Free Inquiry 2: The App Testing Continues…
Below, I have included a brief screen recording of a video from the Yabla Italian app. As you can see in the video, it features a real person talking, it includes subtitles in English and Italian, and along the bottom of the screen there are options to slow the recording, loop the recording, or play learning games related to the video.
So far, Yabla is really helpful for hearing voice intonation and seeing how words and phrases are used in context. Unlike many language learning services, it does not feed you a list of vocabulary and basic phrases to memorize; instead, it has you listen to real people talking about various subjects with subtitles.
Here, I have included a screenshot of the learning games offered with the video.
The learning games in Yabla use only the words used in the video. I do like that the games put into practice words that you have already seen and heard in context, but it does mean practicing a lot of words at once and it is not necessarily optimal if you are looking to only learn essential phrases for travel or a specific motivation.
In a French immersion context, I could see this sort of tool being helpful because it will get students listening to and interacting with the French language as spoken by real people. That being said, I do not think it is a one-size-fits-all tool, and it would need to be accompanied by other forms of practice and a separate focus on grammar, which is not targeted in the app.
Some of the videos are like short tutorials on how to use a particular word or phrase. I will include an example below.
I like this tutorial style because it explains all parts of the phrase and when and how to use that phrase. It is also really cool because it is teaching you Italian, in Italian, not just translating words from English. Linguistically, this is really helpful because it can help students get away from translating everything in their head before speaking, which tends to slow down conversation and sometimes gets in the way of understanding.
If you have the pro version, the videos are organized by difficulty and subject, which makes it really easy to find the video that is right for you. Unlike Duolingo, you do not need to complete the ten levels before going to the topic that interests you.
Overall, I am finding this tool to be really interesting and a great way to get you immersed in the language you are trying to learn. I would still recommend using it in tandem with other language learning apps and practice your grammar separately.
