What to Do When Language Learning Apps Start Feeling Repetitive

In recent years, language learning apps have gathered a good deal of momentum in popularity. Promova, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone are some of the apps that offer easy and convenient ways for people to learn new languages. But after using these apps for some time, most of the learners begin to feel that they are getting repetitive and not helping them in their progress.

In this case, if your language learning app is starting to feel repetitive, there are some things you can invest in to keep your new skills improving. In the article, you will find some tips for adding variety, finding a language partner, using internal and external AI tools for conversations, and more.

Recognizing the Signs of a Repetitive App

Before diving into solutions, like an AI language learning app, it’s important to identify when your app is feeling repetitive in the first place. Here are some common signs:

• You keep getting the same vocabulary words and sentence structures over and over
• The app isn’t introducing new material and concepts
• You breeze through lessons quickly because you already know what the app is teaching
• Your motivation to use the app is decreasing

If you notice one or more of these issues, it’s likely a sign that you need to add some variety to your language learning routine to spur further progress.

Changing Settings in the App

Many language learning apps allow you to adjust settings to keep things fresh. Here are some settings you can experiment with:

• Difficulty level. If the app offers different difficulty levels, increase to more advanced lessons with new vocabulary and material.
• Skills. Beyond standard vocabulary and grammar lessons, apps may offer focused skills training for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Switch between these for diversity.
• Course categories. Some apps have different courses like travel, business, healthcare, etc. Bounce between course types.
• Goal date. Adjust your goal fluency date to be sooner so the app increases lesson pace.
• Mastery level. Increase the mastery level so you have to correctly answer more questions in a row before “passing”.

Adjusting these settings forces you to learn in new ways and prevents the feeling of repetition.

Using Multiple Apps

Rather than expecting a single app to provide all the language practice you need, consider using multiple apps that complement each other.

Pairing programs makes the learning process feel less repetitive. It exposes you to varying teaching approaches, material formats, and strengths.

For example, you could use Promova for its conversational focus and Anki for building customizable vocabulary flashcards. Or complement Pimsleur’s effective listening and speaking drills with Duolingo’s wider range of grammar support.

Swapping between a few apps prevents you from going into autopilot mode. You’ll encounter new types of drills and more topics, which will keep your brain engaged.

Be sure to create accounts across apps using the same email address. This allows you to easily track your progress in one place through services like Duolingo Dashboard.

Supplementing with Real Language Use

While apps provide solid language instruction, there is only so much they can do before feeling repetitive. The best way to put your new skills into action is by using your language actively with real people.

Find a Language Learning Partner

Finding a language learning partner is one of the most effective solutions. This is the person who is a native speaker of your target language, and in exchange for this, he/she want to learn your native language.

If you want language partners worldwide, you can use Conversation Exchange. Next, schedule regular video chat sessions, half the time speaking one language and switching for the other half.

Practicing two-way conversations will feel new to you, and you will speed up your language fluency to an outrageous speed. In addition, its structures are built on accountability to keep moving forward.

Consume Media

Another way to supplement repetitive apps is to start consuming media in your target language, such as movies, music, books, news, and more. Reading different content and hearing different voices will make the language really come alive.

Make sure you are still challenging yourself by mixing easier content with more advanced stuff. Find a TV show you’ve already watched in your native language and rewatch it in your new language. The familiar plotline helps you focus on the words.

Speak Aloud to Yourself

A simple technique you can do anytime is to practice speaking your target language out loud to yourself. While going about your day, try describing what you are doing by talking to yourself in the language.

Don’t just think the words silently. In reality, vocalize full sentences such as “I’m cooking eggs” or “I need to buy milk today”. Tell whatever comes to your mind and narrate whatever you think, do, or plan to do.

By speaking aloud, you stimulate different parts of the brain while reading through the app. The production challenges you in new ways.

