Glossika: Language Learning 4+

Pretty solid overall, could use a couple of tweaks

4.5 stars

I haven’t been using the app for long, but already find it easier to listen to media in my target language, Finnish. The repetition/muscle memory model really seems to be an effective learning method for me. Also, this is one of the few resources that teach you to speak and understand spoken language, which is extremely beneficial.

That being said, just a couple of suggestions. 1. Tailor things more to individual languages. For example, Finnish has a second person plural ending when speaking to more than one person or in a more polite manner (te -tte, -nne instead of sinä -t). It would be very helpful to hear how to use this when speaking. Like I said, I’m very new to the app, so maybe it’s addresses later on, but a little over halfway through A1, still nothing. 2. Have a way to repeat the previous sentence. I think #1 of these would be the most beneficial. Other than that, great app, use it every day.

Developer Response ,

Thanks for the positive review! To respond to your comments: 

——— 1) we're developing a sister platform, Viva, which will dramatically expand the amount of content we're able to offer. This will go a long ways in terms of letting us tailor our course to individual users and also highlighting unique aspects of specific languages.

———2) Strictly speaking, this isn't us not letting you do 1 review session per day. The algorithm works in real time, so at any given moment, there are only a finite amount of items that the algorithm has been determined should be reviewed now. Having said that, we're actually in the process of adjusting our algorithm, and one of the changes to be made is to let a user "overlearn" and continue reviewing, even if the algorithm doesn't have any sentences identified as "overdue for review"

———3) A "back" button has been on our radar for awhile. I can't make any promises as to when it'll be in the app, but it's something we'd like to add, at some point.

—Sami

How is this supposed to work?

I know the creators of this app are in the process of making a new product and I hope that works out for them because I like the concept of Glossika. I struggle to use flashcard apps but I know the benefits of SRS are real, I’m good at listening to things on the go and I do better with auditory memory. Thus, I finally caved and gave Glossika a try for Spanish. 5 minutes into and I was immensely underwhelmed. There’s no theme or clear progression to the words/phrases. You can go from “Is this spicy?” to “You look dreadful” to “Do you have insurance?” These are phrases I barely use in English (who even says dreadful), let alone would group together in Spanish. Now I’m not arguing for this to be a phrasebook, but the phrases are so nonsensical that the English stands out more than the Spanish. Keeping some kind of theme or pulling words previously taught into the newer sentences to help you build more connections between words would be useful. Even if it was just blocks of synonyms or similar demonstrating how sentence structure might change or stay the same when you swap out certain words, even when the sentences have close connotations. I guess what I want is context plus SRS and this isn’t it.

Love the concept. Pricing far too high and is not congruent with delivered quality.

Lots of bugs. Some sentences repeat multiple times in a row. The app can be laggy and glitchy. Some of the IPA pronunciation guides are just copies of the written sentence. Some of the recordings seem way off. Some recordings seem cut off. Why are all of the voices male? Would be nice to mix in female voices. The pricing, in my view, is way too high for the quality delivered. However, this is a one of a kind product and might justify premium pricing IF the quality of the app were higher. Pimsleur is a fully fleshed out product with decades of refinement. It has many more features and is produced in a studio with excellent sound quality and pronunciation feedback. I’m rooting for Glossika. I hope they can improve. Please consider reducing your price points. The pricing is far too premium for what this app does. I love the idea of Glossika and would love to continue using it but the quality and pricing just don’t align for me right now.

Developer Response ,

Hi DigitalNomadSF —

Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback, and for your support despite the (constructive) criticism. While I can't promise an immediate fix, I can say that content (and content quality) is one of our primary concerns now that both of our apps are out. Our content production engine, Viva, is on track for release late this year, and Viva will allow us to overhaul a lot of our content: massively more sentences, a variety of voices for each language, a much more straightforward way to fix typos/re-record clipped audio, and all sorts of great stuff. I'm really excited for it, even as an employee.


That in mind, I encourage you to check back in with us around Black Friday!
Sincerely,
—Sami