A Thorough Mondly Languages Review By An English Teacher

Mondly by PearsonName: Mondly Languages
Website: mondly.com
Price: 9.99-1 month-1 language/47.99-1 year-1 language/99.99-lifetime access-41 languages
Owners: Pearson plc.

Training Quality: 9.4/10
Tools: 9.5/10
Support: 9.7/10
Free Trial: YES

Overall Rank: 9.4/10

As an experienced English teacher with a passion for facilitating language learning, I’ve had the privilege of guiding adults through the intricate journey of mastering English as a second language.

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My commitment to education spans over a decade, beginning with teaching middle and high school English before transitioning to ESL in 2017. My diverse experience has led me to work with learners at all proficiency levels, from beginners to advanced, both in traditional classrooms and online platforms.

In my continuous quest to enhance language education, I have ventured into the digital realm, establishing the EnglishteacherKBob website to extend the reach of my teaching beyond the confines of a physical classroom.

Recognizing the importance of effective language learning tools, I delved into Mondly Languages to assess its efficacy for English language learners.

In this comprehensive Mondly Languages review, I aim to provide valuable insights into the platform’s features, usability, and overall impact on language acquisition.

As an educator with a solid foundation in language arts, communication, and educational foundations, my assessment goes beyond the surface, offering a nuanced perspective on how Mondly Languages aligns with the needs of adult learners.

Who Is Mondly?

Mondly, a pioneering online language learning platform, has emerged as a global leader, empowering more than 100 million learners across 190 countries to master 41 different languages.

Since its inception in 2014, Mondly has garnered widespread recognition as a household name in the mobile realm, securing the top position in the Education category throughout Europe, LATAM, and Asia.

Notably, Mondly has also spearheaded the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into education, with its Meta Quest launch ranking among the top 10 VR apps worldwide.

Starting May 2022, Mondly became a part of Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, and continues its mission to make language learning fun, easy and accessible to everyone. Through innovative technology and a user-friendly approach, Mondly aims to revolutionize language education and empower learners worldwide.

What Kind Of App Is Mondly? What Does It Do?

Mondly is a freemium language-learning platform comprising a website and several different apps that help people learn foreign languages using an innovative and highly gamified approach.

Based on a methodology that combines vocabulary & phrase learning with state-of-the-art speech recognition and chatbot technologies, Mondly aims to help learners speak a new language with confidence. The app provides instant feedback and pronunciation, as well as grammar features and conjugation tables.

Mondly focuses on practical topics and real-life conversations, so everyone will only learn what matters most and get fluent faster. The app teaches everything from basic conversations to business content for personal improvement and workforce training.

Created by language experts with over 100 years of cumulated experience, Mondly is fun, easy to use, and highly effective. If you want to boost your conversation skills, build your vocabulary and speak fluent fast, Mondly is definitely your go-to app.

What is Mondly’s Main App?

The Mondly app is the flagship product of the Mondly platform. If you have had any previous interaction with Mondly, it is highly likely that it was through this app. With over 100 million learners and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 1,000,000 customer reviews, Mondly is an exhaustive language learning course that is specifically tailored towards achieving conversational fluency.

The app offers courses in over 40 languages, including popular languages such as English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Arabic, as well as less commonly studied languages such as Afrikaans, Bengali or Latin. Users can choose from a variety of lesson formats, including conversation-focused lessons, vocabulary builders, and grammar tutorials, and track their progress using the app’s built-in learning analytics tools. Mondly’s main app is designed for learners of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced speakers looking to improve their fluency and expand their vocabulary.

Available on both iOS, Android, and the web, the Mondly app is designed as a highly gamified experience that promotes natural learning. By swiping up and down, arranging letters into words and words into sentences, selecting the right answer, using your voice to repeat the correct pronunciation of certain words, and earning points for every completed lesson, Mondly makes language learning an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

How Will You Learn In The Main App?

