Kids learn languages by Mondly

I’ve been using the Portuguese version of the app with my kids (5 y.o. with Portuguese as a heritage language but not really bilingual). They find the flash card format a little boring. They are just starting to learn to read in English, but can handle the small translation tasks. The problem there however is that what they are asked to do is word-for-word translation, which I don’t think is ever a good way to think about the relationship between language. That conceptual problem is exacerbated here by inconsistencies and mistakes. In fact the app gives the impression of having the Portuguese carelessly laid over the common architecture. Sometimes a European and Portuguese word is mixed up, such as relva and grama, for grass. At other times there are clear mistakes, such as ‘vidro’ which means the material ‘glass’ but is mistakenly used to refer to a drinking vessel. One exercise had the subject pronoun ‘vós’ (seldom used now outside biblical contexts and needlessly confusing for children). Sometimes more than one correct answer was possible but only one accepted (‘este copo aqui’ and ‘este copo’ meaning essentially the same thing, with the former more emphatic). One tree was uncompletable as a question had no correct answer. I used the in-app form to report it and only received an answer significantly later saying that I’d used an old e-mail address. I’m not a big reviewer, but have taken the time here because I made the mistake of signing up for a year and there simply isn’t enough material to justify it. I wasn’t prompted to sign up for so long by the app, but did so on the basis of some good reviews which led me to expect something more involved. I certainly only have myself to blame here. Basically, while a year is a total waste of money, a month isn’t terrible and probably enough to get through the material. As for alternatives: my kids found ‘Gus on the Go’ fun. ‘Peg and Pog’ was great (and there is both European Portuguese and Brazilian). Neither is a course, though. Both are good for a long journey maybe. I’ve tried Droplets (which is much more involved and carefully done than Mondly Kids), but it’s more appropriate for significantly older children in terms of vocabulary and style.

This app teaches you lessons in different languages. It helps me learn bulgarian and mandarin it is amazing.

The app has huge potential if the words were spoken in the language instead of English.

I’m not sure how this app would help children to remember words as the English is always said together for the word in the foreign language and there are pictures, so you can pass each level by listening to the English and the looking at the picture. The tasks are quite repetitive as well and there don’t seem to be any games.

Amazing support for Spanish

We’ve really enjoyed using Mondly and I think the screens and style of learning is well designed however the increased use of a male computerised voice is painful. It is not only hard to hear clearly but the pronunciation is wrong! At £9.95 per month it is not cheap and we had it running on two devices and paid double each month as there doesn’t seem to be a family option with separate accounts to measure progress.

A very fun app that the children have enjoyed using and have been surprising me with new words that they have learned.

Wurst language app ever I think.do not think of getting the app to learn a new language

My son loves this app to learn Spanish!

It’s fun and I like learning Korean!