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Up to7%cash back One of the first steps to speaking Japanese is to learn the alphabet. Japanese has three basic writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.Hiragana and katakana are the phonetic alphabets you’ll need to learn to speak Japanese. These two sets of 46 characters represent the same sounds, and because most characters have only one pronunciation, hiragana and katakana are. With these 16 apps for learning Japanese, you can make the most of your dead time and tap your way to higher fluency! If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Japanese with real-world videos. Experience Japanese immersion online!
Whether you’re planning to visit a new place, preparing to meet your fiance’s parents, or add a skill set to your resume, learning a foreign language is an undoubtedly practical skill.
A few decades back, you’d have to walk around with a pocket dictionary to help you with simple translations. However, if you lost your copy or forgot to pack it, you’d probably struggle talking to people who don’t speak your language, or find your way around.
Today though, you can still read books on the language you’d like to learn, take online classes, watch YouTube videos, or even listen to audio CDs. However, you might not always be able to carry all those books or CDs with you, making it harder to learn wherever you are.
With a language learning app though, you can quickly learn a few words, phrases, or sentences in a different language right from your mobile device.
Unlike pocket dictionaries, these apps are easy to integrate in your routine wherever you are, and pick up a foreign tongue without ever taking language classes. Another option is to use Google Translate to translate some words, images, or a web page.
Best Language Learning Apps
Here’s our roundup of the best language learning apps that will help you learn a new language without tearing your hair out over grammar.
Duolingo(Android, iOS, Windows)
Duolingo is a free, fun, and addictive language learning app that helps you learn a new language at your own pace. In fact, a study shows that 34 hours of using the app are the equivalent of a university semester’s worth of language courses, which proves just how effective the app’s bite-sized lessons are.
Through personalized lessons and exercises that adapt to your learning style, you can easily and effectively learn and review vocabulary, get instant grading and earn points for correct answers.
Gamification is poured into each lesson that makes the app more enjoyable, plus rewards like virtual coins, level upgrading, and fluency scores motivate you to master new words, phrases, and grammar. You can also revisit the lessons and work on your weak areas at your own time.
Languages you can learn include French, English, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Norwegian, Hebrew, Czech, Swahili, Greek, Romanian, Polish, Russian and many others.
Rosetta Stone(Android, iOS)
Rosetta Stone is another free learning platform that’s been teaching people new languages for more than two decades. Once you download the app, you can flip between 24 different languages or if you want, you can stay focused with personalized learning based on your motivation.
Its proven immersion method helps you learn languages intuitively through pictures tied to common phrases, and get instantaneous feedback to perfect your pronunciation. It also offers Extended Learning features from where you can access different kinds of exercises, and you can also download them to do everything offline if you have a bad internet connection.
A phrase book with basic words and words related to hotels, restaurants, and getting around are available especially if you’re traveling, but you can buy more phrase books related to emergencies, colors, shopping, and currencies.
The app syncs your progress across all your devices, so you can learn basic words and phrases from any device or location on the go. Languages you can learn include French, English, Japanese, German, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Irish, Hebrew, and more.
Memrise(Android, iOS)
This free language learning app uses simplistic visual aids to guide you through each lesson so you can easily remember what you learn.
The interface is attractive, simple, and user-friendly so you can practice more and expand your vocabulary in a fun and easy way. Videos are included of native speakers saying each word you learn, plus an audio recording of the word or phrase, and at the end of each lesson is a quiz with short questions that test what you’ve learned, and you get rewards in form of points for correct answers.
There are more than 100 languages you can learn including French, German, Chinese, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, Turkish, and Russian among others.
Busuu (Android, iOS)
Busuu boasts more than 100 million users and offers languages in complete lesson packages that include accent training and exercise reviews from native speakers.
Placement tests are available to help you know what level to start from, and there’s a wide range of learning activities that cover a good amount of content provided through basic flashcards along with exercises that help you with pronunciation, dialogue, grammar, and writing.
To test your knowledge, the app offers fun quizzes and vocabulary games, and an offline mode so you can download the lessons and study without an internet connection.
Languages you can learn include Spanish, English, German, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Vietnamese, Turkish, Polish, Chinese, and French.
Mondly (Android, iOS)
Mondly is an easy-to-use language learning app that lets you learn in your native language so you can start speaking fluently in no time.