Mondly uses text, pictures, and audio to help you memorize core words, form sentences, and develop and improve your reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. The main purpose of the app is to help you learn the most frequently used words and phrases so that you can handle interactions with fluent speakers and other common situations in a foreign country.

Mondly also offers free Daily Lessons, Weekly Quizzes, and Monthly Challenges on interesting topics to help you learn new things every day and test your knowledge constantly.

What Is The Learning Method For The Main App?

Mondly is based on the inductive method: learn by doing, context and example, and extrapolate to rules. In other words, start thinking in the language that you’d like to learn rather than construct a phrase in your native language, apply the rules, and only then translate it accordingly.

  • Unlike deductive learning, where learners are given a set of rules they will need to apply, inductive learning is a discovery process where students discover rules by themselves by looking at examples.
  • Think about those endless pages of rules you had to memorize in high school. That was no easy task. But once in a while, there was a teacher that enjoyed the job and took the time to explain all the thinking behind them properly. Only then would the rules stick.
  • Learning rules mechanically is usually next to impossible. But when you understand the process, collect bits of information, and draw conclusions yourself, everything becomes easier. And that’s exactly the teaching technique Mondly uses.
  • You basically teach yourself. The experts behind Mondly know how amazing the human brain is. This is why they carefully selected the content so that you’ll practice and the brain will make the connections. You’ll not focus on the process but on the final result: speaking the new language fluent.

What’s more, the main Mondly app also uses a unique spaced repetition system that improves your ability to memorize new words.

What Technologies Do We Use In The Main App?

Chatbot With Speech Recognition

Conversations are essential for learning a new language, as they enable you to practice your skills in real situations. While memorizing verb forms and conjugations is helpful, it may not be enough to make you conversational. This is where Mondly’s chatbot with speech recognition comes into play.

By using this feature, you can engage in realistic conversations where the app listens to your speech, understands your input, and responds accordingly.

The chatbot also provides feedback on your pronunciation, helping you improve your speaking abilities and build confidence for real-life interactions. Making the most of this feature will help you never struggle for the right words ever again in real interactions.

Hands-Free

Hands freeWe know how hard it can be to fit learning into your jam-packed schedule or routine. This is why Mondly made it possible for you to learn Spanish, French and more completely hands-free while also carrying out other activities. Whether you are working out, doing chores around the house or simply relaxing at the end of the day, Hands-Free allows you to simultaneously learn a new language.

Easily recognizable by its purple microphone symbol, Hands-Free makes the entire content of Mondly – including Daily Lessons – available in interactive audio format. For this reason, if you don’t feel like it, you don’t even need to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Your new learning assistant will always keep the conversation going with instant feedback and constant encouragement.

The Hands-Free feature is dynamic. This means that it will go over certain words and phrases again if you get them wrong. Hands-Free knows exactly how much practice you need and won’t stop until you’re perfect.

How Is The Mondly Main App Structured?

The Overall Structure Of The App Is:

  • 33 categories on specific topics giving you the freedom to choose what you need most
  • 3 categories on general grammar rules
  • 8 chatbot lessons
  • Daily Lessons, Weekly Quizzes, and Monthly Challenges
  • 4 categories comprising lessons for children
  • 300+ specialized lessons dedicated to professionals

What Are The Main App Sections?

The five sections of the Mondly main app are placed at the bottom of the screen as follows: categories, lessons, statistics, leaderboard, and shop. Let’s see how each of them works and how to make the most of them in your learning journey.

Categories

The “Categories” section is the section where you can find all the learning categories in Mondly. As you can see, the entire learning experience in Mondly is based on a map. The more categories you master, the further you’ll travel on the map. Just follow the dotted line and make sure you complete all the lessons in every new category. To explore all the 33 categories in the app, swipe left. When you decide which category you want to study, simply tap on it.

