Mondly Review: What Have I Really Learned with This App?

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Krystyna
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Mondly Review

WHAT IS MONDLY: An app designed to help users learn new languages. It offers interactive lessons and various features to make the learning experience engaging and effective.

WHICH LANGUAGES CAN YOU LEARN: More than 40 languages including popular ones like Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and many more.

WHO IS IT FOR: Any one from beginner to a intermediate learner who are looking to learn a new language. 

QUICK VERDICT: Mondly has innovative features such as Mondly AR and Mondly VR, and its partnership with Pearson adds credibility. Although it is suitable for beginners, real-world language use requires full engagement and a variety of resources. Mondly is a solid starting point that provides a safe space for initial language study.

PROs

  • Affordable subscription options.
  • Compact, interactive lessons
  • Specific grammar lessons
  • Free language phrasebooks

CONs

  • Lack of teaching on various writing systems or alphabets
  • Monthly and yearly plans limited to one language
  • Limited speaking practice
  • Beginners may feel thrown into quizzes.

Mondly is one of the most popular language-learning apps with more than 10 million downloads – just on Google Play. Unsurprisingly, you may consider using Mondly to learn a new language.

But just how does Mondly stack up? Is it really worth using the freemium version of the app, or is paying the subscription fee best? What special features does Mondly offer that helps you learn better than another language-learning solution?

Here’s my honest and comprehensive review of Mondly so you can decide for yourself whether it’s worth it.

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What Language Did I Try to Learn on Mondly?

I’ve been learning languages since I can remember, and it’s become a hobby that helps me relax, brings me joy, and improves my cognitive functions. I’ve been using Duolingo for more than a year to help me revise Italian and Turkish, but I wanted to test out various other language-learning platforms to see how they compare to Duolingo and discover which are best.

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS REVIEW

With Mondly, I decided to learn Spanish and I completed a lesson every day and also explored the conversation lesson in the lesson stack.

Since I’d also been dabbling with Spanish on Duolingo, I wanted to see how Mondly compares. By the end of the first week, I completed the Hello lesson stack and the daily lessons. I only spent about 5 minutes a day learning since Mondly’s lessons are compact and made to be completed in a short time.

What Is Mondly?

Mondly Homepage copy

Mondly is a language-learning platform created in 2014. Headquartered in Brasov, Romania, the founders are Alex Iliescu and Tudor Iliescu.

The company’s mission is to make language learning fun and easy with technology, building bridges to connect people and cultures.

In 2020, the app became part of Pearson, a multinational education and publication company.

The Mondly website is available in 15 languages, from English, French, and Spanish to German, Arabic, and Chinese, making it quite accessible no matter what language(s) you speak.

Mondly has won various awards, like the Best New App, App of the Year, Editor’s Choice, and App of the Year from the App Store, Google Play, and FbStart from Facebook.

The company has a mobile app on Google Play, App Store, and Huawei’s App Gallery.

What Languages Are Available on Mondly?

Mondly offers multiple languages that you can learn, including the usual ones and even some choices you may not have previously considered.

Mondly Languages

Here’s a complete list of the 40+ Mondly languages:

  1. Afrikaans 
  2. Arabic 
  3. Bengali
  4. Bulgarian
  5. Catalan 
  6. Chinese (Mandarin)
  7. Croatian 
  8. Czech
  9. Danish 
  10. Dutch 
  11. English – UK 
  12. English – USA 
  13. Finnish 
  14. French 
  15. German 
  16. Greek 
  17. Hebrew
  18. Hindi
  19. Hungarian
  20. Indonesian
  21. Italian 
  22. Japanese 
  23. Korean 
  24. Latin 
  25. Latvian
  26. Lithuanian 
  27. Norwegian 
  28. Persian 
  29. Polish
  30. Portuguese (Brazil) 
  31. Portuguese (Portugal) 
  32. Romanian
  33. Russian 
  34. Slovak
  35. Spanish (Spain)
  36. Swedish 
  37. Tagalog 
  38. Thai
  39. Turkish
  40. Ukrainian 
  41. Urdu
  42. Vietnamese

You can also learn the target language in 33 native languages, such as English, Afrikaans, Spanish, Polish, Croatian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Greek, Danish, and French. However, what language you are most proficient in determines what target languages you can learn.