It packs in-depth lessons on more than 20 topics in a real-life context, with engaging content for learners of all levels, all in a colorful design that makes it fun to learn.
Plus, if you want to practice your conversational skills, there’s a chatbot with speech recognition to guide you along, activities to help consolidate your learning, quizzes and games, and a competition board that tracks your progress.
The first six lessons are free for only one language, but you can unlock more languages by upgrading to a paid subscription. Languages you can learn include English, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Greek, Japanese, Romanian, Hindi, Bulgarian, Croatian, Turkish, Polish, Hebrew, Afrikaans, Finnish, Czech, Swedish, Danish, and more.
Babbel(Android, iOS)
This is another subscription-based app that offers 14 different languages you can learn through listening and repeating words and phrases, and then taking brief quizzes to test what you learn.
Its bite-sized lessons are 10-15 minutes long tailored to beginners and advanced learners, and this makes it easy to learn on the go or if you have a short break in between your schedule. It also syncs progress across all your devices so it’s easy for you to continue from where you left off.
Integrated speech recognition helps you get your pronunciation on point through real-life conversations, and the review manager helps you retain the information and boost your confidence in speaking the new language.
You can also download lessons and learn offline. You only get one lesson for free though, so if you need full access to learning materials for any language, you have to upgrade to a paid plan.
Languages you can learn include French, English, Norwegian, German, Italian, Indonesian, Polish, Turkish, Brazilian, Russian, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, and Danish.
HelloTalk(Android, iOS)
HelloTalk takes a different approach to helping you learn a new language. Instead of offering words and phrases in flashcards or pictures, it connects you to native speakers of the language you want to learn, and in return, you help them to learn your language.
Through a full-featured chat experience, you can learn by immersing yourself in someone else’s language, and still be a teacher at the same time. Simply pick your entry level, and then choose a native speaker to learn from.
There are more than 20 million native speakers who you can filter by country or age, and you can learn over 150 different languages including English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Korean, French, German, Italian, Hindi, Turkish, Thai, Indonesian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Vietnamese among many others.
AccelaStudy Essential Apps(iOS)
AccelaStudy Essential apps is a simple to use platform that offers an app for each language you want to learn. The words in the apps vary, but all the features are the same, and you get to learn using flashcards, spaced repetition, audio quizzes, and more while building your study based on what you want to focus on.
It also supports offline use and several learning modes including a hands-free mode so you can learn on the go, especially if you’re driving.
Languages you can learn include Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Dutch, Polish, Korean, Turkish, Russian, Italian, Romanian, and Ukranian among others.
Beelinguapp(Android, iOS)
Beelinguapp offers a unique experience for learners of new languages through story books with an audiobook reader in various dialects.
Each story that you read is displayed in your native language and the new language you’re learning on the same screen, and the words are highlighted along with the narration. This way, you can learn pronunciations quickly, and enjoy your favorite stories like Cinderella and others in a new language.
Speak In Different Tongues
![Japanese learning apps for mac download Japanese learning apps for mac download](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126422252/745548273.jpg)
Speaking more than one language has several benefits not just to your resume or friends list, but also to your perception and memory. With the best language learning apps, you have no excuse not to dabble in Turkish, German, Russian, Norwegian, or even Thai.
Would you like to learn a new language? Have you used any of these apps before? If so, share your experience by dropping a comment below.
“Stop playing games and do your homework!”
If you’re into video games, chances are very good that you’ve heard this sentence at least once in your life.
Yes, parents do mean well, even if they don’t understand the magic of “The Legend of Zelda.”
The same can be said of your Japanese teachers.
At the end of the day, they’ll probably tell you to learn Japanese through more traditional methods—but what if you’ve tried books, CDs and conversation classes, and the knowledge just doesn’t stick in your brain?
Or worse, what if you’re just not interested?
Well, there’s another way of picking up the lingo that puts fun at the center of the learning experience. Now more than ever, the potential of using video games as an educational tool is really kicking off. There are some great games that can help you vastly improve your Japanese skills, especially if you’re a beginner.
If you’re the type of person who’s constantly glued to your phone or personal computing system? If you can’t get enough of your computer or Xbox One? Even better.
