This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Alexandrea Ciardella. Find her on Instagram at @a6ysma1. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In the age of modern technology, it’s easy to learn a new language. With thousands of resources online and nearly every popular language taught, language learning can become a hobby. However, sometimes this knowledge is found behind a paywall. With websites like Babbel charging $13.45 a month for their basic program and other apps like Duolingo implementing A.I. to translate sentences (very poorly, I might add) instead of hiring human translators, it’s difficult to find a place that offers reliable language learning programs while also on a budget. In my quest to begin learning a new language, I discovered Drops, a language-learning app that uses fun games to help teach you a new language. Is Drops good for language learning? Let’s review this app and discuss what I found while testing it out.
Backed by years of research to help you understand languages more effectively, Drops uses fun word games to teach you about vocabulary words from more than 50 languages. The variety of games makes learning a new language feel less like a chore and more like a game break during the day. The short lessons are also helpful for those who can’t dedicate hours of their day to studying. The unpaid plan allows users up to five minutes a day of learning, while the paid plan gives users unlimited time. If you spend a lot of time on your phone, why not dedicate a few minutes to learning a language?
As I began to study Japanese, I was looking for a language-learning app that would help me understand the language from a beginner’s level. I wanted to know simple phrases, get used to the characters used for different words, and figure out how words are formed in the language. Drops started with a few simple vocabulary words; dog, tea, train, etc. Once I got the hang of these words, I gained a better understanding of the language as a whole and started to move on to more complex words. Drops allows you to choose which lessons you would like to continue next, which is helpful if you need to know more about transportation and not so much about numbers.
I will say though, in terms of teaching you about syntax and structuring sentences, Drops has a lot to be desired. I’m still a beginner in the app and still have so much to learn, but a lot of the vocabulary words and phrases that I’m learning feel a little disjointed. It’s useful to know certain phrases and vocabulary words help build up to sentences, but I was hoping that I would be able to move on to learning how to speak in full sentences, or at least understand how sentences are structured in Japanese. Drops acts better as flashcards, teaching you about different vocabulary words while quizzing you on what you remember.
The five-minute time limit is also a bit disappointing. I’m the kind of person who likes to decide how long I work on something, and seeing the five minutes slowly count down as I try to learn vocabulary words stresses me out as I scramble to finish my lesson A.S.A.P. It’s great for people who can’t dedicate hours of their time to language learning, but for me, I enjoy being able to set my own pace.
Bottom line: Drops is great to supplement you on your language-learning journey, but you shouldn’t rely on it completely if you’re serious about learning a new language. It’s great if you’re starting, or even just want to casually know a few words in another language. But if you want to learn a whole new language, consider Drops as more of a quiz app than anything. I would still recommend Drops to anyone looking to start learning a language or who wants to brush up on a language they haven’t spoken in a while.
Is Drops good for language learning? Let us know in the comments if you tried this app!
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