How I test and score
I sift through the plethora of language apps, delivering reviews based on deep expertise in language learning and teaching.
My review process starts with an initial walk-through, using the app for at least 15 minutes to capture first impressions and usability.
I then conduct a criteria-based evaluation focusing on key features like spaced repetition, user customization, and the balance between educational content and gamification.
My reviews are thorough, with a scoring system that emphasizes course quality (70%) over user experience (20%) and price (10%).
Importantly, I do not receive payment for these reviews.
Learn more on my review policy and process page.
Summary
Course quality
User experience
Pricing
Pros
- Elegant and organized design
- Integrated grammar explanations
- Live classes available
- Customizable review options
Cons
- Limited focus on speaking exercises
- Speech recognition issues
- Live classes feel like an extra service
Best suited for
Beginners to intermediate learners seeking an Italian course with structured grammar and vocabulary practice.
At a glance
App name
Babbel
Made by
Babbel GmbH
User base
Sentiment
- Speech Recognition Issues: Many users report that the app\'s speech recognition feature is unreliable, often failing to register spoken input or recognizing words inaccurately.
- Rapid Lesson Progression: Users feel that lessons progress too quickly without sufficient vocabulary practice or opportunities to reuse learned vocabulary in new contexts.
- Structured Lessons: Users appreciate the structured approach of the lessons, which show progress and can help learners use functional words and phrases immediately.
- User Interface Problems: There are frequent complaints about the app\'s navigation being tricky, the in-app keyboard being too sensitive, and a difficult-to-use homepage.
- Lack of Repetition: Users find the app lacking in adequate repetition necessary to retain learned material effectively.
Concept
Babbel claims to offer course material that’s tailored to the user\'s proficiency level, interests, and time commitment.
Available on
Web, iOS, Android
Levels covered
(A0) Total beginner, (A1) Beginner, (A2) Elementary, (B1) Intermediate, (B2) Upper-intermediate, (C1) Advanced
14 languages taught
Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Pricing, free trial, refunds
Pricing
Free trial
Refunds
First-hand review
Walk-through
First Impressions
From the outset, Babble Italian boasts a clean, elegant design that\’s well-organized. The main page allows users to find their level, track their progress, and access various features easily. However, overall during the exploration of the app, I encountered very limiting speaking activities which is the main focus of this review.
Navigating Babble Italian
The home page offers several sections, including a lesson plan, which allows users to choose courses by level or topic.
For Italian, Babble covers levels, A1, A2, B1, and B2, but it doesn\’t seem to offer more advanced levels at the moment.
Filtering by Level
When navigating by level, you start with basic lessons. The design here is straightforward and organized, which can be particularly helpful for beginners.
Filtering by Topic
Choosing your lessons by topic allows you to focus on specific skills like grammar, listening, and, most importantly, speaking. This section promises to help with pronunciation and communication skills.
Live Classes
The user has immediate access to a couple of live classes, although you need a life subscription to access more than the two free classes provided.
Live classes come with PDF materials. However, in my opinion, these classes act more like a supplement rather than a primary learning tool because of the way they are structured, almost totally independent from the main learning path.
Lesson Structure and Content
The first section of the lesson focuses on speaking, requiring users to pronounce individual words — a good start for beginners. This is followed by sections where you choose translations and correct answers based on images and sentences. The exercises include:
Speaking Exercises: Users are prompted to say specific words.
Translation Tasks: Involves translating Italian words to English.
Grammar Lessons: Detailed explanations integrated with exercises.
These formats ensure a variety of learning methods, though I found that the speaking exercises could be more extensive and challenging.
Review Features
Babble also features a review section where you can practice vocabulary through flashcards, writing, and speaking exercises.
This compartmentalizes previous lessons for targeted review, making it a nice tool for reinforcing learning.
Overall Assessment
Babble Italian\’s lessons are longer and more comprehensive compared to other language apps. The app includes tracking systems similar to other apps like Duolingo.
Despite the good design and variety of exercises, the app\’s speaking practice seems limited. For a more well-rounded approach, I would recommend users to use supplementary methods beyond what Babble offers.
Features
Spaced repetition
Does the app offer plenty of repetition to acquire vocab and grammar naturally?
Customization
Can users customize settings, interface, content, etc.?
Focus on learning
Is the interface and content focused on the course content instead of fluff and gamification?
Personalization
Are the materials automatically tailored to the user’s profile?
Sentence accuracy
Are sentences free from typos, grammar errors? Do they sound natural?
Sentence relevance
Are sentences realistic and useful?
Variety and depth
Is there enough variety of materials in terms of topics, formats and levels?
Audio quality
Are audio materials easy to listen to in terms of recording quality and speech rate?
Speaker's quality
Do speakers speak correctly, clearly and naturally?
Speaking practice
Does the app offer plenty of speaking practice?
Ease of use
Is the app easy to set up, use and navigate?
Interface and design
Is the user interface neat and visually appealing?
Performance
Does the app load fast? Is it free from glitches and crashes?
Grammar notes
Do the courses come with grammar notes?
Learning path
Do the courses follow a well defined path?
Speech recognition
Does the app recognize user speech?
User-generated courses
Can users actively generate materials from their interests?
Offline access
Are the courses available offline?
Conclusions
Would I take these courses?
I would use the app for its structured approach but not for achieving speaking fluency due to limited speaking exercises.
How to get the most out of the app
Use the app alongside other speaking-focused resources and take advantage of live classes and customizable review options.
Alternatives
Think In Italian is better than Babbel to master Italian
Think In Italian is the only app that gets your to speak Italian all the time. It comes with hundreds of grammar lessons and readings to listen and repeat, plus an AI tutor to review the courses and practice conversation. See the full review.
FAQs
Does Babbel Italian offer advanced courses?
Babbel Italian covers up to B2 level.
Are live classes included in the Babbel Italian subscription?
It offers two free classes; To have access to more classes users need to upgrade to a life subscription.
Does Babbel Italian focus on speaking exercises?
Babbel's lessons are considerably long, but only a small portion is dedicated to speech exercises.
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