Babbel, another place to learn languages

Running this blog I get lots of language learning related email. I just got one from Babbel promoting instant phrases for the traveler. Babbel claims to have a community of 350,000 members all helping each other learn languages. That is the world of the internet that is going to make the classroom a less and less important place to learn languages.

On the other hand I have never been a fan of packages of handy phrases or the like. I have bought such books while traveling, used about 3 of the phrases, and then brought the book home and it sat on the shelf gathering dust. But the demand is there. After all I bought them.

Babbel's promotion material also says

"For those who’ve got a little more time before the big trip, besides the Mini-Vocab, there are twenty other in-depth  packages for all relevant situations while traveling, from leaving the airport to arriving at the car rental desk."

I never found those scenario based learning packages useful either. I think that you have to listen and read to a lot of material before you can really communicate at all.

But I salute Babbel  for their success. They are competitors but in a way they are colleagues showing the way to more independent language learning on the web.

Comments

[Maite]

I like some of the newer phrasebooks. I like to be able to make basic communication and try out new vocabulary on the spot.
They are fun to review when waiting in line, on the plane, etc.

Often it is exactly the vocabulary we need as we travel, or need some insight into the culture.

Lonely Planet has some edgy phrasebooks, and I have some older Berlitz books as well.

Honestly, it's what you need until you can have the discussions about the subjects you like.

Probably a phrasebook and a recording are best. Berlitz did this, but I am not keen about their format.