The benefit of learning with Mondly is that you can learn almost all the languages the app offers no matter what your native language is. For example, if you speak American English, you can learn 40 languages, but if you speak Norwegian, you have access to 41 languages.

What Is Mondly’s Approach?

Mondly Language Approach

While Mondly offers gamified language learning, its teaching approach is backed by science. The app combines neural science and cutting-edge technology to help you become fluent.

Mondly:

  • Focuses on teaching you complete phrases and not individual words, giving you context, which helps you learn faster. 
  • Provides audio from native speakers so you are exposed to natural language in the learning process. 
  • Ensures you practice real conversations with its chatbot, state-of-the-art speech recognition software, and courses in augmented reality (AR).
  • Has you repeating what you’ve learned in tested, effective intervals.

While Mondly aims to get you fluent as fast as possible, that depends on how much time you put into learning the target language. A mere 5 minutes a day with Mondly’s compact lessons are not enough to get you fluent. And while you may think that you are ready for real-world conversations, that is almost always an overestimation.

Factors like anxiety, feeling put on the spot, and dealing with regional pronunciations (which differ from the native recordings on an app) all influence how well you’ll cope with real-life situations.

So while Mondly has a great approach to learning, you’ll only become fluent in the new language if you have a natural aptitude for learning languages and if you’ve had previous exposure to the language.

So while the main Mondly app is effective, it’s even better when you use all of Mondly’s language-learning apps (which are complementary to each other) and supplementary resources.
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Krystyna
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All About the Language Courses and Exercises on Mondly

You can use the Mondly app for free, but you only have access to the “Hello” lesson stack, chatbot, and a daily lesson. The daily lesson or quiz is a little more advanced than what you learn in the Hello stack (especially if you are a beginner), but it can be useful to learn random things in the target language.

You can decide if you want to start at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced level of the target language. Since I chose Spanish (which isn’t one of the 8 languages I speak), I chose the beginner option.

I could start learning on the freemium version without sharing personal details with Mondly (the website version).

Looking at the lessons, Mondly has a lot of content. I counted 39 categories for beginner Spanish, each with more than 100 words and 50+ phrases. Most of these categories or lesson stacks require an estimated 120 minutes to go through all the lessons, conversation, and vocabulary recap tool.

You can learn Core Vocabulary, Grammar 1-3, and about Food & Drinks, Objects & Numbers, Travel, Romance, Animals, and so much more.

Mondly Learning Path

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The First Lesson in the Hello Lesson Stack on Mondly

The exercises on Mondly as pretty much standard. Here are the details for the first lesson on “My Family” in the “Hello” stack:

In the first lesson, I learned a total of nine phrases, with various translation exercises.

I like the progression bar (very faintly in a turquoise blue) at the top of the lesson so I could see how far into the lesson I am at all times.

First, you have four images and you have to match the orange English phrases to the correct Spanish versions in blue, one at a time.

Mondly Exercise Type 1

In a vertical Tinder-style exercise, I had to swipe up or down to match the phrases.

Mondly Exercise Type 2

From phrases, the app went directly into sentences. For the first one, I had to complete the sentence with one word.

Mondly Exercise Type 3

Mondly also informed me that I had some help. Clicking on the word gives you the translation (Duolingo-style), and for the verbs, it gives you the conjugation table. I like that I could listen to the verb forms to help me get more familiar with them.

Mondly Grammar Help

I had less help next since I had to translate complete sentences.

Mondly Exercise Type 4

Learning what “hello” is in Spanish felt out of place considering I was learning about the terms “mom, dad, brother, and sister.”

Mondly Exercise Type 5

And lastly, I had some exercises where I had to choose the correct translation option.

Mondly Exercise Type 6

Mondly has two “lesson completed”!” screens. The first one told me how many phrases I learned and it also showed me what I learned.

Clicking on one of these is like an extra review at the end of the lesson because I could listen to what the terms are in Spanish.

Mondly Lesson Completed

The next one told me I got 3/3 stars, completed the lesson in 3 minutes, learned 9 words and 5+ phrases, and it was my first day of learning. I also got points because a Leadership board is one of the motivation methods on Mondly.

