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Why You Should Try Yabla for Language Learning – and Why Not!

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Yabla is that somewhat weird and old-looking language app. 😉

But don’t let looks deceive you. When it comes to getting out of the intermediate learning stage, few apps can help you more than Yabla.

Yabla can boost all language skills of intermediate learners, but it especially shines in the listening department.

In this post, we’ll take a look at why you should use Yabla to learn languages…. And why not!

What Is Yabla, Anyway!? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yabla is an interactive video-based language learning platform. It provides learners with access to authentic video content in their target language.

Yabla’s synchronized subtitles, playback controls, quizzes, and games allow you to dissect what’s being said in a video. It makes for entertaining and effective language learning.

Imagine learning Spanish by watching your favorite telenovela or understanding French through real-life interviews in Paris. That’s Yabla in a nutshell.

Why You Should Use Yabla for Language Learning ✅

Here’s why you should try Yabla:

➕ Immersion without travel ❌🧳

Travel is cool and like the summit of language learning. But with Yabla, you don’t have to leave your couch to get authentic immersion.

People featured in Yabla’s videos are native speakers, meaning you don’t just hear the language. Instead, you actually experience its rhythm, intonation, and cultural nuances in real time.

All the culture, none of the jetlag!

➕ Interactive learning that feels like play 🛝

At Smart Language Learner we’re fans of working hard to achieve our language dreams. If you’re only after fun, you’ll stop the moment language learning gets boring… and it will.

But with Yabla, you can avoid the boredom for a while more. Learning is more enjoyable when it doesn’t feel like work. So let’s ride that wave while we can, shall we?

Truth is: With Yabla, clicking on a word or watching a video feels like part of a game, not a study session.

➕ Binge-watch and learn at the same time 📺➕🏫

Binge-watching often gets a bad rap. It’s considered an activity for the mentally weak who are not progressing with their life. 

It’s like a mental trap, endless hours glued to the screen while your dreams evaporate through your sweat caused by the tense scenes of your favorite drama series.

With Yabla however, you can turn that “weakness” into a strength. You can binge-watch TV series in your target language and pick up new vocabulary naturally as you go.

Learn while you binge, guilt-free!

➕ Choose your own adventure 🔀

Rigid lesson paths are beneficial for beginner learners. As you get more advanced, though, they can also hold you back. 

With Yabla, you decide the next step, whether it’s a travel vlog, an episode of a soap opera, or a documentary. After all… It’s your language journey.

➕ Listening power 👂🏻

To improve your listening skills in your target language, you need to… listen a lot. And you need to listen to native speakers.

Yabla’s content is all native speakers. Oh, and no robotic voices here—just real people speaking like they do in their daily lives.

➕Learning for less than a latte ☕

At just $12.95/month, Yabla is more affordable than other language apps. 

That’s about $0.43/day.  Less than a cup of coffee if you grab it from that hipster joint on the corner, where they use more foam than actual coffee!

And it gets even cheaper if you pay yearly: around $0.27/day.

Skip the foam, learn more!

Why You Should Not Use Yabla for Language Learning ❌

Here are a few reasons why Yabla may not be for you.

➖ Grammar ghosts 👻

Need elaborate grammar explanations for everything you learn? Better look elsewhere as you won’t find much of that in Yabla.

Yabla is laser-focused on immersion through authentic video content; it’s not a virtual version of your nagging high-school language teacher.

Yabla’s grammar-free zone helps you absorb natural language patterns. But if you’re a grammar-first learner, you might feel lost.

➖ Subscription blues 💶

Like almost anything else in life, Yabla isn’t free. You’ll need a subscription to keep the learning going.

The good news?

Yabla offers a 15-day free trial

You’ve got 15 days to see if Yabla is your perfect language partner.

➖ Visual overload📺

Kicking in an open door: Yabla leans heavily on video. 

It even shows video segments in its games and quizzes.

We think that’s a good thing, but…

You do have to stare at a screen all the time. If you prefer audio-only, Yabla is not for you.

➖ Retro vibes ⏪

Fan of sleek modern apps?

If so… Brace yourself.

Yabla will make you feel like you’re stepping back in time. Its interface is functional but not flashy. It looks like an app straight out of 2006.

New users are initially surprised by the outdated aesthetics, expecting a more modern look from a language-learning platform.

Frankly, at Smart Language Learner, we don’t care if an app looks like a potato, we care about how it can help us learn. Substance over style. 

➖ Beginner’s bummer 🐣

Just starting to learn a new language? 

Yabla probably isn’t the best fit for you.

Why?

Yabla uses authentic, real-world content. Great for immersion, but as a beginner, it might feel like being thrown into the deep end of a pool.

To be fair, Yabla does have beginner content, but that’s just to disguise what it really is: 

A cool language-learning platform for intermediate learners and beyond.

Pros Tipping the Scale for You? ⚖️

If so, the next step is to try Yabla for yourself.

Taking Yabla for a spin doesn’t cost you anything. It’s freeeeeeeeeee! :

As mentioned, Yabla offers a free 15-day trial. You won’t be charged until the trial ends, and you can end the trial at any time before that.

But even before registering, you can try some demo videos and corresponding games. The videos and games are at the core of Yabla’s functionality.

You can try them below:


Get a taste of what Yabla offers without purchasing a subscription

Check out the free demo videos below:

Yabla Spanish Free Videos

Yabla French Free Videos

Yabla German Free Videos

Yabla Italian Free Videos

Yabla Chinese Free Videos

Yabla English Free Videos

Are the Cons a Dealbreaker? ❌

We get it…

Yabla isn’t perfect.

Maybe the pros and cons we discussed earlier convinced you that Yabla isn’t for you. That’s fine!

What works for one person might not work for another. Like how one person’s “hair of the dog” hangover cure is another person’s recipe for calling in sick to work… again.

In short, there are plenty of other language learning tools out there that might suit your needs better. 

The Final Verdict: Should You Try Yabla or Not? 🤔

Whether you should try Yabla comes down to your personal learning preferences. 

Some people need books and elaborate grammar explanations, while others prefer videos and language apps.

Remember also that if you’re an absolute beginner, Yabla may come too early for you.

Our advice? 

Check out the demo videos above, and if you like them, take Yabla for a free 15-day test drive

Further reading:

 

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