Review of the best free English communication learning apps for beginners

Do you often feel awkward when communicating in English because of incorrect pronunciation? You don't know where to start and how to improve quickly? Have you tried any English communication learning applications? Let SaDesign share the most popular English learning applications in the article below.

1. Elsa Speak

Elsa Speak is considered a 'national application' in the pronunciation village, trusted by millions of people in Vietnam in particular and in the world in general. In fact, the users are not only students but Elsa Speak is also used by many famous people such as: Singer Son Tung MTP, Khanh Vy - famous MC and KOL, H'Hen Nie - Miss Universe Vietnam,... If famous people - with busy schedules and high learning needs, still choose Elsa Speak to improve, this proves that Elsa is a learning tool worth considering and experiencing for ordinary users.

Elsa Speak is an English learning application that focuses on improving pronunciation and communication skills through artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Launched in 2015, Elsa stands for English Language Speech Assistant, which uses AI technology to analyze the learner's voice, thereby giving detailed feedback to help you adjust your pronunciation, stress, and intonation.

Elsa Speak accurately corrects pronunciation errors and provides a variety of speaking exercises such as vocabulary learning, sentence practice, and real-life conversations. 

1.1. Advantages of using Elsa Speak 

There are 3 main features of Elsa Speak that are highly appreciated by users:
Building a learning path for each individual

When you start using Elsa Speak, the app will ask you to take a short pronunciation test. This test helps Elsa assess your current level, identify pronunciation errors, and find out your weaknesses that need to be improved. After the assessment, Elsa will create a suitable personalized learning path for you based on the results of the initial test.
The learning path is divided into stages from Basic - Intermediate - Advanced. Based on your learning progress, Elsa will continuously update and adjust the learning path to suit your progress, giving you weaknesses and strengths to overcome. This process helps to improve your self-learning spirit without the need for a teacher.

Detect and correct pronunciation errors

You just need to press the Record button on the app and read any conversation, the exclusive AI feature in ELSA will listen to your pronunciation and score according to the percentage compared to your reading voice with a native speaker. From there, it will give you the right and wrong and have correction instructions for each syllable - correct pronunciation (blue) and the part you pronounce wrong and need to correct (red). 
In addition, with the conversations, the app also scores extra points for intonation and fluency.

Elsa Speech Analyzer

This is a listening and analysis tool when you speak freely. That is, wherever you speak, the application will automatically score and evaluate as well as guide you to edit. A feature that many people appreciate the most is that the application scores by percentage, from which it is referred to the corresponding score with international certificates such as IELTS, Cambridge, etc. More specifically, in terms of vocabulary and grammar, the application not only points out mistakes but also suggests more advanced vocabulary with more standard grammar.

1.2. Disadvantages of Elsa Speak application

Although Elsa has provided an effective learning experience, there are still some aspects that the application needs to be further optimized to enhance user convenience.

The entrance exam is difficult. 

If you are new to English and are trying out ELSA Speak, some of the grammar in the Level Test may be daunting. It usually takes you about 5-6 minutes to complete the test. 
Vocabulary Limit

Elsa Speak focuses on pronunciation and basic communication, so the vocabulary is not too rich, not enough to meet the needs of advanced learners. Most of the topics in Elsa only revolve around common communication topics, especially in the "IELTS Practice" section. The vocabulary in ELSA Speak only stops at the 5.0 - 6.0 IELTS band score (Intermediate level).

2. Duolingo App

In contrast to Elsa Speak, Duolingo’s learning method is more like a game that motivates learners, with short lessons, rewards, badges, and levels. Duolingo’s lessons are designed to be simple, easy to understand, and step-by-step, helping beginners quickly grasp basic vocabulary and grammar. Duolingo’s goal is to make learners feel like learning English is as simple as playing a game.

2.1. Advantages of Duolingo application
 

Easy to see interface 

With the slogan "Learning for fun to learn better", Duolingo is designed like a game, helping learners learn comfortably and excitedly. The interface of the application from the outside to the inside is very beautiful, with icons designed in a way that makes you want to learn. In addition, the lessons are relatively short, and arranged quite far apart so that learners do not feel pressured.
Diverse languages

In addition to English, Duolingo also supports many different languages: Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean and many more. This makes it easy for learners to choose the language they want to learn without difficulty.

