Want to learn language with Alexa?
Yes, it’s totally possible. But, you will need an Amazon Echo and some interest. Also, you will need these the top 8 skills for language learning. Some teach you words. Some teach you grammar. And some even teach you full conversations.
So, if you have an Echo and want to learn language with Alexa, scroll down below. If you have no idea what Echo or Alexa are, then check the introduction below.
Introduction to Alexa & Echo
What’s Alexa? Alexa is a smart, voice-controlled digital assistant. It is kind of like Siri except it’s made by Amazon. Alexa lives in a device called “Echo,” which is a speaker-device that lets Alexa listen and respond to you. You activate it by saying “Alexa…”
What’s Echo? The Amazon Echo is a speaker that you use to talk to your Alexa. If you want to know and see how it works, just play the video below.
You can click here to learn more about Echo & Alexa on Amazon.
How can you learn language with Alexa and Echo?
You can download “Skills.” What are skills? They’re kind of like apps for Alexa and they allow Alexa to do more things. For example, with new skills, you can learn language with Alexa. Or, you can get Alexa to tell you jokes.
You can explore all of Alexa’s Skills on the Amazon Skill Store here (click here). Since this is a new technology, this store and skills in general will be improving with time.
Here’s the list of language learning skills. Click on the “buy now” banner to learn more about them on Amazon. Remember, they’re completely free.
1. Daily Dose by Innovative Language
With this Skill, you can learn 34 languages on Alexa. Everything from Afrikaans and Chinese, to German or Japanese, and down to Vietnamese and Swahili. That’s what makes this the top skill to learn language with Alexa.
Every day, you get a new “word of the day” lesson, which takes 1 minute, and you get a professional audio lesson. This audio lesson can be anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes long. In the big lessons, you learn conversations and then language teachers translate every word afterward to help you understand. So, you get 2 ways to learn.
2. SayHi Language Learning
This Skill teaches Spanish, French, German and Danish. It also offers audio conversation lessons.
3. Learn Spanish – SpanishPod101.com Word of the Day
This is a very simple App and is easy to use. Every day, You just get one new Spanish word, the translation, a sample sentence and its translation. That’s it. No extra baggage. No over-hype or crazy promises of fluency.
4. Chineasy
As you can see by the title, you learn Chinese with this Alexa Skill. With it, you get 7-minute podcast-style lessons. Overall, the lessons are entertaining and easy to process. You’re not overloaded by a ton of Chinese words at once.
5. Translated
This not exactly a “language learning” Alexa skill but it’s just as useful. With Translated, you can ask Alexa to translate English phrases into 36 languages. For example, you can use it to ask how to say “How are you” in Japanese. Pretty useful, I think.
6. Language Tutor
With this one, you can learn Spanish, French, Italian, annnnnnd… Australian English! How awesome is that? Yes, if you’re wondering, Australian English is heaps different from American English. You might even learn what a budgie smuggler is.
You get to learn beginner level phrases and ask Alexa to slow down or repeat them. It works as advertised.
7. Cleo
I’m not sure if I can call this a language learning Alexa skill. But, it is cool nevertheless. Instead of learning a language, you are teaching Alexa your language, if you speak something other than English. What’s the point of this?
So, you can tell Alexa to do things in your native language!
8. German Articles – learning by doing
German articles are hard. To get them right, you have to remember which German noun is masculine, feminine or neuter. Well, that’s where this Alexa skill comes in.
It gives you a random noun and you have to reply with the correct article. So, It quizzes you and will tell you if you are right or wrong. It’s a pretty nifty skill and that feedback is what all other language learning skills lack.
Conclusion
These are the “top 8 learn language with Alexa” skills on Echo. Since Alexa and Echo are a fairly new technology, new and better skills will come out. I’ll be sure to update and expand this list.
At the moment however, these are the best ones currently up on the Amazon Skill Store. Remember, if you own an Echo, you can download them for free.
If you’re looking for a complete language learning program outside of Alexa, I suggest Innovative Language.
Do you use your Echo for language learning? What are your favorite skills?
Be sure to leave me a comment!
– PDF Jeff
Hi Jeff, I would like to know whether Alexa/Echo have similar functionalities, features and extensiveness in language learning like Maybe Lily which is now on Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lily-the-1st-smart-speaker-that-teaches-chinese/x/16893168?utm_term=Lily:%20The%201st%20smart%20speaker%20that%20teaches%20Chinese#/)
Hope you have some advice, as my son wants to learn Chinese and Japanese.