Looking for the best program to learn Hebrew?
Well before you get one, you need to make sure you invest your time into something that works.
So, what makes a Hebrew learning program good?
If you’re looking for a Hebrew learning program, here are some criteria.
Part 1: What Makes it Good?
Criteria:
1. A good Hebrew learning program guides you. From lesson #1 to lesson #2. From learning the alphabet to learning basic words. And then, onto basic dialogues and grammar rules. Face it, Ver few of us know how to learn a new language on our own, so we all need the right guidance. We all need to follow the right steps.
2. A good Hebrew learning program is easy to use. So you can focus on learning instead of “Learning how to use the program.” The moment you start thinking, “oh this part is annoying” and start noticing little issues with the program, you’re no longer focused on learning. You’re focused on the tool… and that’s bad.
- Think about it… good movies force us to get attached to the story and we don’t notice that “oh, hey, I’m watching a movie.” Good books do the same. Good commercials answer the questions and provide solutions we need… where we’re not thinking “oh, it’s a commercial. Good conversationalists capture us with stories so that we’re not thinking about “Okay, this guy has spoken for too long, I need to go.” So, the same thing goes for programs. You should easily dive in without thinking about the program.
3. You get to listen to conversations and follow along with text. We all learn new languages because we want to speak, right? Well, for that, you need to be taught conversations. Rather, you need to hear them. So, a good program will give you audio and/or video. But, it’s not enough to just hear someone talk. You need a transcript of what they say, including translations and grammar explanations. So, that you understand everything. The result? You learn a conversation.
4. A good program forces you to review. Why? Because we don’t learn things by doing them once. Maybe you can learn not to touch fire from one experience. But learning 1 grammar rule takes a bunch of tries over a span of time. That’s just the way our brain works. So, a good Hebrew learning program should occasionally feed you things you’ve already seen before. Otherwise, you won’t learn much.
Maybe wanting all 4 of these things is too much to ask for.
But, try to look for programs that offer you some of these criteria.
Now that you know what things to look for, here are some of the best Hebrew learning programs out there.
Part 2: Best Program to Learn Hebrew?
Here are the top 5 programs.
1. HebrewPod101
With HebrewPod101, you’ll learn Hebrew with quick 3-15 minute audio/video lessons. And these lessons are made by Hebrew teachers.
How it does work? First, You hear a conversation at the start of a lesson. Then, they slow down and explain every word and grammar rule. You can also read along with the PDF lesson notes. And you can also take these lessons on your smartphone.
Once you’re done, their program feeds you the next lesson in line.
When joining this program you get a bunch of useful resources. They offer vocabulary learning tools, repetition flashcards, detailed PDF lesson notes, a community forum and a mobile app for you to download and learn Hebrew from anywhere.
Price:
- Free account available
- Plans start from $8+
This is a completely free Hebrew learning program that uses quizzes to help you to learn new vocabulary.
You have to spend only 5-15 minutes a day. The course is divided into multiple interactive lessons that are dedicated to different themes: food, numbers, family, hobbies, traveling and many others. The lessons become more and more complicated as you progress.
It features a “Daily challenges” system that motivates you to learn and practice new skills every day. You might even compare your scores and achievements with your friends who also use Duolingo. Duolingo a website, app, and software that has various language learning courses and Hebrew is one of them.
- Price: Free
Teach me Hebrew is another place to learn Hebrew. The program guides you starting from the very basics. It teaches you the Hebrew alphabet, grammar, useful phrases and more through examples and funny dialogues. Each dialogue is dedicated to a different topic, such as weather, on the phone, family, directions and more. Most of the lessons also include transcription and clear audio recorded by a native speaker.
Here you can also find some popular Israeli songs in Hebrew with translation and pronunciation. This will help you learn more about Israeli culture.
Check out the various resources that Teach me Hebrew has on its website. Don’t forget to take a look at their “Hebrew frequency list – 10,000 most common words” to make sure you learn all the basic vocabulary.
- Price: Free
The Rosetta Stone software uses immersion as a key instrument to help you entertainingly learn Hebrew just like you learned your native language.
They have developed a speech-recognition tool that is claimed to recognize what you say, correct it and help you develop a real Hebrew accent.
You can download Rosetta Stone to your PC and your mobile device as well, the lessons will automatically sync across all your devices.
It’s one of the best programs for those who don’t like dealing with difficult grammar rules.
- Price: Depends on the plan duration you choose to buy.
This language learning software is excellent for people who need to learn Hebrew quickly. You get a feature that helps you compare your pronunciation with native speakers and improve yours.
It’s the best solution for the beginner Hebrew learner. You start with the calendar, numbers, asking directions, and other popular and useful topics.
Memorize and learn the new vocabulary and phrases from the lessons in a fun way. It offers interactive language learning quizzes and games.
- Price: $29
These are some of the best programs to learn Hebrew.
Which one should you choose?
It’s up to you. One start is as good as another. As much as people want to claim that there are “secret weapons to mastering language,” the only thing you need is consistency and time.
So, whichever you go with, as long as you put in time and effort, you can and will learn Hebrew. An imperfect start is better than no start. And perfect starts don’t exist.
– The Main Junkie
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