognition technology at a fraction of the price and with a better track record for functioning properly: lingoni GERMAN. If you are curious about our app, you can check out our website to learn all about the features, levels of instruction, price, etc.

Pros and Cons of Babbel German

The Babbel app has its strengths but as you have read, there are also some weaknesses you should be aware of before investing money into an app like this.

Now that we’ve given you a breakdown of how the app is structured, let’s look at some pros and cons of using the Babbel German App and/or Babbel German Live.

Pros of Babbel German

Practical lessons focused on real-life language skills

Babbel’s emphasis on real-life scenarios helps learners with practical language skills that are immediately applicable in everyday situations. This is especially helpful if you are planning to use Babbel in preparation for travel to a German-speaking country.

Structured and organized course progression

Babbel’s well-organized course structure taught by language experts guides learners through a logical sequence of lessons, ensuring a systematic and efficient learning journey. Clear objectives and milestones facilitate progress tracking and goal attainment.

Interactive exercises for active learning

Somewhat engaging exercises promote active learning and retention, allowing learners to reinforce their understanding through hands-on practice.
Babbel tries to incorporate different learning styles and preferences, which will increase participation in practice time. These activities can be quite monotonous, though, so be aware.

Speech recognition technology for pronunciation practice

The inclusion of speech recognition technology enhances the effectiveness of pronunciation practice, enabling language learners to receive instant feedback and improve their spoken language skills.
However, as previously stated, the actual use of this tool might be better in theory than in practice. Be prepared for errors while using this speech recognition technology.

Accessible on multiple devices for learning on-the-go

Babbel’s compatibility across multiple devices enables seamless learning experiences, whether at home, on the go, or during downtime. This flexibility allows learners to incorporate language learning into their daily routines, which maximizes learning potential and fits your language learning into the limited time you might have during your day.

Cons of Babbel German

Limited advanced-level courses

While Babbel offers comprehensive resources for beginners and intermediate learners, advanced users may find the selection of advanced-level courses somewhat limited. Additional content catering to advanced proficiency levels could enrich Babbel’s offerings.

Lack of live classes for interactive learning in the regular Babbel App

For learners who thrive in interactive environments with real-time feedback and interaction, the absence of live classes on Babbel may be a drawback. Supplementing self-paced learning with live instruction from qualified instructors could enhance the learning experience for some users.
You could do this supplementary advanced work with a tandem partner.

The subscription-based model may be costly for some users

While Babbel’s subscription model offers a decent number of resources and features, the slightly higher-than-average costs may be too high for some learners, particularly those on a tight budget. Exploring alternative programs might be your best bet if the budget is a little tight.
A traditional Babbel App membership starts at 16,99 EUR a month and the Babbel Live app starts at 99 EUR a month.

Alternatives to Babbel German

If you aren’t convinced that Babbel is the language platform for you, there are alternatives. For those looking for a different approach to learning German online, these programs might be better suited for you:

1. lingoni

lingoni is a worthwhile alternative to Babbel. We offer a variety of German video courses with native instructors for interactive learning as well as tons of downloadable material such as worksheets and podcasts.

lingoni also offers FREE video lessons on the lingoni GERMAN YouTube channel for beginner to advanced German learners.

The lingoni pronunciation tool also functions without error, so you can practice pronunciation without the added stress of tech issues.

Best for: Learners who want a more personal experience with fun and relevant content.

2. Duolingo

Duolingo is known for its gamified approach and accessibility. They offer free language courses with interactive exercises and progress tracking.

Duolingo is definitely a more vocabulary-oriented app, which some users might find more practical for what they are learning.

Best for: People who want to play games and learn in smaller windows (on the bus, during a commercial break on the couch).

3. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is famous for its immersive approach to learning. They offer language courses that focus on intuitive language acquisition using pictures and sounds.

Although significantly more expensive than some other apps, its method is tried and true (albeit maybe a little old-school for some learners).

Best for: Learners who want a more traditional experience with repetition and memorization.

FAQs

Is Babbel good for learning German?

Babbel is an excellent resource for learning German, especially if you’re looking for structured lessons, interactive exercises, and a focus on practical language skills. It covers essential aspects such as grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation practice, making it a valuable tool for language learners aiming to build a strong foundation in German. While it might not take you to complete fluency, it’s a good starting point for anyone serious about mastering the basics and beyond.

Just remember – it’s targeted toward beginner and intermediate learners, so if you’re more advanced, you might need to look elsewhere.

Which is better? Babbel or lingoni?

lingoni is better than Babbel if you are looking for a language-learning experience with a more personalized approach.

The cost-effectiveness of lingoni also wins over Babbel. For a smaller price tag, you get even more content, taught ONLY by native speakers. Also, lingoni is a small business, which means they are more customer-oriented than a larger corporation such as Babbel.

Can you become fluent with Babbel?

You most likely cannot become fluent with Babbel. Babbel’s app caters to beginner and intermediate language learners, so advanced speakers might be left unfulfilled. There isn’t much useful speaking practice and many things that make you a fluent speaker of a language just aren’t there — conversation for example. This is difficult to do strictly over an app, so supplementation is necessary to hit fluency.

Is Babbel suitable for advanced German learners?

Babbel is more geared towards beginners and intermediate German learners, but it can still be useful for advanced learners looking to improve specific language skills.

Conclusion

Babbel is suitable for beginners and intermediate learners, offering practical lessons and interactive features for structured learning. However, achieving fluency may require extra resources.

Consider lingoni GERMAN for more diverse learning opportunities, including podcasts and worksheets. Sign up for a free to explore our app. We cater to various learning styles, making language learning enjoyable and effective.

Ready to start your German journey with lingoni? Check out the trial to see if lingoni is right for you.