Have you ever heard about Lingopie? Personally, the first time I heard about Lingopie, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I saw one of their Ads. I couldn't believe all the features highlighted and I decided to go for a free trial to see by myself. I then tested the platform and was happily surprised to find more interesting features than announced. Instead of taking notes, I ended up spending time just exploring the platform, and my trial ended. I had to retake another trial last week with another account to be able to write down this review for you. Here is what I can say about Lingopie's features and my personal opinion about this language-learning platform.
What is Lingopie?
Lingopie is a language learning platform that helps language learners learn a language by simply binge-watching movies and TV series. It is a streaming service just like Netflix but for language learning. They currently have 9 languages available: English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, Japanese, and French.
You can browse thousands of hours of movies, TV shows, web series, cartoons, and more, depending on the types you are interested in.
How does Lingopie Work?
Lingopie has an app that you can download on your phone. It also has a desktop interface. Once you have Lingopie available on your desktop or phone, you just need to choose the language you are learning, and from that, choose the movie you want to watch from different categories; drama, cartoon, romance, action, travel, sci-fi, .... You can also listen to French music and podcasts.
Here is what a Lingopie dashboard looks like on a desktop.
Lingopie has many features that make language learning easier and you can try them for free before subscribing, thanks to their 7-day free trial. Let's go through the main ones.
The subtitles - script - click and learn features
When watching a show on Lingopie, you have dual subtitles, in your target language and native language. They both appear on your screen, but you can decide to turn them off depending on how much you are at ease with the language.
Every time you encounter a new word, you can click on it to get the meaning and also listen to its pronunciation as you can see in the image below.
Another thing is the full script that you can read on the right side of your screen when you are not in full-screen mode. If you find it too much disruptive, you can just go on full screen and they will stop appearing.
Lingopie movies and TV shows
Lingopie has many movies and TV shows in the 9 languages listed above with more or fewer shows depending on the language. They are classified by categories, and anyone can find something for himself. You can binge-watch romance, comedy, drama, action, thriller, travel and cooking shows, sci-fi movies, series, TV shows, as well as documentaries.
They also have some TV series of Netflix like Lupin, or Plan coeur (The hook-up plan). However, they don't have all the episodes.
Among popular shows, you will find:
The Dalton: this is a popular French cartoon known internationally. To tell you the truth, I don't feel it's only for children. Myself I like watching the band of 4 Dalton brothers as they are so funny.
French grammar: this is a series of grammar lessons explained in bite-size lessons and in a fun way.
Learn with a Chef: a TV show that will teach you the basics of French cuisine like kitchen material, and how French people talk about food, ...
Bertrand: this is the story of a guy whose girlfriend asked for a break and he pretended to be on vacation while he was just staying next door, spying on her with his neighbor's illegal surveillance system.
There are more popular shows, but just to list a few of them. Most of the movies and series are from France, which makes it a great immersion tool if you are looking to speak as French people do.
Lingopie has web series with each episode having an average duration of 2 to 5 minutes. They also have short movies that are great for people who do not have much time but want to practice regularly.
While subscribing, Lingopie will ask you for your language level, and the types of movies you like, and they will make suggestions of films you can watch. If you are a beginner, they will even recommend beginner-friendly shows.
The "Speak" and " say it" feature
With the speak function, you can repeat the sentences heard, for more practice.
The "Say it" feature allows you to record yourself while watching the movie or show by repeating it, trying to have a pronunciation close to a native speaker.
Lingopie will ask you to share your microphone and you will be able to pronounce the phrase or sentence after the countdown. Once done, you validate to send to the judges, and you will get immediate feedback on your pronunciation in a score format out of 100. If your pronunciation is far from the native's, the Lingopie app might ask you to retry. You can also listen to yourself to see how you sound.
Lingopie's video loop feature
The loop feature is a great way, to listen again and again to a sentence you would like to get familiar with. It helps you to develop your listening and you can practice your pronunciation skills at the same time. The repetition is on and on until you stop it.
As per a general French saying " La répétition est pédagogique". The best way to learn is by repeating over and over, just like when we teach kids. It helps you keep in mind and for good the pronunciation, and the sentence in a context of use.
Speed management per level
Something that I found interesting is the possibility of playing the video according to your language level. I know how difficult it can be to understand native speakers when you are just starting and this feature is a lifesaver. It allows you to adjust the speed according to your level. You can choose between a beginner, a novice, intermediate, or advanced level, or even decide to play the video at full speed.