EAL Apps

uTalk is a language-learning app for beginners and intermediates. It covers over a hundred different languages and topics relevant to most people. These languages even include Swahili, Amharic, Shona, etc. Each language has lots of learning and practice material, including recordings of native speakers. The app's user interface supports many languages to ensure everyone can access the learning content. uTalk has downloadable iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac apps, or you can use the uTalk web app in any modern browser. The app is free to download or access and includes a reasonable amount of free content. Score 100% on this to get some more!  Once you've learned from this starter pack, you can subscribe or purchase for further learning.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Otsimo Speech Therapy SLP is a voice-controlled, peer modeling-centered speech and language therapy app designed for children with speech delay or impediments. Developed with advanced speech-recognition technology under the guidance of speech therapy specialists and child psychologists, the app aims to improve children’s speech and language skills at home. The vast content library consists of content and exercises on pronunciation and articulation of words and phrases under many subjects.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

BOOKVO is an app aimed at users wanting to learn the English language through real access to books and reading over a sustained period of time by practising a set amount each day. The app provides a library of content with lots of support throughout to engage learners and to encourage them to read regularly.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Magrid is an educational app that encourages users to develop their understanding and manipulation of different mathematical skills. The app is aimed at primary school children and has an extensive library of games and challenges to practice and master numerical skills including, spatial perception, sequencing, counting, number naming, mental rotation, and pattern recognition. User’s benefit from the multitude of task formats, ensuring they can learn through a medium that suits them. The app can be used in all settings to extend learning beyond the classroom. Games become more challenging as more are completed to respond to the user’s developing skills and continuation of challenge to keep the app engaging and fresh.   There is a basic free trial where examples of games can be completed and the premise of the app understood, after this there is different subscription options to get the best from the app depending on the length of access required. The ease of navigation and the ability to complete challenges without text caters for an extensive demographic without limitation for specific languages or literacy ability. Users can experiment with different tasks, developing their curiosity and self-direct their learning.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Otsimo Special Education is an educational game app for the unique learning needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and associated learning impediments and neurodiverse children. Developed with child psychologists and educators, Otsimo Special Education integrates core educational principles with cutting-edge technologies like machine-learning to figure out the difficulty of the exercises for the child. The gamified educational content helps children learn numbers, animals, turn-taking, self-care, and much more through play. The app is highly customizable to fit every child’s special needs.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

VERB CARDS: ENGLISH VERBS is an app aimed at helping people learn the most important verbs in the English language. The app has been developed as part of a series with the other title being Verb Cards: Korean Words. The developer is a foreign language developer with aims of helping users learn different languages and this app aims to do just that.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Duolingo is a free language learning app designed to help you learn languages easily. It's extremely well designed for on-the-go learning, thanks to short lessons and a simple user interface. Duolingo is designed for English speakers to learn more than 30 languages, including German, Spanish, English, Italian, French, Chinese and more. This free language app works well on both desktop and mobile devices. Duolingo app is available for free to download on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Google Play for Android.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Lingopie is for language learners of all ages. It covers learning nine languages, including Spanish, German, French, Korean and Japanese. Learners build their fluency and vocabulary through watching some of the best television shows produced in their target language, plus some Netflix hits. A considerable amount of innovative tools help students get the most from the shows that they view. Lingopie is a multiplatform service you can access via the web or on native iOS and Android apps. A seven-day free trial lets you use the app without limit, and a subscription continues the access. Lingopie is available to download for free on iOS and Android devices, and a web app makes Lingopie available to other platform users.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

VOCA QUEST is a site that has been developed to help speech and language professionals and other educators who are working with young children as a way to manage their students and provide a ‘one-stop’ place for all their interventions and tracking to take place. The website contains well over 6000 digital games and resources that have been created so are ready to be used, as well as being able to be edited to personalise any specific learning that is taking place. The website fully takes advantage of the recent move in education to more online and remote learning allowing professionals the chance to run speech and language sessions with students remotely rather than face-to-face. The website allows for professional to fully track their users activities, setting and allocating tasks to them to complete and then viewing how well they are progressing and how much they are completing and spending on the tasks. All of this allows for a large amount of personalisation for the learning that happens as the professionals get a complete contextual view of their students and their needs. Although the site is aimed towards professionals working in the speech and language field and a lot can be said about how easy it is for professionals to use and keep a track of their students it would be easy to forget that there is a lot in this site too for the students. As previously mentioned with 6000 games and resources that can be personalised and tailored to individual users the students who are a part of this system are really getting an excellent diet of speech and language learning. There are 4 separate therapy categories from speech, language to social skills and fluency with each category holding a number of interactive activities and games to engage users. The games themselves have been really well crafted and designed so they fully engage the user and don’t distract from the learning. There are also a large number of different types of activities, again fantastic for the users as they can be allocated depending on the type of learning best suited.  Overall, it’s a site that works incredibly well for both professionals and students.

