With so many tools to help you learn, it can be hard to know where to start! In this article, you’ll get an overview of all the tools on our site and learn how to use them best. Please note that some tools may not currently be available in the mobile app. We will continue to work to bring as much of the functionality of the website over to the app as we can.
Assessments
Also known as: Assignments
You want to use your language in real-life situations. Assessments were designed to help you with that.
Multiple-choice assessments can be found in each Learning Path and in many other lesson collections across the platform. They give you an opportunity to test your understanding and get instant feedback.
Hand-graded assessments can be found in the same places, but after clicking Submit they are sent to native language teachers who will hand-grade your writing and speaking ability.
Access: Multiple-choice are Premium and above, Hand-graded require Premium PLUS
Assessment Test
Also known as: Placement Test
The Assessment Test is a special type of assessment that you take when signing up for Premium PLUS. This assessment judges your prior language ability holistically—listening, speaking, reading writing, vocabulary and grammar. Your results are sent to your personal tutor, who can make recommendations based on them.
If you haven’t studied the language for a while, the Assessment Test is a great way to figure out what you remember and what you need help with.
Access: Premium PLUS and above
Core Word Lists
Also known as: Core 2000 Lists
What are the most valuable vocabulary words to know? That’s what the Core Word Lists are for—a very special set of vocabulary lists which organize words by frequency.
Start with the Core 100 Word List—the most important words in the language. Once you’re done, move onto the Core 200 Word List for the next set. By progressing in this way, you’ll be sure to spend your time efficiently, learning the words that you’ll actually hear in real life. By the time you reach the Core 2000 Word List, you should be able to understand most of the words you encounter on a daily basis.
You can study the Core Word Lists however you want, but we highly recommend you use Flashcards to reinforce your learning.
Access: Premium and above (Core 100 Word List is free)
Dialogue
Also known as: Line-by-Line
Native dialogues are a key part of our lessons and a major part of learning real-life language. The Dialogue section in those lessons helps you study each line in depth.
Play each line individually, read (or hide!) English translations, and record your own voice with the Voice Recorder. You can also listen to the entire dialogue in a single audio file.
Access: Premium and above
In addition to the above, Premium PLUS students also have access to our AI powered Dialogue Role Play feature for even more practice.
Dictionary
Also known as: Audio Dictionary
Find any word in your language with our powerful dictionary, complete with audio recorded by real native speakers. Search for a word in your language or English to find the translation. From there, you can add the words to your Word Bank or a Flashcard deck.
Access: Free
Favorite Lessons
Also known as: My Lessons
Find a lesson you want to keep track of? Click the heart icon on any lesson page. The lessons will be saved to your Favorite Lessons page, to be revisited any time you want
Access: Premium and above
Flashcards
Also known as: My Flashcards, Spaced Repetition Flashcards
With Flashcards, you can spend your time studying vocabulary efficiently and effectively. Turn any word list on our site into a Flashcard Deck, including your Word Bank or Core Word Lists. Then, our spaced repetition system takes over.
Look at the front side of the card and try to answer what’s on the back. Flip the card. Did you get it right? Your response determines how soon you’ll see the card again. As you answer cards correctly and easily, we’ll show the card to you fewer and fewer times.
This process models the way your brain’s memory works. Tricky cards show up for review often, easy words might not reappear for months. The result is that you spend your time and effort on the words that need it and can watch your vocabulary grow in leaps and bounds.
Access: Premium and above
Language Resources
Also known as: The Learning Center
The Language Resources page is your source for reference materials and tools that can help you understand the language in-depth. You can even take practice quizzes* to drill those topics that you need to memorize.
*Please note that note that not all languages have quizzes at the moment.
Access: Varies, from Free to Premium
Lesson Library
Also known as: Complete Lesson Archive
At the heart of the system are collections of lessons and assessments that help you learn different topics. Whether it’s a deep-dive into grammar, situational survival phrases, or just-for-fun videos, you’ll find a wealth of material in our Lesson Library.
If you’re just starting out, the Learning Path which was added to your Dashboard is the perfect course to progress naturally through the language. But be sure to find material which matches your interests. You can add multiple collections to your Dashboard and learn with them at the same time.
Access: Basic and above
Lesson Notes
Also known as: PDF Lesson Notes
Each of our lessons includes Lesson Notes, a compilation of all the key information from the lesson—vocabulary, dialogues, and the lesson focus. In some cases, you’ll even get extra information only found in the lesson notes.
Read along while you listen or reference them later as a quick review. You can even download them as a PDF file to print them off.
Access: Basic and above
My Notes
Whenever you hear something in a lesson that you want to be sure to remember, use My Notes. Click the pencil icon on any lesson to begin writing anything you want to remember. These notes can be accessed at anytime in My Notes—your personal language learning notebook.
Access: Premium and above
My Teacher Messenger
When you upgrade to a Premium PLUS subscription, you gain a personal language teacher to help you reach your language goals. My Teacher Messenger is how you and your teacher will talk.
Besides being a fully-featured messenger for text chats, you can use My Teacher Messenger to exchange pictures, audio, and videos. Students use these tools to get feedback on spoken language, writing samples, pronunciation, intonation, and more. Whatever you need help with, use My Teacher Messenger to ask about it.
Access: Premium PLUS and above
Transcript
Every lesson includes a complete written Transcript. Read along as you listen, or look in detail at the language spoken in a particular lesson. Transcripts are also available as printable PDFs.
Access: Free
Vocabulary Lists
Did you know that new Vocabulary Lists are published once a week? Many learners miss out on the incredible variety of Vocabulary Lists created on thematic and cultural topics.
Learn about food, the most common adjectives, difficult word to pronounce and much more with these vocabulary lists.
Each list contains sample sentences, native audio, and images. You can browse through them as a list or watch our multimodal Vocabulary Slideshow. Once you’re there, add them to your Word Bank or Flashcard Decks with a single click!
Access: Free to view, some integrations require Premium or above
Vocabulary Slideshow
The Vocabulary Slideshow is the best introduction to a new Vocabulary List. Just click Play and get a multimedia tour through each word. You’ll hear the native language, the English translations, and sample sentences as you read the word and see a picture. Skip forward, pause, and look in-depth at any entry that interests you. You can even customize the slideshow’s speed, colors, and which information is read.
Access: Free
Voice Recorder
Developing a natural language accent is an important part of being understood and feeling confident. That’s why there’s a Voice Recorder button next to every vocabulary entry or dialogue line.
Click the microphone to hear a native speaker say the word, phrase, or sentence in the language. Get used to the intonation and cadence. Then click the Record button to say it yourself. You can listen to your own voice and compare it directly with the native speaker. Re-record as many times as you want to get perfect pronunciation!
Note: It is also possible to record your voice within hand-graded assessments and with My Teacher Messenger.
Access: Premium and above
Word Bank
You never know when you’ll encounter a word you want to remember. That’s why we built Word Bank. With one click, you can send a word you encounter in the Vocabulary Lists or Lesson Vocabulary to your Word Bank for later review.
You can further organize your Word Bank with custom labels and convert it to a Flashcard Deck with a single click. Or, print out your Word Bank and study it however you want!
Access: Premium and above