Lessons

The “Lessons” section is where you’ll see an overview of each lesson, including how much time you’ve spent on it, what’s the completion percentage, how many stars you’ve earned, or how many lessons are left in the category. Additionally, if you want to learn something about a specific subject, you can use the “search” feature in this section to search for your favorite topics.

Statistics

The “Statistics” section is where you’ll go whenever you want to see how much you’ve learned. Here you can see how many words and phrases you’ve mastered, how much time you’ve spent learning and what is the number of consecutive days in which you’ve accessed the app. The more colored the brain diagram, the bigger your learning progress.

Furthermore, if you tap on the colored nodes on the brain diagram, you’ll be able to quickly recap all the words and phrases you’ve learned along the way. The color code relates to the type of lesson: the purple nodes represent vocabulary lessons; the blue ones represent the categories, the green ones are the daily lessons, and the red ones are the conversation lessons. Streak represents the number of days in a row that the user completed a lesson and how it resets if you miss one.

Once you find a word or phrase you’d like to review, tap again to see its translation and hear the correct pronunciation. “Statistics” is also the section where you can see what’s your level and how many points you earned.

Leaderboard

The “Leaderboard” section is where you can see your rank in the national and international tops, add your friends and compete with each other. Additionally, there are also filters you can select in order to view monthly or yearly tops and even sort the tops depending on the number of days in a row or the number of points earned.

Mondly Shop

If you didn’t invest in a Mondly Premium subscription yet and want to get one now, you can go to the shop section. Here, you can choose the best Premium plan for you and purchase it with just a few simple steps.

What Are The Learning Levels On Mondly App?

Mondly teaches languages on almost all levels – ranging from beginner to upper-intermediate (A1 to B2). By changing the level of difficulty, you’ll be asked to complete more difficult tasks.

For example, if you had some contact with the target language before, you will go from A1 to B2 faster.

What Languages Can I Learn With Mondly?

The full list of mother languages available in Mondly are: Afrikaans, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English UK, English US, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.

In addition, Mondly uses localized content allowing people to learn in the language of their choice. If you natively speak Spanish, you can learn French with a Spanish language interface. In other words, Mondly adapts to your needs. Do you speak native Polish and want to learn Korean? No problem! Mondly allows you to learn up to 40 languages from your native language, making 1320 language combinations possible.

Where Is Mondly Available?

The language learning experiences Mondly offers are available on all major platforms:

  • iOS (iPhones and iPads) with Mondly, Mondly AR and Mondly Kids;
  • Android (phones and tablets) with Mondly, Mondly AR and Mondly Kids;
  • web (PC or Mac) with the web version of Mondly.

Oculus Store and Steam with Mondly VR.

Do You Have To Pay for Mondly? What’s Included In The Free Version Of Mondly?

Dollar signThe free version of the main app includes access to Daily Lessons, the entire Hello category, and a chatbot lesson.

However, if you want to explore more content before paying a monthly or a yearly subscription fee, you can activate the 7-day free trial. By activating this trial, you’ll be granted access to the entire Premium content of the app.

If you choose to continue with Premium, you’ll be billed automatically after the free trial.

If you purchase Premium through the Mondly mobile app, you should know that Google or Apple will be the payment processor and not Mondly. It depends on the device you’re completing your order.

Your bank statement can show the following:

  • Google Play – Android with Mondly apps downloaded from Play Store;
  • Apple – iOS with Mondly apps downloaded from App Store;
  • 2Checkout – if you purchased Premium through the Mondly website.

A Mondly Premium Subscription Gives You Full Access To The Entire App, Meaning:

  • 250+ lessons organized into 40 practical topics;
  • 36 vocabulary builders;
  • 50+ real & simulated conversations between fluent speakers;
  • grammar features & conjugation tables;
  • 2600+ Daily Lessons, 320+ Weekly Quizzes & 60+ Monthly Challenges;
  • 108 English language progress tests with content from Pearson;
  • 300+ specialized lessons with business content for workforce training;
  • free access to the Mondly Kids app (language learning for children);
  • free access to Mondly AR app with 13 Augmented Reality lessons;
  • 41 different language courses, which result in a total of 1320 language combinations.

