#tinycard

These are all apps I use regularly and each one is useful in their own way. Whenever you learn a language it’s important to use more than one source, DuoLingo alone is not going to be enough to actually teach you a language.

DuoLingo

What I like: DuoLingo has a nice user interface, good content and can really help you get deeper into the language if you use it on a regular basis in a methodical way. I will say that their Russian course, as of 2019, kind of throws you into the deep end from lesson one. I would recommend mastering the Russian alphabet before attempting the Duo Russian course.

Memrise

What I like: Memrise has gone through a number of changes in the last couple years and they have definitely been for the better. Their Russian course starts from the very beginning, so if you are starting from square one it will teach you everything you need to know. While not as gamified as Duo, Memrise has a lot of nice features in the free version which I used for some time. I recently switched to the pay version which was not very expensive for one year, and has some additional features I really like, such as more listening practice and native speaker video clips. Both the pay and free versions is a great supplement to your Russian study.

Drops

What I like: I don’t think of Drops as a language learning app as much as a vocabulary trainer. In Duo and Memrise you start picking up grammar and learning how to use it, in Drops you only train vocabulary (at least in the free version, I haven’t tried the pay version). That being said, Drops is great. Pick a category, say clothing, and you drill about 15 vocabulary words in that category until you know them by heart. This app had helped me expand my passive and active vocabulary and I’ve really enjoyed using it. In the free version you get only 5 minutes to drill, so you never feel burnt out, yet the drills are fun and engaging. I think it’s a great addition to other apps like Duo and Memrise.

TinyCard

What I like: This app is your basic flashcard app. You see the word, you see the translation. You write the word. Boring but effective, especially when you need help with spelling. While Russian spelling is nowhere near as complicated as English spelling is, it does present it’s own challenges. The vocabulary is based on the DuoLingo lessons, so if there’s particular words you want to brush up on, TinyCard can help. It’s a nice supplement to the more serious apps for sure.

Busuu

What I like: This app is the most professional and I’d say most organized of all the apps I use. It’s also the only one that isn’t free. I paid for a one year subscription and I’ve enjoyed the app so far. It has a more user interaction because part of every unit involves a speaking or writing exercise which native speakers of your target language can correct and offer feedback. It’s a nice app and I don’t think I wasted my money on the subscription. Along with Duo and Memrise, Busuu makes up the “core” of my app based learning. If you’re interested in a for-pay app I think this one is okay.