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Abstract

ls/">France Langue</a> — French language proficiency levels.</figcaption></figure><p id="e361">While the service is mostly free, there is a premium feature on Busuu where you can get a more proper language test done and therefore, a proper certificate from <a href="https://www.busuu.com/en/how-to/mcgraw-hill-certificates">McGraw-Hill</a> (yes, the publishing textbook company), which might look good on a resume.</p><h1 id="f6d2">Busuu allows individuals to learn language through self-paced lessons, ranging from a variety of every-day topics, including but not limited to: ordering food, buying a new house, and many more.</h1><p id="8f50">So far, I like the practical utility of the website as it provides a bit more of a <a href="https://insights.learnlight.com/en/articles/conversation-practice-is-key-to-learning-a-language/#:~:text=Learning%20by%20doing,Hopman%20and%20Maryellen%20C.">conversationalist approach</a> compared to traditional and static language learning. The phrases and terms employed include some proper professional terms (like financial lingo used in a corporate office) and occasional slang (such as abbreviations you might text to friends while sharing a meme).</p><figure id="e8a4"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*UKJgxmbsZnAQvHQu.jpg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://www.busuu.com/">Busuu </a>— screenshot sample for Spanish learners.</figcaption></figure><h1 id="83cc">The voices that accompany the flashcards come with very clean visuals, which might give Quizlet a serious run for its money.</h1><p id="7b33">This makes it easier for my <a href="https://www.fluentu.com/blog/language-learning-styles/">visual learning brain</a> to conceptualize. Plus, I can revisit the modules as many times as needed. However, my only real caveat is that I can’t access some modules as they require you to pay for the premium. As mentioned earlier, I’ve been rocking a Busuu meter that says I’m 95% proficient in the entire French course. If you retake the French proficiency test and you score well, you can bypass the premium modules and not have to worry too much about them. Also, I just found out <a href="https://quizlet.com/features/Busuu">Quizlet has a Busuu component</a> which is great for students.</p><h1 id="c763">You get to listen to recordings and actually write out what you think you can hear.</h1><p id="634a">In real life, multiple people are going to talk at a speed that seems super rapid and if I can’t understand what they’re saying, then that’s on me to develop the practice and patience to know the basics. Busuu emulates the real-world experience a bit better but not a replacement for actual conversations obviously. It’s a huge departure from Duolingo, where the French speakers talk a bit slower with less urgency.</p><p id="09ba">On the downside, Busuu is a bit more strict on spelling and the use of accents, so if yo

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u struggle to write big words in a fancy language and cannot live without any semblance of the coveted holy grail that is called <a href="http://jte.sru.ac.ir/article_993_en.html">autocorrect</a>, Duolingo might accommodate that better. However, it makes sense to not make these language writing mistakes because a word’s meaning can change if an accent or letter is randomly missing.</p><figure id="fc05"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*SmyfGYJqm64PPVuw"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@briant_raw?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Ilias Chebbi</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a> — Listening to others is great.</figcaption></figure><h1 id="ff24">Your written or speaking exercises are corrected by native language professionals.</h1><p id="8ea7"><b>This is a unique feature to Busuu.</b> As I did French language lessons, sometimes random people in the world (who were learning English) would send mass requests to get random English people to correct their orally recorded or written exercise. I didn’t mind helping out here and there and the few French speakers I stumbled upon provided pointers on how to sound less formal in certain contexts.</p><p id="ace1">As someone pointed out, a native speaker might have internal insights that a teacher cannot offer, such as tips and pointers relating to contemporary vernacular or slang. However, a native speaker may not necessarily know why a phrase is coined a certain way. For example, an ESL speaker asked me why “it’s raining cats and dogs” and honestly I did’t know because I’m not well-attuned to the <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/">etymological history</a> of English. I had to <a href="https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/item/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-its-raining-cats-and-dogs/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CCats%20and%20dogs%E2%80%9D%20may%20come,raining%20unusually%20or%20unbelievably%20hard.&text=A%20false%20theory%20stated%20that,washed%20out%20during%20heavy%20rains.">Google that</a>. Plus, it’s a pretty old-fashioned phrase and my understanding of English in Canada might be different from an English person in living Ireland versus someone who speaks English in Australia.</p><figure id="cba2"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*JbAYlwciv99MPAAG.png"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://www.busuu.com/en/how-to/help-others">Busuu</a> — Helping others is fun.</figcaption></figure><h2 id="85a0">Overall, I think Busuu is a pretty great resource.</h2><p id="e0dc">I found a nifty article from Busuu to help <a href="https://blog.busuu.com/language-learning-habit/">motivate and foster language learning</a> through goal-orientation. Regardless of why you are learning a new language, I think language learning can be quite fun, as long as you pace yourself.</p></article></body>

Busuu as a French Learner

A Review From an Aspiring Therapist

Founded in May 2008 by Bernard Niesner and Adrian Hilti, Busuu is an AI-powered language learning app that you can use on the computer and/or your phone. As of 2020, Busuu houses more than 100 million registered users.