What Are The Benefits Of Premium?

A Premium subscription to Mondly will allow you to complete all the lessons included in the 40 categories of the app. From basic greetings and vocabulary to more advanced knowledge like asking for help, going to the bank or at the doctor’s office – everything is included in Premium and you can study the topics in any order you like at your own pace.

The Premium subscription also offers full access to all the Daily Lessons, Weekly Quizzes, and Monthly Challenges ever created. That’s over 2600 Daily Lessons, 320 Weekly Quizzes, and 60 Monthly Challenges.

What Are The Pros And Cons?

Pros

Pros and ConsMondly is the top choice for anyone because it focuses on getting learners conversational fast. The curriculum is designed for practical use, teaching conversations and topics that can be applied in real-life situations.

The app offers a gamified experience that keeps users engaged and motivated. As you learn, you earn points and progress through the app, creating a fun and rewarding experience.

Mondly is designed with the following features to meet the needs of today’s learners:

  • Bite-sized lessons that fit into busy schedules;
  • Beautiful design for an enjoyable user experience;
  • Practical topics for real-life application;
  • Fun and engaging approach to language learning;
  • Use of innovative technologies;
  • Crystal-clear audio from fluent speakers.

Cons

While Mondly Languages offers a robust and innovative language-learning experience, it’s essential to consider potential drawbacks and disadvantages. Keep in mind that individual experiences may vary, and some users may find these aspects more or less significant. Here are some potential drawbacks to consider:

Limited Depth for Advanced Learners: Mondly is generally praised for its effectiveness with beginners and intermediate learners. However, some advanced learners may find the content somewhat limited compared to more specialized platforms designed for higher proficiency levels.

Varied Quality Across Languages: The quality and depth of content can vary across different languages offered on Mondly. Some users report that certain language courses may be more comprehensive and well-developed than others, potentially leading to inconsistencies in the learning experience.

Focus on Vocabulary and Phrases: While Mondly provides a solid foundation for vocabulary and phrase acquisition, some users note a relatively lighter emphasis on grammar rules and sentence structure. Learners seeking in-depth grammatical explanations may find the platform’s approach less comprehensive.

Limited Cultural Context: Mondly aims to provide practical language skills, but it may not delve deeply into the cultural contexts associated with each language. Learners interested in a more immersive cultural experience may need to supplement their studies with additional resources.

Speech Recognition Challenges: While the speech recognition feature is a valuable tool for pronunciation practice, it may not be flawless for all users. Accents and pronunciation nuances can sometimes lead to misinterpretations, affecting the accuracy of feedback.

Dependency on Technology: Mondly heavily relies on technology, and learners who prefer traditional, book-based methods may find the platform less suitable for their preferences.

It’s crucial to approach these drawbacks with a balanced perspective, considering the specific learning preferences, goals, and proficiency levels of individual users. Additionally, periodic updates and improvements may address some of these concerns over time, so staying informed about the latest developments is advisable.

What Is The Mondly AR App?

Released in March 2018, Mondly AR is the first language learning experience in augmented reality with chatbot and speech recognition worldwide.

Originally included as a module in the main Mondly app, Mondly AR‌ is now a standalone app you can get from both Google Play and App Store. You should know that you can access the full content of Mondly AR for free if you have a Premium subscription to Mondly. All you have to do is sign in with the same account you use for Mondly.

How Does Mondly AR Work?

For this experience, your phone will work as a lens. As soon as you get Mondly AR started, you’ll see that it will allow you to discover, explore and interact with a new virtual world that blends seamlessly with your real one. Whether in one of your rooms at home, on the street, or in the park, Mondly AR works perfectly as long as the environment is not too dark or noisy.