Using AI Conversation Tools

A nice way to complement repetitive language apps is with AI conversational tools. The cutting-edge programs allow you to practice speaking in real-world back-and-forth exchanges.

AI conversation partners are a lot better than simple conversation bots and a lot more innovative. Powerful ML models are used to learn context, behave intelligently, and even speak the way humans do.

Here are some top AI conversation tools to check out:

1. Promova AI Practice Tool

To help practice the language, Promova has an AI-powered language practice feature that uses simple, interactive, real-time conversations to boost fluency. This tool is accessible through the AI Practice page directly, which provides tailored dialogue in terms of your proficiency and learning goals based on intelligent algorithms.

You choose a language and a topic of choice, and the AI partner converses with you in natural language, correcting grammar, offering you improvement, and adjusting its complexity as you go through it. It is good for building confidence in speaking and understanding contextual usage.

2. Duolingo ABC

Duolingo recently launched an AI chatbot called Duolingo ABC to provide conversation practice to app users. After completing one checkpoint in your language course, you unlock the chatbot for that lesson theme.

The bot asks open-ended questions about the topic and responds to your answers while correcting any grammar issues. Having back-and-forth conversations is less repetitive than app exercises.

3. Busuu AI Tutor

The language app Busuu has its own AI Tutor feature. It’s powered by the same conversational AI behind Siri and Alexa.

The AI Tutor listens to you read short phrases out loud and analyzes your speech. It gives feedback on pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, etc.

4. Lingoda Sprint

Sprint is an AI teaching assistant that Anthropic’s experts built — it’s called AI. It offers personal written and audio conversations.

Based on your responses, Sprint gives friendly corrections or praises for progress. The AI is designed to be caring, patient, and constructive.

5. Speekoo

Speakoo is an app offering AI chatbots for over 100 languages. You select topics that interest you, like food, travel, or sports.

Then the chatbot asks situational questions and responds naturally to answers while slipping in lessons. Learning feels like fun, fluid dialogue instead of boring drills.

6. AILingua

AILingua has a virtual AI tutor using text and voice conversations to teach languages. It provides vocabulary help, corrects mistakes, and gives encouraging feedback.

The system customizes questions and responses to your current level. As you improve, the complexity increases to stay challenging.

When to Try a Live Teacher Instead

Apps, language partners, and even AI tools can take you a long way toward learning a language, but a real human teacher is far better in the case of repetition. If you feel you’ve hit a progress plateau with self-directed learning, consider these options:

Online Video Tutoring

Verbling provides sites that connect you with native language teachers who teach you on a one-on-one online basis. There are tutors who will be matched to your exact needs and goals.

Discussing unique lesson plans with a teacher feels far from repetitive. Prices range from $25 to $80 per hour, depending on tutor experience levels.

In-Person Classes

In-person language classes can be held in local community centers, colleges, and private tutoring companies. It makes it more accountable and more casual.

Find small classes, not large lecture-based ones, that focus on conversation rather than classroom learning.

Immersion Camps

For full immersion, you can attend intensive language learning bootcamps abroad. Programs like Fluenz Immersion place you in a homestay with a local family and a personalized curriculum.

Full days of high-intensity lessons and cultural experiences accelerate fluency rapidly. But these camps can be pricey, often $3000+ per week.

Keeping Language Learning Fresh Long-Term

Learning a new language takes much more than 10 hours in a few weeks. In order to keep making progress, it is essential to keep putting things in new ways and inventing new things as you are motivated over the long term.

Remember that variety is key. Instead, rotate through various apps, find language partners, listen to podcasts, take online lessons, and perform with AI conversation tools.

Prior to getting bored and stalling out, implement new ideas from this article. Language learning is not about how much you are learning for a period of time or intensity, but about consistency, so 15 minutes daily with different activities makes a better case than even 2 hours repetitive once a week.

Above everything else, do not forget the joy of language. Shows you love, songs that excite you, and people who inspire you will teach you at the same time. Follow your passion to fluency.