Busuu is appropriately named because it is an endangered language that is spoken by only a few people in Cameroon. Naming the app Busuu brings awareness and interest in the language’s revival, something that the app is quite passionate about.

You can do a language aptitude test that estimates your level of language proficiency.

I went to use Busuu as another method for improving my French. Pursuing French was more of a professional endeavour as I live in Canada, and bilingualism is a sought after trait, particularly in the workforce, including, the mental health professions. English is my native language and I’m constantly trying to find new ways to update my French proficiency.

Busuu’s language testing estimated that I was close to a Level A1 (Beginner Level) in French, but after a few months of using the app, alongside Youtube videos, readings, and Duolingo, I managed a revised testing score of B2 (Upper Intermediate). I’ve since completed 95% of the overall French Busuu course, where B2 is the max.

If you’re wondering what these numbers mean, you can check out this website (or even the picture below). The numbers are pretty important if you wanted to do a language test in places like Europe to verify your language abilities. C2 is what each person should try to aim for, as this is the top level.

Photo by France Langue — French language proficiency levels.

While the service is mostly free, there is a premium feature on Busuu where you can get a more proper language test done and therefore, a proper certificate from McGraw-Hill (yes, the publishing textbook company), which might look good on a resume.

Busuu allows individuals to learn language through self-paced lessons, ranging from a variety of every-day topics, including but not limited to: ordering food, buying a new house, and many more.

So far, I like the practical utility of the website as it provides a bit more of a conversationalist approach compared to traditional and static language learning. The phrases and terms employed include some proper professional terms (like financial lingo used in a corporate office) and occasional slang (such as abbreviations you might text to friends while sharing a meme).

Photo by Busuu — screenshot sample for Spanish learners.

The voices that accompany the flashcards come with very clean visuals, which might give Quizlet a serious run for its money.

This makes it easier for my visual learning brain to conceptualize. Plus, I can revisit the modules as many times as needed. However, my only real caveat is that I can’t access some modules as they require you to pay for the premium. As mentioned earlier, I’ve been rocking a Busuu meter that says I’m 95% proficient in the entire French course. If you retake the French proficiency test and you score well, you can bypass the premium modules and not have to worry too much about them. Also, I just found out Quizlet has a Busuu component which is great for students.

You get to listen to recordings and actually write out what you think you can hear.

In real life, multiple people are going to talk at a speed that seems super rapid and if I can’t understand what they’re saying, then that’s on me to develop the practice and patience to know the basics. Busuu emulates the real-world experience a bit better but not a replacement for actual conversations obviously. It’s a huge departure from Duolingo, where the French speakers talk a bit slower with less urgency.

On the downside, Busuu is a bit more strict on spelling and the use of accents, so if you struggle to write big words in a fancy language and cannot live without any semblance of the coveted holy grail that is called autocorrect, Duolingo might accommodate that better. However, it makes sense to not make these language writing mistakes because a word’s meaning can change if an accent or letter is randomly missing.

Photo by Ilias Chebbi on Unsplash — Listening to others is great.

Your written or speaking exercises are corrected by native language professionals.

This is a unique feature to Busuu. As I did French language lessons, sometimes random people in the world (who were learning English) would send mass requests to get random English people to correct their orally recorded or written exercise. I didn’t mind helping out here and there and the few French speakers I stumbled upon provided pointers on how to sound less formal in certain contexts.

As someone pointed out, a native speaker might have internal insights that a teacher cannot offer, such as tips and pointers relating to contemporary vernacular or slang. However, a native speaker may not necessarily know why a phrase is coined a certain way. For example, an ESL speaker asked me why “it’s raining cats and dogs” and honestly I did’t know because I’m not well-attuned to the etymological history of English. I had to Google that. Plus, it’s a pretty old-fashioned phrase and my understanding of English in Canada might be different from an English person in living Ireland versus someone who speaks English in Australia.

Overall, I think Busuu is a pretty great resource.

I found a nifty article from Busuu to help motivate and foster language learning through goal-orientation. Regardless of why you are learning a new language, I think language learning can be quite fun, as long as you pace yourself.