¡Hola todo el mundo! Es Kara con un actualización de español.
(Hi everyone! It’s Kara with a Spanish update.)
In my previous blog post, I shared that I wanted to practice listening to and speaking more Spanish. Enter Tandem, the language exchange app that I decided to try out this week.
I had a lot to say about this app and the other online resources I tested out this week, so I decided to do my update vlog-style again. My video ended up being a bit longer than I anticipated, so no hard feelings if you don’t want to watch all of it. Feel free to scroll down to my written highlights below.
TL; DW (Too Long; Didn’t Watch) Summary
Tandem – a language exchange app where you can chat with native speakers from around the world in a variety of different languages. You get the opportunity to practice the language you want to learn, while also helping out others who want to learn your native language.
Pros:
- the app offers both written and audio messaging functions, so you can read, write, listen, and speak in your language of choice
- the app also offers live video calling (I did not try this function, as I did not feel comfortable)
- ‘translate’ and ‘comment’ options are embedded right into the messaging platform, so you can translate what someone has said into English if you don’t understand or offer corrections on how to say things properly
- the app has clearly-defined community guidelines, and you have to be accepted into the community after putting some basic information into your profile
- there is always someone on the app ready to chat with you
- way to practice basic get-to-know-you phrases and topics of conversation
- the app will flag messages that are sketchy or suspicious
- free version is more than sufficient; don’t need to have the paid version IMO
Cons:
- despite its terms clearly stating that it is NOT a dating app, Tandem has been called “the Tinder of language exchange apps,” and you do get flirty messages or requests to chat on WhatsApp
- the number of messages and requests to chat can be overwhelming
- not great if you are only at a beginner level, as you are limited in what you can say and understand (I had Google Translate open while using this app, so I could try to talk about new things and figure out how to say things I didn’t know yet)
- can be a big time suck (once I got into a conversation with a few people, I would be on the app for over an hour)
Overall, I think Tandem can be an interesting language-learning tool if you are willing to overlook some of its annoying ‘cons.’
News In Slow Spanish – a website that offers short news stories that are 100% written and read aloud in basic Spanish. The website also has podcast-like lessons on a variety of grammar and vocabulary topics that you can listen to (but also read at the same time, as they have included scripts to accompany them).
Pros:
- allows you to read about current topics in Spanish and learn new words in an authentic context
- news articles are read at a slow pace, and you can change the speed to be slower or faster
- offers pop-up icons with English translations of phrases or words the reader might not know
- variety of other resources on the website
- offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of news articles
Cons:
- you need a subscription to access full news articles and resources (free trial for one week)
In summary, I really like this platform, but don’t anticipate I will pay $23 US each month to keep this service after my free trial ends.
¿Ahora Que? (What Now?)
- continue with Duolingo, Drops, and Tandem
- listen to some Spanish-learning podcasts
- check out some Spanish content on TikTok
¡Gracias por leer mi publicación! (Thanks for reading my post!)
Hasta la proxima vez (Until next time),
-KKF
KKF Learning to Teach 
I have been out of the Spanish Language apps for many years, so this is nice to see you playing around with things. Have you considered traveling to Espana (please insert accent)?
Also, do you have a European Spanish accent, or a Latin America accent?
Hi Brian! I absolutely love to travel, and Spain is definitely on the list (along with a variety of other Spanish-speaking countries). Both Lingoda and Duolingo have been good for providing phrases that differ from country to country. Spanish has evolved in such interesting ways around the world! As for my accent, that is a great question… I would guess my accent is probably Latin American, as I’ve been chatting with people from South American mostly and doing Mexican Spanish on Drops.
Kara, super interesting post!! I thought the Tandem app sounds super cool in some ways, and then I literally laughed out loud when you talked about it being “the Tinder of language exchange apps.” And then the screen shot of the flirty messages… oh boy lol! It certainly is a good reminder to teachers and parents to vet the digital tools that kids will be using. On the surface, the chance to converse in your own language seems like a great opportunity! However, any live app comes with those inherent dangers and it’s easy to overlook them in the excitement of the possibilities of a particular resource.
Glad my post was good for a laugh, Janeen! Tandem is an interesting app with a great premise, but it definitely gives off a vibe of a dating app in some ways, which isn’t my favourite. Luckily, I’m an adult who has some knowledge on digital safety – I definitely wouldn’t be recommending Tandem to youth who are learning a language. It’s all been a great learning experience though, and I have found a few users on that app who have been lovely to chat with.
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