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I'm Neil.  \nPippa  \nAnd I'm Pippa. Apps like Duolingo, Babbel and Busuu all aim to help you learn a language, but do they really help? We'll be trying to answer that question intoday's episode of 6 Minute English, and as usual we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.  \nNeil  \nYes, and don't forget to head to our website for a transcript of this episode and a free worksheet to test what you've learnt. It'[s all at bbclearningenglish.com](s all at bbclearningenglish.com).  \nPippa  \nOK. Neil, let's start with a quiz question. Which of these is not a language you can learn using Duolingo? Is it:  \na) Latin, b) Klingon, orc) Elvish?  \nNeil  \nI'm going to say c) Elvish.  \nPippa  \nWell, we'll find out at the end of the programme. Now, people might be familiar with the app Duolingo. And then there are other apps which say they can help you learn a language quickly – Bussuu and Babbel, for example.  \nNeil  \nAnd listeners might be familiar with how they tend to work. You get short lessons which test you on a repeated set of words.  \n6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2026 [bbclearningenglish.com](bbclearningenglish.com) Page 1 of 5  \nPippa  \nRight. And many of these apps say they focus on teaching language for situations and implicit learning, rather than directly teaching language rules such as grammar. If something is implicit, it's suggested but not communicated directly.  \nNeil  \nYes. So, if you think about how children learn to speak their first language, it's mostly implicit – they don't have lessons. But can this work for adults?  \nPippa  \nBBC Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread has been investigating the evidence behind language learning apps. Presenter Greg Foot spoke to language learning expert Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott, or Liz, about implicit learning.  \nProfessor Elizabeth Wonnacott  \nThere is a very big difference between being a child who gets constantly exposed to this world of language, compared with trying to learn a language a few hours a week. There is quite a bit of evidence that some explicit teaching of, for example, grammar and vocabulary is helpful.  \nGreg Foot  \nGot you. So, it would be helpful to try to mimic what children do, which is full immersion, but realistically you're not going to get to those levels.  \nNeil  \nLiz says that while children learn their first language implicitly by being constantly surrounded by the language, adults are often learning for only a few hours a week.  \nPippa  \nYes. So, for adults trying to learn a new language, research has shown that some explicit teaching is helpful. Explicit is the opposite of implicit. So, for example, explicit grammar teaching would be somebody explaining a grammar rule to you.  \nNeil  \nRight. So, adults can't realistically achieve full immersion in a language like children do. Immersion means being completely surrounded by something.  \nPippa  \nOK. So, a mixture of the implicit teaching of the apps and some explicit teaching – for example, learning grammar rules – is useful. But Neil, there's limited research about just how effective these apps can be at teaching you a language.  \n6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2026 [bbclearningenglish.com](bbclearningenglish.com) Page 2 of 5  \nNeil  \nIndeed, Liz Wonnacott has seen one study she thinks could be interesting though, which compares two groups of Spanish speakers learning English – one using an app and one attending classes – for a similar amount of time. She explains more to BBC Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread.  \nProfessor Elizabeth Wonnacott  \nThe key finding was that in some of the tests, written grammar tests, the Duolingo learners actually improved a bit more, while actually in a test where they were looking at listening the classroom learners appeared to improve more. So, it'","cbCairo6hSkbYveW","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairo6hSkbYveW","pdf",100879,"English","# Can apps teach you a language?\n## Quiz question and Duolingo learning languages\n## Implicit learning versus explicit grammar teaching\n## Research comparison: app learners and classroom learners\n## Limits of the study\n## Best approach for adult learners","[{\"question\":\"What is the main quiz question in the episode?\",\"answer\":\"The quiz asks which language cannot be learned using Duolingo: Latin, Klingon, or Elvish.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the episode define implicit and explicit learning?\",\"answer\":\"Implicit learning is suggested but not communicated directly, while explicit learning involves directly teaching rules such as grammar.\"},{\"question\":\"What did the referenced study find about app learners versus classroom learners?\",\"answer\":\"In written grammar tests, Duolingo learners improved more, but in listening tests, classroom learners appeared to improve more.\"}]","Can apps teach you a language? | PDF",1790628952,13]