FluentU
FluentU Italian Review
Jul 25, 2024 · 18 features · 9 languages · Web, iOS, Android
- FluentU scores 5/10; strongest area: Course quality, weakest area: Pricing.
- Best suited for: Learners seeking to improve listening and comprehension skills through video content.
- Main upside: Wide variety of video topics; main tradeoff: Outdated and clunky interface.
Score
Course quality
60/100User experience
60/100Pricing
60/100
- Users struggle with staying engaged unless they find content that resonates with them personally.
- Many users report being charged unexpectedly and finding it difficult to cancel subscriptions or get refunds.
- The app is often described as buggy, with issues like mismatched subtitles, speech recognition errors, and poor interface design.
- Many users find the app fun and impactful, noting that it makes language learning enjoyable and effective.
- There is criticism about the quality and quantity of content, including too many children’s videos, lack of beginner-friendly resources, and insufficient content updates.
Pros
- Wide variety of video topics
- Useful filtering by level and format
- Immediate feedback on quizzes
- Hover-to-pause video feature
Cons
- Outdated and clunky interface
- No speaking exercises
- Some navigation issues
At a glance
- Made by
- Enux Education Limited
- Concept
- FluentU offers language learning through video content like music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks.
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Levels
- (A0) Total beginner, (A1) Beginner, (A2) Elementary, (B1) Intermediate, (B2) Upper-intermediate, (C1) Advanced
- Languages taught
- English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish
- Best suited for
- Learners seeking to improve listening and comprehension skills through video content.
Pricing
- Monthly
- 29.99US$
- Yearly
- 143.99$
Free trial: Available; Credit card needed; 14 days
Refunds: Not available
Feature checks
Spaced repetition
40/100Customization
60/100Focus on learning
60/100Personalization
80/100Sentence accuracy
80/100Sentence relevance
80/100Variety and depth
80/100Audio quality
80/100Speaker's quality
80/100Ease of use
60/100Interface and design
60/100Performance
80/100Grammar notes
Speech recognition
Learning path
User-generated courses
Offline access
Speaking practice
Conclusion
Combine FluentU with other learning methods for speaking practice and use the filtering options to target specific learning needs.
Alternatives
SpeakTwice is the only app that gets your to speak Italian all the time. It comes with hundreds of grammar lessons and readings to listen and repeat, plus an AI tutor to review the courses and practice conversation. See the full review.
FAQ
Does FluentU have speaking exercises?
Can I filter videos by level when using FluentU?
Does FluentU quiz you after each video?
Compare FluentU with other Italian learning apps
See the published side-by-side comparisons that include FluentU for Italian learners, or browse the full comparison hub.
Walkthrough
What is FluentU Italian?
FluentU is essentially a video library. It provides various exercises based on the content of the videos, and it is designed to help you practice your listening and comprehension skills. The platform offers exercises based on these videos, but notably lacks any speaking activities.
This is more of a tool for reinforcing your existing language skills rather than a standalone method for achieving fluency.
Exploring the Website
The first thing that stands out is that the website feels a bit outdated. As I browsed through the sections, I noticed some empty spaces and a slightly clunky interface. Despite this, it seems functional enough for its purpose. While exploring the website, you'll find two main sections:
The "Explore" section, where you can find all available videos, and the "My Library" section which stores the videos you've watched to practice.
Features and Functionality
The app includes several standard features commonly found in language learning tools today, such as tracking points and practice days. However, these features often lack depth as they are primarily designed to gamify the app rather than provide substantial educational value.
Video Filters
One crucial feature to highlight is the "Sort By" option. This feature allows you to filter videos by level, progress, topics, and format. This helps you find the most relevant content for your learning needs.
Practical Demonstration
While watching a video, FluentU provides subtitles, translations, and additional word information. Clicking on a word gives you sentences and other videos where the word appears.
Interactive Quizzes
After watching a video, you can take a quiz to test your comprehension. The quizzes often involve filling in the blanks, translating sentences, and selecting the correct word from multiple choices. While taking the quiz, I did not encounter any kind of speaking exercise.
Word Learning and Practice
The app highlights keywords from the video and gives you detailed information, including example sentences and where you can find the word in other videos.
Convenient Video Controls
One interesting, and very useful, feature is the ability to stop a video just by hovering your mouse over a specific area. This allows for precise control without needing to click, which can be particularly handy for language learners who may want to stop and start frequently to catch tricky phrases.
Final Thoughts
While FluentU is a valuable tool for practicing listening and comprehension, don't expect it to make you fluent on its own. It fails to help users develop speaking skills, which I consider essential for learning a language.
Therefore, I wouldn't recommend it as a primary learning resource. It serves as an excellent supplementary tool for those already learning Italian with a teacher or through other means.