Devices: iPhone, iPad

SPLINGO is an app aimed at younger children helping them to not only learn more about the world around them through increasing their speech and language skills through targeting specific areas of language development. The app has been developed and designed by speech and language therapists and it is clear to see throughout the app how their knowledge and expertise in this area has led them to create an app that really does support young children in this area. There is always a chance that with an app designed by a specialist that it can weigh too much on the mechanics of reading and language development at the expense of a fun engaging game, however the developers of Splingo have managed to strike a good balance between these two areas. There is a lot of content within the app too as it aims to support young children in a number of key different speech and language areas. The content is delivered through games that children play and cover areas such as following directions, pronouns, past tense, adjectives and others. These games can also all be customised to personalise the learning to the individuals using the app which is an excellent feature. There is also an assessment tool within the app that allows parents, educators the ability to assess how users are progressing which really adds a whole different level to the app.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Kids need to know that their answers are correct, so they feel confident to progress. Homework Solver App – Math gives them that reassurance. Once processed by Homework Solver App, a simple photo will become step-by-step solutions to math problems from the simple to the complex, handwritten or typed. Add to this grammar-checking tools and language translation, and users of Homework Solver App have a powerful package to check their answers and polish their writing. Homework Solver App is available on iOS devices as a free download and is fully expanded via a weekly subscription. The app is suitable for kids over 12.

Devices: iPhone, iPad

FRANKENSTORIES is a collaborative writing website that aims to help young children improve their writing skills whilst in a friendly, fun environment. 

Devices: Web

ASL BLOOM is a fantastic app that has been designed to help users learn American sign language or ASL. The app has been created to help users learn, and become more proficient in using ASL so they can communicate with others who use it if they are deaf or if they need to learn how to teach someone else who is deaf to use ASL. Likewise the app could be used by someone who is already deaf and wants to learn ASL so that they are able to communicate with others too. The apps entry level starts at basic so if you are new to ASL you can easily access it but likewise if you have some knowledge of ASL you will still be able to access and gain a lot from the app. The app introduces learners to small, bitesize chunks of learning, hoping to not overload them and keeping it very simple through a series of activities aimed to help the learner gain as much understanding and learning as possible. There are a large number of filmed tutorials in the app that show someone using ASL correctly users to make the link between the ASL and the actual meaning. As the user works their way through the lessons with words and phrases being added and learned one at a time the user is able to go through a number of different types of activities to make sure the word is fully learned. Through this series of repetitive learning activities it’s hard not to learn ASL! There are a number of other different aspects in the app too such as a searchable dictionary which shows you a video of your search term. There is also a feature in the app that allows the user to test their knowledge through a test and flashcard activity. This helps to make sure they have learned the words they are currently working through and also allows some personalisation to the learning too as words can recovered depending on how well the user does on the test.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Memrise is a language learning app that covers a variety of languages. It uses an immersive approach that helps language learners feel like they are learning something usable from the start. With audio, video, and quiz-based tasks, Memrise has learning and practice activities to help language learners from foundations to proficiency. Memrise is accessible on most devices. You can access it through your web browser on desktops, while you can download a native app for iOS and Android devices. After a free trial, you can take a subscription to continue using Memrise. There is also a lifetime option set at a single price for the keenest language learners.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Flashcards World is an easy-to-use flashcard app with the features that most students need. Decks and cards can be created in the app or its associated website. Revision sessions track students' progress, and there are multiple modes for using flashcards. The majority of Flashcards World's features work without internet connectivity. Flashcards World is available as a free download on iOS and Android devices. A single in-app purchase unlocks all of the app's features and removes ads.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Babilala is a colourful and child-friendly app that provides the learning, practice, and reporting material needed for kids to progress from English-language learning beginners to confident language students. Babilala is available on iOS and Android devices as a free download. A subscription unlocks the complete app, and it is the full, premium version of Babilala that is the subject of this review.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Starfall ABC is a free alphabet app for teaching young children the alphabet and letter sounds. It includes educational games, ABC animations, animated interactive books and other reading exercises. Starfall's ABC section teaches letter-sound relationships by providing a kid-friendly navigation system that explicitly focuses on each letter of the alphabet. Starfall ABC is available via a desktop browser and also available for iOS (iPad and iPhone) and for Android devices.  

