Hi there!
Looking for the GermanPod101 App? Here’s a review of what you need to know about it. While it’s useful for learning German (surprisingly TONS better than most Apps), you don’t get everything that’s available with their program on their website.
Let’s get into it. It’s actually called Innovative Language 101.
All of InnovativeLanguage.com (that’s the parent company) language programs, including GermanPod101, are on the App. It has 31 languages and the reviews seem to be pretty good.
Okay, so about the GermanPod101 App.
What should you know? Should you download it?
I’ve been using GermanPod101 and the App for about 7 months now. It’s a companion app to the overall learning system – especially when you’re on the go.
- For iPhone, iPad, Android
- Free download & Free Features: Newest Lessons
- has MOST but NOT ALL of GermanPod101’s features
- Gives you lessons on the go (1000+ Audio & Video Lessons)
- Syncs your progress across all devices.
- Focused on speaking and understanding German
- No discounts for the App.
First… If you want this app… I HIGHLY suggest you sign up at GermanPod101.com first. Why? If you want to learn with them and get their COMPLETE system… you can get BIG discounts on the site.
With the App, you will pay FULL price.
Click here to sign up at GermanPod101 & get the App.
When you sign up, you’ll get an email to download their app.
What you get with the App:
All Audio & Video lessons so you can learn anywhere. Their German lessons are what make their learning system great. And they have over 1,000+ from Beginner to Advanced. I typically listen to the Audio lessons on my way to school and work. And I use the Video lessons when I actually sit down to study.
I also like that I can close my iPhone and keep listening without the lesson turning off.
Newest Lessons. Since they release new lessons every week – this is a good spot to see what’s new. The good thing is… new lessons are always free.
All of the PDF Lesson Notes & Transcripts. Basically, these are complementary notes for the lesson. You can use them to read with the lesson or review afterwards. Quite nice.
Progress Tracking. This tracks your learning progress based on the lessons completed. Very nice feature for motivation.
Mark lessons as complete and you’ll see the progress bars below go up.
Line by Line Audio. This gives you the German conversations that you hear in the lesson – in English or German – so you can read along. I prefer this to the Lesson Notes.
Downloadable. Great for not sucking up bandwidth. I download and keep lessons that I want to review offline. Look for the “Download” icon in the screenshots here.
Click here to sign up at GermanPod101 & get the App.
Bonus Vocabulary, Dialog & Review Tracks. These are bonus materials for each lesson. Vocabulary gives you the Vocab for each lesson. Dialog is the German only conversation. Review is the review part of the lesson – where they explain about grammar and vocabulary.
However, not everything is on the the App.
While it’s great for the lessons, some of GermanPod101’s main learning tools and features aren’t on there. Here’s what’s not there:
- Study Tools: Flashcards, Word Bank, Voice Recorder, Custom Lists
- Word Lists: 2,000 Core Word List, Free Vocab Lists
- No Word of the Day, Commenting
- No Dashboard to tell you what lesson to study next.
- No discounts unless you want to pay full price on iTunes or Google Play.
Again, if you want to learn with them and get their COMPLETE system, like I did… you can get discounts on the site. With the App, you will pay FULL price.
Click here to sign up at GermanPod101 & get the App.
CONCLUSION. I give it a 4.6/5
Overall, I really like it. I like the site more… but the App does the job when I’m away from home. They fulfill what they promise. I learn German conversations, I speak by repeating them out loud and improve lesson by lesson.
It’s not a silly “matching games games” or “translate sentences” or “drill flashcards all day long.” Boring. Trivial. Useless. Here, you learn with lessons made by real teachers.
That being said – it doesn’t cover everything. Grammar is indirectly covered – they put it into practice in conversational lessons. Get a textbook. It’s weak on writing. Pick up a pen and paper for this. Or, maybe Duolingo.
Have you used it? Let me know how you liked it in the comments.
Do you know of any other German Apps that are good contenders? (Please, no flashcard apps or matching games.) I’ve been using Duolingo for German lately and will review that soon as well.
~The Main Junkie
P.S. I highly recommend this for German learners. If you REALLY want to learn to German with effective Audio & Video lessons by real teachers – Sign up for free at GermanPod101 (click here) and start learning!