Tag: Educational »

Learning a new language isn't much fun when it feels like you're working. A shame really considering just how useful knowing other languages actually is. Besides being of great use to you when on holiday, it can also be fantastically useful in the workplace too. Fortunately, MindSnacks ensures that learning doesn't feel like work, instead it feels like a game because that's exactly what it is. Right down to offering GameCenter support.

The free version of MindSnacks comes with a few levels to ease users in gently teaching skills such as the ability to count to 20 as well as spell each relevant word. Users can then pay $4.99 to unlock the full app which provides six different mini games, 50 levels, over 1400 words and phrases as well as audio clips to help users master the pronunciation too. Crucially, none of it feels like work. It's fun to do and it's amazing how quickly users will notice results. I didn't know a word of Italian and I played the numbers game and found myself quickly memorising everything.

To further encourage users, MindSnacks comes with a levelling up system that keeps track of how well the user is progressing. There's experience to be gained upon doing well in each activity and the app informs the user of their current accuracy rate on a weekly basis. It all makes for a fantastic sense of satisfaction as users progress and feel as if they're learning quickly.

All these features also ensure that learning a language with help from MindSnacks never feels like a chore.

The MindSnacks app is available now in Spanish, French and Italian varieties. Hopefully other languages will be available in the future.

The French and Italian app is free to try with a $4.99 in app purchase available to acquire all the levels/lessons and wordlists. While the Spanish app is $4.99 with immediate access to all levels and wordlists.

One thing that's sometimes very easy to forget - whether you've got an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad in front of you, you've got one of the most valuable educational tools you can possibly have. PowerVocab taps into that side of the App Store by offering you a great way of extending your vocabulary.

Using various algorithms and other complicated things, PowerVocab is there constantly encouraging you to improve by tracking what words you've figured out the definition of easily enough, and what terms you need work on. You might think you know your stuff but you're bound to be flummoxed by a word here or there. Being able to keep track of how you're doing is all the more useful.

Offering 600 words in all, there's plenty here to boost your word power. It's an ideal app for those studying at the moment or those who just want to enhance their vocabulary. It's made even more attractive by being a free download.