What is Babbel and How to Use It?

Tanja Lepcheska

Written by Tanja Lepcheska We Tested

Linkedin Published 1 year ago / updated 1 year ago - 9 min read

A wise man once said, “He who knows no foreign languages knows nothing of his own.”

Do you agree with this quote?

I agree with this statement, and today, we have the luxury of learning as many languages as we want, especially now that we can harness the power of AI.

In this review, I’ll be investigating a language-learning tool called Babbel and explain all the important things you should know about it.

Keep on reading to find out everything there is to know about this tool.

What is Babbel and the Babbel method?

Babbel is an AI language-learning platform that helps users practice all areas of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It offers intuitive lessons, focusing on learning a language based on one's preferences through real-life conversations.

It was founded in 2007 by two friends interested in learning Spanish but couldn’t find quality online materials except CD-ROMs and textbooks.

Today, the company creates app-based lessons, podcasts, games, video content, and online classes to help users worldwide learn the language they want.

Their content library has more than 50,000 lessons across 14 languages.

The Babbel method is a language-learning model built on the foundation of one’s native language. It means they adjust the language-learning lessons based on the person’s mother tongue. Its purpose is to train our brains to constantly learn the language we want to, taking around 10 minutes per day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sr12tqDZNA

How Babbel uses AI

Babbel uses AI software to create personalized language learning lessons for each user. It uses artificial intelligence to monitor the user’s progress, and based on that, it adapts the lessons.

With the help of AI, if you are doing great with vocabulary but not so good with grammar, Babbel will suggest you practice more on what’s needed.

Bonus read: 15 best AI tools for teaching

How to get started with Babbel

Babbel’s interface is very user-friendly. Once you navigate to their official website, you should create your account by clicking on ‘Log in’ and choose to either sign up or log in with your Google account.

Once you create your account, the platform will walk you through and instruct you what to do next.

First, pick the language you want to learn by clicking the round flag icon.

I chose German, and after clicking on the flag icon, I clicked on ‘Learning plan’ to see what follows. You’ll need to select your level of knowledge so you can pick one of the three options.

I choose ‘I’m a beginner.’

After this, I clicked on ‘Start learning,’ ‘Continue,’ and ‘Start lesson.’

And it is easy; Babbel will continue leading you towards what’s next and giving you learning tips.

My first lesson was a few German words with pronunciation and some exercises as it followed.

In addition to this, you can also boost your learning and practice speaking with Babbel Live by booking a class. Just click ‘Browse classes,’ and you will be offered options.

To test this feature, I chose ‘B1 level’ and clicked ‘Book free class’ and then ‘Continue.’

Note: Babbel won’t charge you for listening to the free class, but you must enter your payment credentials to reserve your seat).

What is great about Babbel is that it is unlike other language-learning platforms because each lesson and course is unique, with different pictures and sentences, so when you learn with it, you will be learning the words native speakers use.

You can also click the ‘Explore’ option and choose either ‘Courses by level’ or ‘Courses by the theme’ and click on ‘See courses.’

Everything is explained on each one of these options once you click on it.

The concept of the lessons throughout the entire course is the same for you to enter a pattern and be able to follow it easily, so in each lesson, you’ll learn new words and phrases and complete tasks to practice that.

Also important, you’ll learn grammar and pronunciation by completing those activities.

Babbel’s key features

• Podcasts to improve listening skills (beginner level, intermediate or advanced).
  2-minute stories (short stories to teach useful phrases of a language).
• Speech recognition: Babbel offers speech recognition sections for users to practice their pronunciation (you’ll need access to a microphone).
• Culture bites are designed to help language students learn the cultural aspects of a certain language.
• Thanks to AI, personalized learning uses software to personalize language learning experiences for each use, monitoring one’s progress and adapting lessons based on how they advance.
• Grammar exercises to assist users in forming correct and logical sentences with different grammatical structures.
  Vocabulary lists are meant for users to improve their reading and writing skills.
• Offers interactive dialogues to teach users how to speak and understand a language in real-life situations; dialogues based on real-life scenarios.

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Babbel’s pricing plans

Babbel offers a free version, but it is very limited.

If you don’t want to risk it and commit to paying for the services of the Babble platform, they offer a 20-day free trial; if you are not satisfied with it, you can get a full refund.

Other than that, these are the pricing plans.

Babble’s FAQs & customer support

By clicking on the 'Check our FAQ page', you can explore what the most frequent questions on this platform are. Also, to contact their support team, you can write them an email at the address shown below.

Pros and cons of Babbel

Pros

• Navigating Babbel's interface is straightforward, making course and language selection hassle-free.
• The platform's interactive activities are captivating and enjoyable, sustaining your enthusiasm for learning.
• Utilizing AI technology, Babbel tracks your progress and customizes lessons to focus on your strengths and improvement areas.
• Lessons in Babbel focus on real-world conversations, equipping you with practical language skills for everyday interactions.
• With apps available for iOS and Android, Babbel allows for seamless learning on the go and continuity in your studies.

Cons

• Babbel provides courses in only 14 languages, falling short of the variety some competitors offer.
• The platform is tailored for novice and mid-level learners, potentially needing more depth for advanced users.
• Speaking exercises on Babbel are less abundant, and the feedback is less comprehensive than that from rival platforms.
• Unlike some competitors, Babbel lacks the option for live tutoring sessions for real-time language practice.
• While Babbel offers some free material, full course access requires a paid subscription.

Wrapping up

After investigating this tool for a while, I can confirm that Babbel is worth the try, especially for beginners, as it is very beginner-level friendly. It offers too many good features and an advanced curriculum compared to other language-learning platforms to pass.

Another reason you should try Babbel is their AI personalized learning software, which monitors your progress and adapts lessons based on your strengths and weaknesses while learning.

Also, its pricing is reasonable and won’t harm your budget.