Lirica - Learn Languages
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Free to try
- Education
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The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Lirica is a subscription-based service that uses pop music songs to teach Spanish or English. Songs include chart topping hits from artists like Shakira, Marc Anthony, or Enrique Iglesias for Spanish learners and Pink, Whitney Houston, and Alicia Keys for English learners. Kids listen to a portion of the song and learn a grammatical or conversational concept plus some vocabulary. Each lesson needs to be downloaded individually, which may start to take up space on your device. Once a song is downloaded, kids can listen to it, do the associated lesson, or watch the music video. Lirica - Learn Languages was not designed specifically for kids. Parents should be aware that kids get an up close look at pop songs, including any content issues that the musical genre has. At the time of this review, it didn't seem as though the songs included had any particularly strong themes of violence, language, or drinking and drug use. Some songs did have sexually suggestive lyrics and or videos with sexy dancing and scantily clad people. The free download includes limited access to content; subscribe to unlock all the lessons. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What's it about?
Start LIRICA - LEARN LANGUAGES by choosing to learn Spanish or English and a level: Beginner 1, Beginner 2, or intermediate. Then do the lessons in the order given, or browse and choose at random. Each lesson introduces an artist, their song, a concept to learn, and a handful of vocabulary words. Listen to parts of the song and practice identifying the words you hear, matching words or phrases to their meaning, arranging lyrics in order, and more. Kids can also listen to songs and watch music videos while reading the lyrics or play games to test how much of the song they understand.
Is it any good?
This collection of language lessons cleverly uses the power of song to engage learners and teach key concepts. It's common knowledge that nursery rhymes and songs help young kids develop language. Lirica - Learn Languages takes that idea and ages it up with a varied selection of well-known pop songs. Indeed, kids may quickly find themselves singing parts of newly learned songs in their newly learned language. Each song is matched to a concept, from introducing yourself to possessive adjectives to past experiences and wishes. Along the way, kids build vocabulary and learn about the cultural context of the songs and artists. The learning activities are the same for each song, which might feel repetitive after a few lessons. Also, given that these songs are pop hits, they come with all the potential content concerns that the genre has. There's nothing to suggest that the developers purposefully choose songs or song sections with mature content, but the app wasn't made specifically for kids. So, parents should be aware that as their kids are combing through song lyrics with a fine-toothed comb, they might be in close contact with themes of violence, drinking or drug use, language, and particularly, sexuality. Overall, Lirica - Learn Languages is a wonderfully fresh and engaging way to dive into a new language.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the songs included in Lirica - Learn Languages. How well do you think they represent the language concept and the culture they come from? If the song includes mature content, talk about your family's take on the song's messages.
What do you think about using music to learn a language? Is it effective? What other ways are there to help you remember words or phrases in a new language?
What other ways can immerse yourself in a new language and the culture it comes from? Help your kids find movies or books in their new language, research food or important festivals from countries that speak that language, and so on.
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Subjects: Arts: music
- Skills: Self-Direction: personal growth
Communication: multiple forms of expression - Price: Free to try
- Pricing structure: Free to try (subscribe for full access: $7.99/month or $24.99/year after one-month free trial)
- Release date: May 18, 2020
- Category: Education
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Size: 124.20 MB
- Publisher: lirica
- Version: 3.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 9.0 or later, Android 4.1 and up
- Last updated: September 25, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love learning new languages
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.