Learning Spanish has never been easier. iPad users have access to a variety of language learning apps – some free, some for a fee – that provide self-paced, on-the-go instruction. Hello-Hello bills itself as a “full-fledged language course,” but it does cost. Is it worth the money?
A Portable Language Learning Media
Apps for hand-held devices and phones open a whole new world of on-the-go language study. A well-designed application can provide the learner an immersion-like experience anytime, anywhere. Hello-Hello’s Spanish language course is an app for the iPad that offers just that portability.
The Hello-Hello Spanish app includes thirty lessons, each based on a short, practical, realistic conversation. Using a multi-sensory approach, the learner first listens to the conversation in Spanish. The learner can then opt to read the conversation in Spanish and/or English while listening. The app also has a writing component, speaking repetition, and a very short quiz. The Hello-Hello Spanish app includes a flashcard-style review of a variety of words and phrases, organized by category.
All of the Hello-Hello content is stored in the app so that users do not need to be connected to Wi-Fi or 3G networks to access the lessons. This gives students, travelers, vacationers – anyone with a few free minutes and an iPad – the ability to practice and review lessons in short spurts anytime, anywhere.
Is Hello-Hello Worth the Money?
As of the date of this review, the Hello-Hello Spanish language course app costs $14.99, a bit pricey for an app. But its thirty lessons and accompanying vocabulary flashcards provide an extensive learning experience.
Students with no experience with Spanish may find the immediate immersion method used by Hello-Hello to be a bit overwhelming. And the flashcard component is rather uninspiring. Beginners might prefer to start out with an app that structures lessons more simply, such as the free 24/7 Tutor app or the Busuu.com app (currently in iPhone format only, but workable on iPad, and free) or Hello-Hello's Basic Spanish app (priced at $9.99).
Sarah Gontijo, Hello-Hello’s founder and CEO, admitted in email correspondence with this reviewer that “at first, our lessons might seem advanced for some people but there is a purpose behind it. Our lessons are structured to give learners the ability to communicate effectively with others.”
However, Hello-Hello uses a research-based method of instruction that was developed in collaboration with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Ms. Gontijo advises that learners who are new to the language should plan to spend more time learning the basic phrases in order to gain proficiency in the language. She emphasizes the benefit of going slowly and doing each lesson several times in order to gain a comfort level in using the app. “The more time students spend doing the exercises, the more proficient they will become!” Ms. Gontijo assures.
On the flip-side, students with some exposure to Spanish or other languages will appreciate that Hello-Hello’s lessons grow in complexity quickly and cover a range of topics beyond the usual travel-related focus of many language programs.
Teachers will be interested to note that Hello-Hello language learning apps are part of Apple's Educational Volume Purchase Program. Educational institutions can buy the apps at 50% discount if they buy in quantities of 20 or more.
The Hello-Hello Website and Language Community
One of the advantages to the Hello-Hello platform is the support offered by its free website. Hello-Hello.com couples online lessons with social networking, providing a conduit for users to interact through audio, video and text with native speakers around the world. This provides a real world format for practicing the language.
As it turns out, the same lessons that are on the iPad app are also available for free on the website. However, the user loses some portability, and the functionality of the website (still in beta as of this review) is a bit clunky. The iPad app is much more fluid and easy to use.
The Hello-Hello.com website, launched in August 2009, has members in more than 70 countries. Language instruction is available for English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese along with Spanish.
Spanish language learners who want a well-designed, immersion-style iPad app for self-paced, on-the-go learning will appreciate Hello-Hello. While very beginners might want to get some exposure to the language through one of the free Spanish language apps first, the range and usefulness of the Hello-Hello app’s conversations will keep all learners happily challenged for a long time.
Margaret M. Williams - Margaret M. Williams (Peggy) has been a teacher for over 25 years. She currently teaches first grade in a classroom that combines native ...
Join the Conversation