Voices en Español

Apple’s iPhone is one of the hottest gadgets around. Thanks to the iPhone’s popularity, a cottage industry of software, (computer applications called “apps”, for short), has sprung up. These apps allow people to do all sorts of things from the inane (“Hold on!”) to the sane (“Weather Channel”) to the profane (“iGirl – She Obeys”).

Because anyone with an idea and some programming skill can submit an app to Apple, creating a winning app is like the new American Dream. There is currently a digital gold rush as enterprising individuals flood the market with their apps, hoping for a piece of the action. Their intense interest is fueled by “rags-to-riches” stories starring unemployed programmers or teenage geeks who develop apps that quickly generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for their creators. Today there over 35,000 iPhone apps available.

Below is a guest post from Sarah Russel about five Spanish-learning applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch. While many iPhone apps are free, some charge a fee. Whether or not a particular app is right for you obviously will depend on your current level of Spanish and what you want out of a language learning tool. Expand your vocabulary? Review grammar? Work on verb conjugations? You get the idea.

Unfortunately, I don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch, so I personally cannot vouch for any of these since I have not tried or used any of the apps that Sarah mentions below. I know that I may be running a risk by featuring an article on something that I personally haven’t tried, but maybe this is be a good opportunity for all of us to share what we know. If any of you reading this entry are iPhone/iPod Touch owners and can recommend some worthwhile Spanish-language learning apps, please tell us below in the comments section.

Thanks!

- Eleena

5 iPhone Apps to Help You Learn Spanish

By Sarah Russel

Apple’s iPhone isn’t just any old cellular phone. You can not only make calls, send texts, store your music and play games but actually learn a language as well. With the ability to take your language learning tools with you anywhere there’s no excuse why you can’t expand your mind, communicate your needs and share your language skills no matter where you are. Here are 5 apps to get you started.

1. iSpeakSpanish: Beginners will appreciate this useful mobile tool. Users can copy and paste text from anything and get an instant translation. Of course, the app is much more than that. It also has a voice capability that will read the text aloud, letting you learn how to correctly pronounce a variety of words and phrases.
2. 24/7 Tutor Spanish 101: Through this application you’ll be able to practice your language skills through puzzle games, writing exercises, flash cards and quizzes. The application will help you learn the vocab to successfully deal with family, travel, home, colors, numbers and more.
3. AccelaStudy Spanish: This application aims to make learning a language fun and successful. Along with the basics, users get high quality audio, flashcards and quizzes and study sets. You can create a study plan to ensure you stay on track with your learning.
4. MyWords Spanish: Through this study program you’ll be able to pick up new vocab in both written and spoken forms. You’ll only learn ten words a day so you won’t be overwhelmed by a crazy amount of vocabulary, and you’ll stand a better chance of remembering what you learn.
5. Spanish Verb Conjugation Trainer: In learning any language many students struggle with learning how to properly conjugate verbs, especially those that are irregular. This tool can make it easy to look up and understand how any verb in the Spanish language is conjugated in the past, present, future, imperfect and more.

Sarah Russel runs an Online College Degrees web site. She’s also written about 50 iPhone apps for learning foreign languages. You can reach her at: SarahRussel1234@gmail.com