Five Daily Learning Apps to Try After Duolingo
Regardless of your opinion , Duolingo does one thing: it makes daily skill practice easier. The app is focused on language learning, but you can also find lessons in math, music, and even chess . However, there are many other subjects worth exploring, and countless ways to use gamification to master new skills and improve your quality of life. Here are five I’ve found:
Learn geography with Globo.
I love to travel and learn about the world, but I admit there are some regions I’m not very familiar with. Globo is an app for iOS and Android that tests your knowledge of flags, capitals, and more, while sharing interesting facts along the way. There are courses for every continent if you want to focus on a specific region, or you can take a combined global course and explore the entire planet.
I’ve been playing this app for about a week, and I generally like it. I like how questions I answered incorrectly appear in future quizzes. Of course, I feel like I’ll run out of content quickly, which is a bit frustrating, but considering the app is free and doesn’t require a subscription, I think it’s worth a try.
Learn art history with Learn Art.
Learn Art is a free app for iPhone and iPad from developer Norman Martin . It features slideshows of classic works of art from European history. Tap the screen to learn the history of each piece. You can also take an interactive quiz on art history.
Frankly, art history isn’t my area of expertise. However, after playing with this app for a couple of days, I found I could identify more artists than before, and it’s at least nice to have access to high-resolution scans of numerous classic works of art right on my iPad. If you’re even slightly interested in art history, I’d recommend giving it a try. The app is free, but there’s in-game currency you can earn by answering questions correctly or spending money. This wasn’t a big deal during my testing.
Learn to play musical instruments with Yousician.
I’ve been wanting to start playing guitar again for a while, so I’ve been testing out various apps. Yousician seems like a great starting point if in-person lessons aren’t available. This app uses your device’s microphone, so you can use a real instrument to learn real songs. The guitar version, which I tested for a few days, combines video lessons with Guitar Hero-style practice sessions. The beginner lessons even include a backing track, which can be helpful for those who prefer playing along to a real song. This makes the initial stages of learning an instrument, which can be tedious, engaging.
There are also courses for piano, ukulele, bass guitar, and vocals. If you’d like to try it out, there’s a limited free version, but you may have to click the “X” in the pop-up window to enter your credit card number if you don’t want to pay. Plans start at $7.49 per month.
Learn to type with TypingClub.
Want to type faster or more accurately? The free website TypingClub is perfect for that. It offers touch typing lessons starting with the basics, with tests to gradually improve your level. Lessons unlock as you progress. If the first lessons seem too easy, you can always take a test to get a higher score.
Memorize anything with Anki flashcards.
I didn’t grow up in the US, which means I didn’t learn the state capitals and their locations as a child. At some point, I got tired of not knowing where everything was, so I downloaded Anki . It’s an open-source app for all platforms that simplifies learning with flashcards. The system is self-monitoring: you report how easily you found the correct answer. The system is set up to continually present you with topics that are challenging for you. You can create your own decks or use any of the thousands of decks offered on the site. After mastering the US states, I’m moving on to learning the Mexican ones. I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to memorize, too.