Mondly AR features a virtual language learning assistant who brings virtual creations like planets, animals, and musical instruments into your world as teaching tools, engages you in conversations, and gives instant feedback on pronunciation using the chatbot technology. Incorporating these lifelike elements into your language lessons makes you more likely to understand, process, and retain what you are taught. The experience is designed to make an impression on anyone learning.

Imagine having a life-sized elephant in your living room. That will surely help you remember that “elephant” is “elefante” in Spanish.

What Is Mondly VR?

Released for the first time in February 2017, Mondly VR is the first language learning experience in virtual reality with chatbot and speech recognition in the world.

Mondly VR features dynamic conversations, feedback on pronunciation, and intelligent suggestions with the help of speech recognition and virtual reality. In addition to offering a memorable learning experience, Mondly VR can also reduce foreign language anxiety and help users refine their speaking skills without fear of embarrassment, by allowing them to practice real-life scenarios such as making a hotel reservation, taking a taxi, or ordering dinner.

The first VR experience Mondly launched in 2017 has 100,000 users to date and is the most referenced VR language learning app in the academic space. 100+ research articles highlight its impact in advancing language learning.

What Is The Structure Of Mondly VR?

Mondly VR consists of more than 500 lessons organized into 55 new topics, Daily Lessons, Weekly Quizzes and Monthly Challenges, plus 8 scenarios and 5 vocabulary lessons as follows:

Mondly VR Scenarios

  1. Make friends on a train trip to Berlin.
  2. Order dinner at a restaurant in Tokyo.
  3. Check into a hotel in Paris.
  4. Chat with a hotel manager in Rome.
  5. Take a taxi ride in Hong Kong.
  6. Go on a shopping spree in Milan.
  7. Make a hairdresser appointment in Athens.
  8. Buy a plane ticket to São Paulo.

Vocabulary Lessons

  1. Learn about animals at the Moscow Zoo. (2 lessons)
  2. Take an unforgettable trip to Space.
  3. Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables in Valencia. (2 lessons)

What Is Mondly Kids?

Released in May 2017, Mondly Kids is a child-friendly language learning app for 5 to 12 years old children who have an appetite for knowledge and learning through play. Nevertheless, the app can also be used by adult learners who are complete beginners and want to start from scratch.

Mondly Kids is available on both Google Play and App Store and can be accessed for free if you have a Premium subscription to Mondly. All you have to do is sign in with the same account you use for Mondly.

How Does Mondly Kids Work?

Mondly Kids uses the same language learning principles of Mondly to help children learn the basics of a new language through play. The app packs everything little learners need to conquer a new language:

  • gamified lessons
  • popular topics such as animals
  • nature
  • food
  • family
  • sports
  • easy-to-use drag & drop functionality
  • multiple-choice exercises
  • kid-friendly illustrations
  • cool sounds to keep them engaged throughout the entire experience

In a nutshell, the app offers access to the most common words and phrases in a new language, it enriches children’s vocabulary and makes the process of learning a new language feel natural and super fun.

Besides, Mondly Kids is designed to involve parents as well. Start by choosing the language you want your child to speak, then select the preschool or school language level and they’re ready to go.

While they stay focused and have fun learning the ABCs of a new language, you – whether you’re a mommy or a daddy – can track their learning journey. The special statistics section will give you a glimpse into your child’s fast progress with the new language.

How Is The Mondly Kids Structured?

Mondly Kids Consists Of 11 Categories On Popular Topics

  1. Animals
  2. Nature
  3. Family
  4. Fruits and food
  5. Parts of the body
  6. Buildings
  7. School
  8. Professions
  9. Leisure
  10. Sports
  11. Colors and numbers

Furthermore, each category consists of six lessons and one vocabulary builder.

Additionally, the app also offers a new Daily Lesson every day and a fun Weekly Quiz to help children understand the progress they’ve made.

What Is MondlyWORKS?