Here’s a list of Japanese games on various technological platforms that you can use to your advantage.
1. Learn Japanese with Tako
Website | Android| iOS | Amazon
This one is perfect for playing on the go. Whether you’re going to school, work or abseiling down that mountain, “Learn Japanese with Tako”is right there by your side on your smartphone.
The app released back in 2015 for Android and iOS devices (and Amazon) under the name “Tako’s Japanese,” and it’s best described as a casual educational app that assists you with learning the stroke order of the three Japanese writing systems: Hiragana, katakana and kanji.
It comes with an elaborate writing system supporting touch controls, enabling users to memorize the stroke orders of various characters. “Learn Japanese with Tako”earns its ludological stripes with its assortment of mini-games, which act as learning reinforcements or summaries of the lessons you’ve previously completed, and include playing baseball, serving customers at a restaurant as an octopus waiter and enjoying a variation on everybody’s favorite game for releasing pent-up frustration—Whac-A-Mole.
Lower-level learners looking to score well on their JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) are in luck, because “Learn Japanese with Tako” comes with all the hiragana, katakana and kanji pertaining to level N5 (the easiest level of the test).
2. Influent
Website | Steam
A language learning simulation that supports more than 15 languages, “Influent” was released back in March 2014 to mostly positive reviews on Steam, Valve’s digital distribution service for PC games.
“Influent” draws inspiration from Sega Dreamcast classics “Shenmue”and “Toy Commander,” and it utilizes a 3D environment which is completely interactive and saturated with objects for players to discover.
Since the focus of “Influent”is to teach players pronunciation and facilitate vocabulary acquisition, everything in the environment is named and readily identifiable through the power of a click.
Similarly, all the audio recordings have been sourced from native Japanese speakers, ensuring that language learners are familiarizing themselves with correct pronunciation from the start. Those interested in “Influent” can try it out today for $9.99 USD for PC, Mac and Linux operating systems.
3. Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War
Website | Steam
From Melbournian developer Sleepy Duck comes an anime-studded educational adventure that contains all the basics for picking up katakana, one of the three main Japanese writing systems.
With the help of over 2,000 Kickstarter backers, “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War” almost tripled its original funding goal of $5,000 AUD and ended up raising $29,275 AUD in total, which meant stretch goals such as partial voice acting, an illustrated manga chapter and hiragana and katakana flashcards could all be realized.
It released earlier this year to positive reviews, and if you’re just beginning your Japanese language learning adventure, “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War” is ideal since no previous experience or knowledge is necessary.
The game is structured so that, at the start of each chapter, players learn several new katakana characters, after which they’re free to explore the surrounding environments where there are friends to be made and dangerous enemies to be battled.
It’s in the latter—the dangerous enemies—that “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War”lives up to its name. All the bad guys are shaped like katakana, and the only way to defeat them is—you guessed it!—translating them correctly. “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War” is currently available for PC and Mac via Steam at $6.99 USD. And there’s also a “Hiragana Battle” game from this same developer, so you can keep the learning going.
4. Koe
Website | Steam
“Koe”is a JRPG, or Japanese Role Playing Game, that had a very successful Kickstarter during 2014 and is expected to launch sometime in 2017. There’s currently a second alpha demo available to play—so it’s still being tested, but it’s also creeping closer to completion.
“Koe”really has something special to offer learners looking to supplement their studies, and even works from a purist, non-educational game perspective. Developer Strawberry Games (Jitesh Rawal) emphasizes that, before anything else, “Koe”is a game, so it will run as such, complete with story, item collection, leveling up and engaging in random bosses, all in true RPG style.
Like “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War,” this is a game that lets you use words as weapons and gives you an introductory look at Japanese, so there’s absolutely zero pressure to come to it with background knowledge. The biggest content difference between “Learn Japanese To Survive! Katakana War”and “Koe”is that the latter also offers the chance to learn kanji along with full Japanese words and phrases—it’s going to be more well-rounded, in its final form.
5. My Japanese Coach
Website | Amazon | GameStop
An oldie but a goodie, “My Japanese Coach” originally came out in 2008 and was Ubisoft’s attempt to help Japanese language learners pick up native pronunciation, learn new vocabulary and memorize the stroke order of hiragana and katakana. It received mixed reviews upon release, with some critics claiming its explanations can be confusing and others praising the game as a solid edutainment title.