Mondly Lesson Completed Congratulations

More About the Hello Lesson Stack

In the “Hello” lesson stack, there were also lessons on Greetings, Meeting People, I Have…, I Drink …, and Introductions. There was also a vocab-specific lesson to recap all the phrases I learned in the 6 lessons.

Mondly Lessons Hello stack

You can do a chatbot conversation lesson.

Mondly Hello Lesson Stack Conversation Chatbot

The chatbot lesson helps you learn valuable phrases in a real-life setting. You hear the native Mondly audio, then record yourself repeating that phrase, trying to sound like the native speaker.

The app plays what you recorded so you can compare, and it was kinda weird hearing my recorded voice.

Mondly Conversation Chatbot

Once I went through the whole conversation, I could listen to it again, toggling between the native audio and my recorded audio.

Is Mondly Really Effective?

I found that Mondly’s interface was very similar to that of Duolingo and Babbel. It’s game-like but not as much as Duolingo’s app, and the interactive lessons have a Babbel-like feel.

Completing the lessons resembled completing little quizzes, but since Mondly shares information about grammar, it also teaches you – to an extent.

I don’t think that relying solely on Mondly’s interactive lessons will teach you a language, but a benefit if you sign up for premium is that you also get access to Mondly AR (augmented reality), which uses new immersive technology to teach you.

Mondly AR has a teacher, or virtual language learning assistant, guiding you in an interactive virtual world. You learn new vocab, practice conversations, and get feedback on your pronunciation.

You can also sign up for Mondly VR (virtual reality) to further your learning of the target language.

While you need a special VR headset (which is pricey but a great investment), you explore digitally rendered environments to learn and practice your target language in “real” situations. You can order dinner in a restaurant, visit a hair stylist, and even check into a hotel. It’s like you are traveling the world – from the comfort of your couch.

So while the main Mondly app is effective, it’s even better when you use all of Mondly’s language-learning apps (which are complementary to each other) and supplementary resources.

      Excited to learn more? Explore my articles listed below:

Mondly Costs and Subscription Options

Mondly has a free version of its main app, with access to:

  • Daily lessons 
  • The entire Hello category of lessons 
  • A chatbot lesson

Access a free trial if you want to explore the site in more detail before committing to one of Mondly’s subscription options. The free trial is available for 7 days with access to all the Premium content.

Here’s what Mondly Premium gives you:

  • 250+ lessons that are organized into 40 topics 
  • 2,600+ daily lessons
  • 320+ weekly quizzes 
  • 60+ monthly challenges 
  • 36 vocab builders 
  • 50+ real and simulated conversations between fluent speakers 
  • Grammar features, like conjugation tables 
  • 300+ specialized lessons with business content, such as Business Communication, Calls & Emails, Project Management, Marketing, Negotiations, and Customer Service 
  • Access to the Mondly Kids and Mondly VR apps 
  • 108 English language progress tests

If you like what you see and how Mondly teaches a target language, you can sign up for one of the subscriptions:

Mondly Pricing option 1

Here’s a breakdown of how much Mondly’s subscriptions cost:

  • US$9.99 for a monthly Premium plan 
  • US$47.99 for a yearly Premium plan 
  • US$1999.99 for a Lifetime Access plan (this one is sometimes discounted to US$99.99, which is a HUGE saving!)

What I really like about Mondly (in the FAQ section) is that they even list what your bank statement will reflect when you buy a subscription.

Mondly Bank statement

Does Mondly Offer Discounts?

You can scour the web to find discount codes for Mondly, but the language-learning solution offers various exclusive deals throughout the year with big savings.

Mondly Pricing option 2

At the time of writing, Mondly had a New Year’s Saving Alert. This was a huge discount of 95% off the Lifetime Access subscription. While the subscription plan normally costs close to US$2,000, it was a mere US$99.

How to Cancel Your Mondly Subscription?

If you want to cancel your Mondly subscription, you can do so only via the method you signed up to the language-learning platform.

For example, if you signed up on the Mondly website, go to Settings (top right) or click on your profile image (top left), and cancel your subscription.

If you signed up via the mobile app on Google Play or App Store, you need to go to Settings on your phone, click on your profile, navigate to Subscriptions, and cancel your Mondly subscription there.