MondlyWORKS is a comprehensive solution that can accommodate large businesses, education establishments or government agencies to learn languages and improve business communication skills. The solution offers enterprises access to award-winning premium language learning courses in 41 languages. Within a dedicated dashboard, businesses can manage and get a statistical overview while maintaining the focus on the user’s journey.

MondlyWORKS is an official supplier to the Israeli Ministry of Education and it has been integrated into the ministry’s language teaching curriculum for English, Hebrew and Arabic. In addition, the innovative business platform has also been adopted by major corporate entities such as Delta Airlines, Canon, and the Australian Department of Defence.

Beyond Borders: Unleashing The Power Of Mondly Languages – A Teacher’s Verdict

The verdictIn the closing chapters of our linguistic journey, let’s unfurl the tapestry of Mondly Languages and weave together the threads of insight, experience, and innovation. As we draw the curtain on this exploration, the time has come for a final appraisal—one that transcends the confines of traditional language learning and embraces the dynamic, immersive realm crafted by Mondly.

Versatility Unleashed: Reflecting on the platform’s versatile offerings, from interactive lessons and gamification dynamics to a speech recognition feature that refines pronunciation, the verdict is one of versatility unleashed. Each facet of Mondly seems meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs of language learners, a symphony of innovation harmonizing with the individual rhythms of each student.

From Novice to Virtuoso: As the curtain falls, I extend my appraisal from novice learners embarking on their linguistic journey to virtuosos seeking nuanced language mastery. Mondly’s adaptability across proficiency levels emerges as a defining trait, providing scaffolding for beginners while offering the challenges needed to refine the skills of advanced learners.

The Resounding Recommendation: With a resounding recommendation echoing through these virtual corridors, I rate Mondly Languages at an impressive 9.4/10. This score isn’t just a number; it’s a testament to the platform’s effectiveness, user-friendly interface, and the transformative impact witnessed in language classrooms and online learning spaces.

Embrace the Language Odyssey: In my final words, I extend an invitation to language enthusiasts, curious explorers, and dedicated learners alike to embark on the language odyssey that Mondly Languages unfurls. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler in the realm of languages or a newcomer eager to utter your first words, Mondly beckons with open arms, promising an immersive, engaging, and effective passage toward linguistic excellence.

As the curtain falls on this linguistic voyage, I leave you with not just an article but a key to unlock the boundless potential of language acquisition. Embrace Mondly Languages, and may your journey be as enriching and transformative as the myriad of languages waiting to be explored.

Leave comments and questions in the space below. I will promptly reply.


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2 thoughts on “A Thorough Mondly Languages Review By An English Teacher”

  1. Your review of Mondly Languages from the perspective of an English teacher was incredibly insightful. Your detailed breakdown of the app’s features and effectiveness in teaching various languages is immensely helpful. I’m curious, have you noticed any specific differences in how Mondly approaches teaching English compared to other languages?

    Your discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the app was balanced and informative. Your mention of Mondly’s interactive lessons and speech recognition as positives resonated with me; they’re crucial for language learners. On the other hand, the limited depth in explanations for grammar and some vocabulary might pose challenges. In your experience, do you think combining Mondly with other resources or methods could mitigate these limitations? Thank you for this thorough review—it’s a valuable resource for those exploring language learning apps!

    Reply
    • Hi Pasindu. Thanks for your comments. I’m glad you found the Mondly review helpful.

      Regarding your question about if I’ve noticed the difference in teaching English as opposed to other language: The only one I’m familiar with on a first-hand basis is English, so, on a personal level, I can’t say I notice a difference. On the other hand, from what I’ve read and heard, English is one of, if not the largest segment of their audience. I’ve heard that some of the lesser known languages don’t have as many resources to offer. That’s really all I can tell you for sure. 

      Yes, I think combining Mondly with other resources/methods is could mitigate some of the challenges you mentioned. Like most things in life, the more different perspectives you can expose yourself to, the better. Learning is a lifetime process.

      Leave comments and questions here any time. I will promptly reply.

      KBob

      Reply

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