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

OgStar Reading Explore guides children through a series of pedagogically sound lessons, developing skills such as phonological awareness, decoding and ultimately working towards oral reading fluency, basic handwriting and improved spelling proficiency. Children are taught through a systematic, yet engaging and interactive, game based lessons using a multisensory approach and receive rewards and certificates along the way. Overall a very thorough app, perfect for supporting early reading or for children who struggle with aspects of reading.

Devices: iPhone, iPad

Xeropan supports learners as they develop additional language skills, which, at the moment, includes English and German.  It is suitable for language learning beginners or those who have already built up some proficiency.   All of the Xeropan content is available through its mobile apps on iOS and Android or its web app.  After a free trial, students can continue with a subscription or access a limited service for free. Teachers have the option of managing a class of students using Xeropan Classroom.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Speak My Mind is a revolutionary assistive communication solution for nonverbal and speech delayed children as well as adults with language and communication challenges. It provides a voice for individuals who have difficulties using their own natural voice. Speak My Mind can be used by people with Autism, ALS, Down Syndrome, Apraxia, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke, developmental delays and difficulties in language acquisition.

Devices: iPhone, iPad

Vocabulary Upgrade helps students expand their vocabulary. It has passive content which introduces words and their meanings to learners. The app also has active content where students complete exercises to practise and strengthen their mastery of the new terms. The app is available only on iOS. It is specifically designed for use on phones but can work on iPads with the display stretched to fill the screen or occupy a phonesized portion of it. Vocabulary Upgrade is a single-purchase app that does not contain in-app purchases or require a subscription.

Devices: iPhone, iPad

Speakia provides practice for kids learning English as an additional language. It creates an immersive environment where kids can listen and talk as part of their studies. The appropriate age of Speakia's users depends on their English proficiency. The app's support, style, and presentation are ideal for kids aged between 3 and 8 years old. Speakia app is a free download on iOS and Android devices, which you expand through in-app purchases.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Wozzol is an app that has been developed to learn any combination of facts, mainly targeted to learn vocabulary in a different language. However, due to this it also could be used as an app aimed at helping strengthen children’s use and understanding of the English language as well as some of the other main European languages too. The aim of the app is to work through a series of words, learning the meaning and the correct pronunciation of each until the words have been learned. There are some set word lists that you can select from but as a user, you have the option to create your own wordlists meaning that you can focus on specific areas of the English language or make the learning personalised to the individual using the app. The app has been developed to allow users to select a number of different ways in which they can learn the words. They can select learning by rote almost and just hearing the words readout, or they can choose to learn via flashcards, a way they might be used to in school. However, having the option really allows them to personalise the way they learn to maximise the amount of learning that can be achieved. As the app also has a number of other European languages in it this app also works well for users who wish to learn a different language and not just improve upon it on their own.

Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad

Spelling City is an award winning app designed to help kids learn spelling and improve vocabulary and grammar skills. The app also promises 10 of the most popular word lists along with 10 fun and popular games to match. It's got 10 free sample lists for students that include math and science words, compound words, sound-alike words, analogies, prefix/suffix words, and SAT prep words. Spelling City is a website and mobile app that helps users bolster their spelling skills.

Devices:

One Lettered Quiz is a game-based app that has been developed to help strengthen children’s use and understanding of the English language. The aim of the app is to work your through a series of challenges, each one getting harder to try and complete the words given on the page by selecting the correct letters that are moving around the bottom of the screen. The app requires the user to not only know the word they are trying to spell, and therefore select the correct letter but they are also required to be dexterous in selecting the right letter as it moves, sometimes quite quickly, across the screen. Being game based the app offers the user the ability to earn points depending on how quickly and how accurately they select the correct letters and spell the words. The app also interestingly, allows the user to personalise the words that appear on the app by uploading their own word lists. This can be achieved simply by writing a list and then uploading it to the correct page in the app. There are instructions to explain the finer details of doing this however, I managed to do this on my iPad and iPhone using my ‘notes’ app.

Devices: iPhone, iPad