Top 5 iOS Apps in 2012 for learning German

As we reach the end of the year it's a good time to review the best iOS applications that will help us learn German. I spend a lot of time downloading just about every German language iOS App I can get my hands on and I wanted to share with you what I've found and spare you from wasting your time with the many horrible Apps out there. 

Go ahead and use the comments below to give me your own favorites and point me towards anything you think i've overlooked. If you look at my older lists you'll see that not everything has changed, this is mostly because there is not a lot of strong development in this field. Hopefully this will change and in 2013 we will see some strong new contenders.

5. TripLingo - German
This app is a bit more geared towards travelers compared to language learners. But it wins big points for it's very polished graphics and cool unique features. For example I really like the feature that allows you to see the normal translation or the formal or the very casual "slang" translation of the same comment. The way they do it is really cool too. This may not be the best way to learn but it's a nice compliment to the learning process and fun to use. It also has some gaming aspects with regard to the progress, which I think makes learning more fun. The basics are free and then you have to pay for the pro version, but I think the full price 'Tourist Package' is too high and that hurt this one's overall ranking. 

Price: Free (lite version) $9.99 (full German 'Tourist Package')

4. Babbel - German
Babbel has a cool website and they also have a nice iOS app. I hope they keep developing it because it could use a bit more polish - but again, for the cost of nothing you can't really complain. Overall it's a cool and not bad looking application with lots of useful content. 

Price: FREE

3. iStart German!
This title continues to stand strong with a combination of polished graphics and design and a really deep amount of content. I'm still working my way thru the courses but I really enjoy the pacing of 10 new words at a time. This application has it's own teaching style and I highly recommend checking it out. My main criticism is that they haven't updated the App in a long time, I suppose it's not necessary because I haven't found bugs but I just wish they would continue to add content - I would be willing to pay extra for it. But the full version is well worth the cost. 

Price: Free (lite version) $1.99 (full version)

2. WordUP - German
WordUP is an all-in-one type of app - it has a phrase book, study lists, recording abilities, playlists, flashcards and quiz's. All of this in a nicely designed package is what puts this high on my list for 2012. One of my favorite features are the Flashcards, a common feature in many apps but WordUP really gets it right - and allows you to customize the experience and to take short or longer practice sessions. The Quiz's are also fun and have an Easy, Medium and Hard option. All in all this is a solid app that will actually aid your learning abilities and it's perfect for short 5 minute breaks and also hour plus trips on the train or bus. I highly recommend this one. 

Price: Free (lite version), $4.99 (full version)

1. DuoLingo - German
I wouldn't consider this a game but it does have a "gamified" approach with badges and points given as you progress thru the courses. The graphics are polished and easily some of the best I've seen in this field. The amount of content is quite massive and all of this for Free, I couldn't help putting this at the top of my list for 2012. Anyone who is learning German should download this one first. 

Price: FREE

Video and Performance Art in Germany

I decided I would write about something a bit different for the Germany Travel Blog this week. Video art is now a common media for contemporary artists and this is especially true in places like Berlin, Germany. If you are planning to visit Berlin you'll want to make sure to see at least a few of the contemporary Museums such as Hamburger Bahnhoff. There is a good chance that you will see several artworks that are composed of video. Similar to the music scene in Germany, if you aren't out looking for it you simply can't keep up with the amount of quality work being produced.

I thought I would post a couple videos from Berlin based video artists just to peak your interest. Perhaps this will inspire you to learn more about video artwork and to investigate further. Another aspect that makes Berlin such a good place for video art is the annual Transmediale Festival - this festival is more about the future of electronic arts and where it's going but it also brings a lot of new inspiration for the video art medium.


Six Easy Pieces from Artstudio Reynolds on Vimeo.

Review: Adventure German - The Mystery of the Sky Disk

Adventure German - The Mystery of the Sky Disk is a Point and Click adventure game developed together with the Goethe Institut, Germany. With help of this unique gaming experience, users around the world will not only discover the 4000 years old and mysterious “Sky Disk”, that was found in Germany several years ago, they will also learn a lot about Germany, Germans and the German language! Join Vincent on his exciting journey through Germany and reveal the “Mystery of the Sky Disk”.

And if you’re stuck, there is always the clever facebook option: Take a picture with your camera and upload it to your facebook account asking for help. Your friends can send you messages from facebook right into the game! It gets even better: The whole game can be downloaded for free for iPad, iPhone, Android and Web (released until the beginning of 2012) on the original webpage mentioned below.

What is the best language learning website?

I'm trying to learn a language and I think one of the best, and least expensive, ways to learn is to use a website service where you can interact with real native speakers. So I started my search to see what I can find and I must say I was surprised there wasn't more better quality services out there. Although as I discover more and receive feedback from my readers I'll continue to amend those suggestions into this article if warranted.

At this point the winner is Babbel.com - it is well designed and that's important. It's not perfect but it's much better than all the others I tried. Babbel also has an iOS app that made it onto my Top 5 iOS Apps for Learning German. All of this shows me that Babbel is on the right path.

Babbel English from Babbel on Vimeo.

Another very useful feature are the chat rooms - they are really simple but designed to be easy on the eyes unlike  most chat rooms. You can choose the language you are learning - for example, I am learning German at the moment, so I chose the German room. Now I have a place to talk with other native German speakers and to practice my writing skills. There is enough of a community that I could usually find someone in the room 24 hours a day.

Babbel German App [screenshot]

Top 5 iOS Apps in 2011 for learning German

I've spent a lot of time searching for the best applications that would help me learn German and I wanted to report back to you on what i've found. Go ahead and use the comments to point me towards your own picks if you think i've overlooked something.

5. Globibo 
This app is not pretty or wonderfully designed but there is a lot of content here for no cost. If you want to expand your German vocabulary on your iPod or iPhone this is a good place to start. Price: FREE

4. Babbel
Babbel has a cool website and the also have a nice iOS app. I hope they keep developing it because it could use a bit more polish - but again, for the cost of nothing you can't really complain. Overall it's a cool and not bad looking application with a lot of useful content. It also has additional content if you decide to purchase an upgrade. Price: FREE

3. Living Language - German
Living Language is a bit better designed than Babbel but their website was not as impressive to me. But as far as their iOS application goes they scored better. Mostly it is the nicer design that makes it more appealing to open up and practice on the train or u-bahn. Price: FREE

2. iStart German!
This is a combination of polished graphics and design and a really deep amount of content. I'm still working my way thru the courses but I really enjoy the pacing of 10 new words at a time. This application has it's own teaching style and I highly recommend checking it out. Price: $1.99

iStart German [screenshot]

1. Mind Snacks - German
This application takes the top spot because it's a combination of all the best features an iOS app can provide for learning a new language. It has great original graphics and excellent original design. Also it does a great job of teaching you many new German words but you feel like you are playing video games the whole time. You can read my full review here. I really hope they continue to develop this game with new content, mini-games and other updates. I wish there were more well produced games for learning German and that is why this App wins the #1 spot. Price: 4.99

MindSnacks - German [screenshot]