Learn French, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages for free with busuu

Language-learning network has good potential, but questionable content

Learning rating

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Privacy rating

Expert evaluation by Common Sense

Grades

11–12

Subjects & Skills

English Language Arts, English-Language Learning, World Languages

Price: Free, Free to try, Paid
Platforms: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, Chrome

Pros: Provides opportunities for authentic conversation and useful on-the-go vocabulary.

Cons: Some images and content raise serious questions. Learning potential is superficial.

Bottom Line: Despite the useful focus on language in real-world situations, this app is not appropriate for kids or teens.

If you choose to use busuu with students, do so with caution. Be sure to review any assigned units for appropriate content. Encourage kids to visit the Help Others section to offer feedback on others’ submissions, and to consider their own possible mistakes in learning another language. Encourage kids to use the Travel Course as a reference tool and to construct dialogues and skits about visiting another country.

busuu is a social network for learning 12 world languages. Users progress through vocabulary sections, quizzes, and writing exercises at four levels of fluency. Each language includes a specially designed Travel Course, with travel-ready vocabulary and phrases. Social networking features allow users to log in with Facebook or Google Plus and, at the end of each module, to share their progress on Facebook.

The Help Others section encourages users to correct other users’ exercises, so ELL students can use their native languages to help non-native speakers as well as receive feedback on their own submissions. The free app offers access to one language and some content. Additional in-app purchases offer access to more features (more quizzes and higher-level units); annual premium memberships offer further grammar exercises, goal-setting tools, and access to other languages.

Oddly, built-in quizzes seem to test cognates more often than novel vocabulary, making many multiple-choice questions missed opportunities for learning. Quizzes on dialogues are equally frustrating, often testing superficial details rather than deeper comprehension. Although it’s helpful that vocabulary usually includes a sentence and image, content can be inappropriate for kids and teens, featuring sex, alcohol, and smoking. Other content features racial and ethnic stereotypes and is inappropriate for any audience.

Getting feedback from native speakers is an exciting idea, but the range and quality of content is inconsistent. When users click Help Others, it’s easy to select a user’s entry and respond, but harder to know the question they responded to. Between the questionable content and limited depth, users should look elsewhere for a kid-friendly language-learning app.

Learning Rating

Overall Rating
Engagement

Features for social interaction and self direction are helpful, but content is presented with little variation and limited capacity for quick review. 

Pedagogy

Quizzes offer a nice mix of skills, but few assessments test for deep learning or adjust based on users' responses. Some racy content also includes racial and gender stereotypes.

Support

Users can easily track the number of "busuu-berries" they've earned and see how far they're progressed through each lesson, but the focus is on quantity, not quality.

Common Sense reviewer

Community Rating

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Privacy Rating

Data Safety How safe is this product?

  • Unclear whether this product supports interactions between trusted users.
  • Users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
  • Personal information can be displayed publicly.

Data Rights What rights do I have to the data?

  • Users can create or upload content.
  • Processes to access or review user data are available.
  • Processes to modify data are available for authorized users.

Ads & Tracking Are there advertisements or tracking?

  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays traditional or contextual advertisements.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.

Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.

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