Japanese Learning Apps For Mac Computer
Regardless, if you’re in possession of the original Nintendo DS, it’s nice to know that you can still purchase this game on eBay and elsewhere online. In addition to the more classroom-oriented activities, there also are some fun mini-games to play including word searches, flashcard games and multiple-choice tests. For a taste of the gameplay, check out this playthrough presented by a YouTuber.
6. Slime Forest Adventure
Also known as Project LRNJ: Learn Japanese RPG, “Slime Forest Adventure”is a free adventure game that promises to teach you hiragana, katakana and kanji. There are paid upgrades which have a greater focus on learning how to read Japanese and offer an expanded range of kanji. For complete beginners, the free version does a pretty good job of providing casual katakana lessons.
Graphically, it’s very basic, top-down affair. I’d compare it to something like the original “The Legend of Zelda”game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. There’s no music either, and without doing the supplementary training options first, the game mode will probably seem slightly confusing.
Gangs of green slimy creatures descend on you, and they can only be defeated by you correctly identifying the katakana on screen. Defeating them earns players gold coins, which can presumably be used later on to purchase new items. In terms of educational benefit, I’d say the katakana word primer stands out in particular.
It requires you to quickly read longer words in katakana presented in a vertical fashion, which is something you’re likely to encounter almost everywhere in Japan. The hiragana primer, too, is good for this. Even though both primers are framed in a repetitive loop where acquiring gold coins serves no real purpose, they do repeat characters you’ve struggled with, which can greatly aid your memorization.
7. Crystallize
“Crystallize”is another free Japanese learning game which comes from some computer science students—this time at Cornell University. Those kids and their educational games.
It’s an immersive, interactive experience that uses conversations with NPCs (non-playable characters) as the driving force behind gameplay. Players can collect the words that NPCs use, saving them in a vocab piggy bank for future situations like job searches and making new friends.
Game Applications For Mac
At this stage, “Crystallize” is still a prototype, but if you have no experience with Japanese whatsoever, it’s great because it starts off in romaji (Roman letters) and basic greetings like hello (こんにちは), good morning (おはようございます) and goodbye (さようなら). There’s the upbeat, jazz-pop fusion playing in the background that’s characteristic of many anime series, but naturally, the visuals still need some work.
After selecting your character’s name, gender, hair and eye color, you’re free to explore the halls of a school and scope out new words to add to your repository. Interestingly, collecting words you aren’t familiar with can decrease your confidence meter, which can definitely ring true with real-life situations! At the end of each day, you return home to review all the words you’ve picked up.
Unfortunately, there are no audio recordings to help with pronunciation, but it’s good for vocabulary reinforcement nonetheless.
Bonus: FluentU
FluentU might not be strictly a game, but it’s definitely a fun way to learn! The program gamifies language learning, and is a great way to study when you want something more immersive but still entertaining.
FluentU takes real-world Japanese videos—like music videos, movie trailers, documentaries, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
It naturally and gradually eases you into learning Japanese language and culture. You’ll learn real Japanese as it’s spoken in real life.
Just take a look at the wide variety of authentic video content available in the program. Here’s a small sample:
You’ll discover tons of new Japanese vocabulary through these great clips.
Don’t worry about your skill level being an issue when it comes to understanding the language. FluentU makes native Japanese videos approachable through interactive transcripts.
Tap on any word to look it up instantly.
You’ll see definitions, in-context usage examples and helpful illustrations. Simply tap “add” to send interesting vocabulary words to your personal vocab list for later review.
App Store
FluentU even uses a learning program which adapts to your specific needs, to turn every video into a language learning lesson and get you to actively practice your newly-learned language.
Access FluentU on the website to use it with your computer or tablet or, better yet, start learning Japanese on the go with the FluentU app!
Japanese Learning Apps For Mac Download
There are lots of assumptions out there about the right way to learn a language, but the truth is, learning can happen anywhere—even in video games.
From PC to mobile, there are heaps of interactive ways to learn new words, pick up grammar points and even memorize kanji stroke order.
So, next time your mom or dad appears in the doorway ready to shout the immortal line, just refer them to this article.
Mac Apps Download
If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Japanese with real-world videos.