2.2. Disadvantages of Duolingo application

Unpractical way to learn speaking skills

The lessons on Duolingo all use pre-recorded or computer-generated voices, which limits learners from learning how to respond and practice communication in real-life contexts.
Although the app has also included listening and repeating sample sentences to help improve speaking skills, this has not improved significantly because the app does not have enough data and accuracy to recognize whether your friend's pronunciation is really good or not. No choice of
vocabulary topics

The principle of learning in Duolingo is that when you have to complete all the lessons of the same topic in a Unit, you can then move on to another topic in the next Unit, so learners will not be able to choose and learn vocabulary for the topic they really want. This is also a minus point that Duolingo has not improved.
Lack of personalization

Duolingo offers the same learning path to all users, with little adjustment to individual learning interests or goals, resulting in learning that is not optimized for each individual.

3. Ejoy English

Ejoy English is a comprehensive English learning application, combining AI technology with diverse learning content, providing users with a creative and practical language learning experience. Ejoy English aims to become an All-in-One (multi-functional) English learning platform for those who need to improve their English from average, good to excellent, focusing on 4 communication skills: listening - speaking - reading - vocabulary.

Most English programs will give you a learning path according to a pre-established curriculum. However, eJOY English aims to learn and acquire the language anytime, anywhere, in any situation, according to your interests and needs, not tied to a specific learning path.

Ejoy offers thousands of videos selected from popular sources such as YouTube, movies, TV shows, TED Talks, and academic videos. Learners can choose their favorite topics and practice listening in real-life contexts. Each video comes with bilingual subtitles and you can pause to look up words immediately by browsing the extension (Ejoy Extension) on the browser, you can also look up an English dictionary to better understand the situation.

3.1. Advantages of using Ejoy English

Watch dual language subtitles at the same time

When you learn by watching videos on Ejoy English, you can follow both English and Vietnamese (or other languages) subtitles, which will help you grasp the usage of words and sentence structures naturally, while increasing your ability to reflect and understand more deeply the context of word usage.
Store knowledge anywhere and in many formats

JOY English allows you to save knowledge from various sources such as PDFs, videos, news, websites, and images with just one click. You can choose your favorite storage format, such as clips, vocabulary, phrases, or long sentences. This feature supports organizing and classifying knowledge by topic, making it easy for you to find and review later.

3.2 Disadvantages of using Ejoy English

Content limitations for advanced learners

While Ejoy offers a wide variety of content, the materials may not be deep enough to serve the needs of advanced English learners, especially in-depth lessons on grammar or specialized vocabulary.

Internet connection required

Ejoy requires an internet connection to use most features such as watching videos, looking up dictionaries, and saving vocabulary, which can be inconvenient for users in places with unstable networks.

4. 4English

4English is a convenient English learning application that combines many tools such as a dictionary, listening practice through videos and articles, vocabulary flashcards, and grammar tests. This application allows learners to look up words directly in newspapers and videos, save vocabulary to collections, and practice listening, reading, and writing skills through real-life contexts. 

The word highlighting feature is built-in when you read newspapers on 4English. This helps you easily improve your vocabulary needed for exams such as IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL… without having to spend time looking up the dictionary. All words looked up will be automatically saved so you can check them at any time.

A great advantage that no other application has is that you can link your Youtube Premium account to your 4English account. And moreover, you can play the word connection game on this application, online or offline. This is a pretty good game that will help you improve your vocabulary memory and diversify your word usage. 

5.So sánh Elsa Speak, Duolingo, Ejoy English, 4English

Elsa Speak, Duolingo, EJOY English, and 4English are all outstanding English learning tools, but do you know which application is best suited to your needs? To help you have a comprehensive, overall view of the most popular English learning applications, SaDesign will compare the strengths, weaknesses, and unique features of Elsa Speak, Duolingo, EJOY English, and 4English based on the following criteria:

After comparing Elsa Speak, Duolingo, EJOY English, and 4English, it can be seen that each application has its own advantages, suitable for your English learning needs. If you want to focus on pronunciation, Elsa Speak will be the optimal choice, but if you want to learn vocabulary and listening skills through real-life contexts, EJOY English and 4English are suitable choices. And if you are a beginner and want to learn through playing games, then Duolingo is the ideal application. 

6. Conclusion 

English now plays an important role in international communication, study, and work around the world. Many businesses require employees to have good English communication skills to work effectively with international partners and customers. Multinational companies often set English as a prerequisite in the recruitment and promotion process.

SaDesign wants to send you a message: Without English you are still rich, but if you have English you will be many times richer. Because with English, your world of opportunities will be wider, you will connect with many international friends. Don't be ashamed because you are not perfect in English communication because you are trying to improve yourself and don't worry, SaDesign will always accompany you in this process.