Learning a new language is always fun. Whether you are moving to a new country or want to become multilingual, Memrise can be your learning aid.
Memrise is one of the best online language learning platforms that makes learning fun by incorporating different activities.
But does Memrise make you a fluent foreign language speaker? How does their course work?
I know these questions might be lingering in your mind. I had the same confusion before taking a Memrise course; therefore, I have this detailed review to help you make an informed decision.
Keep reading this Memrise review to decide if you should take a Memrise subscription or not.
A Quick Overview Of Memrise Review:
Memrise takes a different approach to help you learn foreign languages by using examples of real-life conversations.
The linguists or instructors in Memrise try to make learning a fun and interactive session. Giving you a bunch of words and phrases to remember is not the right approach to language learning which conventional schools do.
Therefore, each Memrise language course is backed by hundreds of video clips from native speakers.
The short and crisp video clips give you an idea of the accent and context of using certain words and phrases and overall make you a good speaker. By combining science and technology, Memrise aims to make learning a better experience for you for better memory retention.
There is also a statistics section where you get a complete record of your learning progress, such as on which days you learned more or less or when your engagement levels were the best, etc.
You can also connect to other users and form study groups with your friends. The best part is that you can make your customized course or learn from courses other users have created.
Other online language learning platforms, like Babbel, Duolingo, etc., don’t offer such features. I must say Memrise is one step ahead when it comes to mixing technology and learning.
In simple terms, Memrise has gamified the learning process to keep learners motivated. For example, when you complete a lesson, you get points that let you see your progress and compare it with others.
Memrise has more than 23 languages on its platform, so you’ll find almost all major languages spoken around the world.
In every language, Memrise has a general and a specific section. In addition to learning the basic language that people use in everyday life, you get to pick specialized lessons like- Literature, Business, Medical, and other fields to master the vocabulary.
How Much Does Memrise Cost? Is It Cheaper Than Other Language Learning Platforms?
Let’s talk about the cost. Memrise has a free and paid subscription option. Of course, there are multiple limitations in the free version.
For instance, you don’t get complete access to the videos and other access materials in the free version. The free plan does not allow you to download lessons for offline learning. Moreover, the exercises and progress analyzing tools are not for free users.
With the paid plan, you can access everything. Memrise has three paid plans– Monthly, Yearly & Lifetime. The prices of each plan are as follows-
| Duration | Price |
| Monthly | $8.49 per month |
| Annual | $59.99 per year. Currently, they are offering it at a flat 50% discount so the rate is $29.99 per year |
| Lifetime | $119.99 per month |
Memrise plans are more affordable than its competitors like Duolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, etc. Babbel and Pimsleur monthly subscriptions are nearly $15 per month, so there is a great price difference.
If you want to take the paid plan, I would suggest going for the annual plan, especially now that it’s available at a discounted price. With the yearly subscription, you can learn the language with ease and can also take up multiple courses.
Moreover, learning a new language takes at least 3 to 6 months, so getting the annual plan is a wise decision.
How Does Memrise Course Structure Work? Entire Process Explained
Before enrolling in any course, knowing how the course structure works is essential. I already gave you a hint of how Memrise combines technology and science to make learning more effective.
Memrise has different levels of courses for all languages. These courses are designed based on your knowledge of the language.
If you’re a beginner, you’ll start from the basic course, and as you progress, you’ll upgrade your courses. Within each course, there are multiple levels or lessons that cover different topics like- food, travel, culture, politics, and other categories that are there in a language.
These lessons are backed by videos from real-life speakers where you develop the core knowledge about a language.
Secondly, as I mentioned before, there are hundreds of user-generated courses in Memrise. These courses are also backed with lots of study material to become an expert speaker in any language.
Now that you have an idea of resources or study materials Memrise provides let’s see how their lessons work.
Lessons in Memrise begins by showing you some short clips of basic words spoken by native speakers. As you can see in the picture below, I selected French, and the first word it showed me was Salut.
It continues by teaching us more words and phrases. Once we complete the first phase, the course advances with more listening, speaking, and writing exercises.
There are drills with multiple choice questions, speed sounds, fill-in-the-blanks, sentence writing, selecting correct translations, and more to assess your learning.
One of the features I loved about Memrise is the following lessons remain unlocked until you finish the previous one. This is great for learners because the system ensures we complete all the lessons.
Memrise gives you a completely customized feel. There is no strict time for each class. You can decide how long you want your lessons to be, be it 10 minutes or an hour. You can adjust the class duration in the settings tab.
Finally, the Space Repetition For Language Learning technique used by Memrise keeps bringing up the words and phrases for revision. Memrise’s high-tech facilities ensure you don’t forget your previous day’s learning and help you become a fluent speaker.
Memrise Verdict: Does It Really Help You Learn A New Language?
Now it’s time for the part you’ll have been waiting for. Is Memrise worth your time and money? I would say Yes. You can go for the Memrise subscription.
Memrise is not my first language learning platform. I love learning new languages; therefore, I have tried a couple of other language apps already. Memrise stands out from those in terms of advanced technology.
One of the key techniques Memrise uses is the Spaced Repetition System Flashcard to help us with better memory retention.
Each word or phrase we learn in Memrise has its own flashcards. When we learn a language, Memrise’s Spaced Repetition System Flashcard algorithm keeps a record of which words I had trouble remembering.
And Memrise shows me the flashcards at regular intervals to ensure I see them more often so that I can remember them easily. I didn’t see any similar features on other platforms. This is extremely useful because the app does it itself even if we don’t remember to review the tough words or phrases.
This ensures that the vocabulary is transferred from our short-term memory to long-term memory.
Also, learning a new language with simple bookish knowledge is pretty difficult. But not anymore. Hundreds of video clips from real-life speakers help you become a fluent speaker.
The other best thing I liked about Memrise is that it has two types of courses: one that Memrise itself prepares and the other created by its users.
And all the language courses have multiple levels like- beginner, intermediate, expert, etc. So irrespective of whatever your speaking levels are, there is an option for everyone.
Overall my experience with Memrise was pretty impressive. Even though it took me more time to completely learn the language than I expected, I enjoyed the complete process.
But if you want to become a fluent speaker, you have to sign up for the paid course. The free plan can’t make you speak like a native speaker. You will learn a phrase or two but nothing more.
Based on my overall experience here are the pros & cons of Memrise.
The pros
- Numerous language options
- Unlimited study materials
- Advanced tools to keep track of learning progress
- Real-life videos make learning more effective
- Allows you to create customized courses, form study groups, and interact with other users
The cons
- The free version is not really beneficial
- Features are different on different devices like mobile apps, the web, and tablets.
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Final Thoughts: Memrise Review (2024)
I hope this detailed Memrise review has helped you make an informed decision. I would give Memrise a thumbs up, considering it made me a fluent speaker for the couple of courses I took. Plus, Memrise is also affordable compared to similar platforms.
But you can’t entirely depend on the system; your input and practice are necessary if you want to speak foreign languages like a native. Let me know if you have any other questions regarding Memrise in the comments. I’ll revert at the earliest!