What We Love About Mondly?

  • 40+ language courses, some of which aren’t usually included in other multilingual language-learning apps. 
  • A limited freemium version, but you can see what Mondly is about without sharing any personal or payment details. 
  • A 7-day free trial to test out Mondly Premium.
  • Affordable subscription options. 
  • Language phrasebooks, available for free. 
  • You can learn a target language from your native language or one you’re highly proficient in. 
  • You can use the user-friendly main Mondly app to learn, as well as Mondly Kids, Mondly AR, and Mondly VR. 
  • Compact, interactive lessons with diverse exercises you can complete in 5-10 minutes.
  • A review option at the end of each lesson stack and a chatbot conversation to practice what you’ve learned. 
  • Some grammar instructions, like the conjugation tables, so Mondly is ideal if you want basic but not heavy grammar and language usage explanations. And there are grammar-specific lessons you can complete. 
  • You learn practical vocabulary that you can use in real-life conversations.

What We Dislike About Mondly?

  • The monthly and yearly subscription plans are only available for one language, making it pricey if you are learning multiple languages. If you can invest in the Lifetime Access plan at a discount, that would be the best option for learning on Mondly. 
  • The app doesn’t teach you about the different writing systems or alphabets, like Cyrillic. While you can toggle between the different alphabets for the written exercises, you must find supplementary material for support there. 
  • One subscription gives you access to one language, unless you can invest in the Lifetime Access package. 
  • As a beginner, it feels like you are just tossed into a little quiz, especially if it’s a language that isn’t like your native one at all. 
  • Not enough speaking practice in the exercises (unless you do the Chatbot and Conversations lessons or play around with the Mondly VR and AR apps). And you have to hold the mic button the whole time while you are speaking, which is annoying and sometimes your finger just slips. 
  • You can complete the lessons in any order, but if you follow Mondly’s progression, you’ll realize that the order doesn’t make logical sense. On the Candy Crush-like map with lesson stack landmarks, you learn about countries and languages before you cover other basics like Seasons & Weather and Objects & Numbers. 
  • Even if you choose a higher level for your target language, some of the course material is the same.
      Excited to learn more? Explore my articles listed below:

Insight into Mondly’s Target Audience

Mondly is best for beginners, whether you are a kid or an adult. There’s plenty of course material to go through in the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.

If you are an intermediate student, Mondly can only help you revise what you’ve learned previously or focus on honing a few language skills.

Sadly, for advanced students, Mondly doesn’t really offer true advanced course material that’s challenging and, well, advanced enough so you can master more complex language concepts and practice those.

Learn languages quickly with Mondly Premium. Learn the language you’ve always wanted to learn. It’s fun, fast, and easy!

Get Started for Free

How Can You Contact Mondly’s Customer Service?

It’s really easy to reach out to Mondly’s customer service team. The website has a “Contact Us” page and an online chat function.

Mondly Contact Us

Via the online form, you can send Mondly your message, whether you want to share feedback, your story, or ideas.

You can also check out the Mondly FAQ section, which is comprehensive. You can use the search bar to enter a question or browse through the General, Mondly Apps, Support, Features, Privacy, and Languages sections to find what you’re looking for.

Mondly FAQ

Review Verdict: Is Mondly a Valuable Language-Learning Tool?

WHY I RATE MONDLY WITH 7.5/10

Mondly stands out as a language-learning solution because of its partnership with Pearson and its innovative, wow-factor, and advanced Mondly AR and Mondly VR apps. It’s also one of the few platforms where kids can learn on their own app, ensuring the language material is age-appropriate.

But Mondly, just like almost all other language-learning apps, are mostly ideal for beginner students. The platform gives you a safe space to dip your toes into the target language waters and lets you learn and practice while building your confidence.

But when you’re out in the real world and navigating actual situations like ordering food, checking into your hotel, and catching up with friends, it tests how well you learned a language. Most often, you’ll be able to navigate the basics only …

Unless you completely immerse yourself in the new language and culture and use multiple resources to teach yourself.

That said, Mondly is a good option to get you started on your journey.

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Krystyna
Language Learning Blogger
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Disclaimer: I select and review independently. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions that help support my testing at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.

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