The Most Extensive Lingopie Review in 2024 [Full feature breakdown]
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This article was last updated on Oct 31 2014
Table of Contents
1). The Lingopie platform
2). Content
3.) Lingopie’s Language learning tools
4.) Pros and cons of Lingopie
5.) Is Lingopie effective?
6.) Pricing - how much does Lingopie cost?
7). Conclusion
As streaming services and binge-watching TV shows grow increasingly popular, Lingopie capitalizes on this trend, offering a convenient and effective way to learn languages.
You might even have seen one of their ads on YouTube and now you’re curious to know what it’s all about.
In my previous post, I shared my own experience of after having used Lingopie for 73 days (and counting).
I was impressed by both the platform and my results after a relatively short time of using it.
Because of this, I wanted to write a detailed review that covers everything you need to know about Lingopie (← get up to 73% off through Lingtuitive).
In this review, you’ll get:
What kind of content Lingopie has
Pros & cons
Who it’s for and who it might not be for
Pricing details
A full rundown of how it works and its features
So you can get a clear picture of what it offers and decide if it's for you.
1). The Lingopie platform
Let’s first start with a bit of background on Lingopie, how it works, and what languages you can learn on the platform.
How does Lingopie work?
Lingopie is an online language platform & app where you learn languages by watching native content.
Think TV shows, web-series, movies, and TV programs, similar to Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, MAX, Showtime, and other streaming services.
They use interactable dual-language subtitles, flashcards, audio slow-down, and several other handy features, making it a breeze to learn languages using this content.
Lingopie creates their own subtitles to ensure high quality translations and that they match the audio word for word.
Both the tools and the TV shows are included on the platform, so you don’t need any other services.
The background and idea behind Lingopie
Lingopie was originally funded in 2019 by David Datny and Roy Oppenheim.
It’s beginnings came from Datny’s struggle trying to learn Hebrew while living in Israel.
After being suggested to watch native TV shows (in Israel they have same language subtitles) not only did he notice it was a lot of fun, but he finally saw significant progress in his Hebrew.
That sparked the idea to create a language learning platform based on this learning method.
What languages can you learn with Lingopie?
Lingopie currently offers 10 languages:
English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin).
You can select from six “interface languages” to use as your base language (English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese).
However, using any interface language other than English means you'll have access to a more limited selection of languages to learn.
You can for example learn Spanish using Italian as your base. But if you want to learn Russian you currently need to select English.
The company is planing on adding more languages in the near future.
2). Content
A common misconception of Lingopie is that it uses only Netflix content for learning.
Although it’s a valuable and exciting feature of Lingopie, it’s just one aspect of what the platform has to offer.
Lingopie’s own TV Catalog
Lingopie is like having access to local TV from countries where your target language is spoken.
Lingopie offers a diverse range of content, including genres like travel shows, cooking, sci-fi, web series, comedies, dramas, thrillers, movies, and even kids' shows and cartoons.
You can also find simplified news, podcasts, stories, and audiobooks.
You can scroll through the content like you would on any streaming platform. Or choose “search” to use different filters.
If you for example want to learn a specific dialect (like Brazilian Portuguese or Argentinian Spanish).
You can also filter by duration, genre, or difficulty level. For beginners, selecting "Basic" will show only the shows suitable for that level.
You can save everything to your personal "list," making it easy to find the shows you want to watch later.
Music (learning through songs)
If you love the music in your target language (like French Christmas songs, Italian classics, or K-pop) this is a great feature for you.
Here you’re learning languages using music videos or live performances of different artists.
It works just like watching TV shows where you can click on the subtitles to learn and save words for later review (more on that in a little bit!)
All the languages except Japanese, Russian, and Chinese currently have the “Learning through songs” feature.
All the languages except Japanese, Russian, and Chinese currently have the Learning through songs feature.
Netflix catalog
This feature allows you to use your favorite Netflix shows to learn a language.
If you like the idea of learning Spanish through La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) or the dubbed version of Stranger Things, you’ll really enjoy this feature.
It works just like watching any other show in Lingopie’s catalog, with all the different language learning tools available.
Note that Lingopie doesn’t have all Netflix shows, but a selected portion of the Netflix catalog. This is because they create their own subtitles to ensure they closely match the audio (since Netflix’s target language subtitles and audio often differ quite a bit).
Lingopie uses a Netflix Chrome extension, but what’s handy about it is that you can launch and manage all Netflix shows directly from Lingopie.
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3.) Lingopie’s Language learning tools
Lingopie has a host of language learning features that help you learn languages using its content.
Here’s a breakdown of each feature.
Interactive dual-language subtitles
The the main feature of Lingopie are the interactive dual subtitles.
All the other tools are based on making the most out of these subtitles.
When these subtitles you can…
…click on each word, giving you an instant definition of any word.
…choose target language subtitles (which matches what is spoken) and/or English subtitles (or whatever your interface language is).
In other words, if you're learning German, you can choose to have German subtitles, English subtitles, or both!
Both languages can be toggled on/off with the click of a button.
You can save any word to your Deck for later review with Flashcards and other mini-games.
Sometimes when you click on a word, and it’s part of an expression, it will often translate that expression as a whole. I especially like that, since a word-by-word translation could be confusing when it’s a saying (like the expression “what on earth!” in English only makes sense as a whole).
Reducing playback speed
Lingopie lets you slow down the audio of its content.
This is to help beginners to keep up when normal speed is still too fast.
You can adjust the speed in intervals from normal speed down to 0.5x (while maintaining pitch so it doesn’t sound like orcs in Lord of the Rings).
Navigating to the next or previous subtitle
On most content platforms like (Netflix and YouTube) you can go back or forward 5 or 10 second with on click.
On Lingopie, when you press “forward” or “back”, you go to the next or the previous subtitle instead. Which is more suitable for language learning.
This makes it easy to jump to the previous sentence. Or skip non-speaking parts to get to the next line of dialogue.
Auto-pause
This function is also targeted at beginners.
With this turned on, Lingopie automatically pauses between each subtitle.
This gives you time to click on the words, and repeat the sentence as many times as you need to.
Sentence-looping
Auto-loop puts any sentence on constant repeat.
To help you in hearing and understanding sentences that are difficult for your ears to catch.
Pronunciation
You can click on a sentence to hear it said in a computer-generated voice. Which is helpful if a sentence is very fast or unclear.
You can also practice saying any sentence out loud yourself from a TV show.
You then get a score 0-100 on how native you sounded (although the scoring is not necessarily perfectly accurate).
The cool part is that it records you, letting you listen back and compare your pronunciation with the computer-generated voice or the original audio from the scene.
Grammar Coach
This is a very handy feature that integrates learning grammar with the shows you’re watching.
When you activate Grammar Coach in a particular sentence, it gives you an AI-type grammar explanation of each word in that sentence
For more on this feature, you can read my personal experience of Grammar Coach, when it helped me understand the function of a seemingly simple but deceivingly tricky word in Spanish.
Other features
There are also other features such as “Words for Your Level” which suggests beginner-friendly vocabulary, and “Grammar Index”, which color-codes words to indicate whether they are verbs, nouns, adjectives, and so on.
Both features are optional and can be turned on or off.
Vocabulary review mini-games
When you click on a word in the subtitles and save it, it will be added to your vocabulary list (“Deck”).
These words can then be reviewed through different mini-games.
These games are intended to give you extra exposure and repetition of new words that you want to learn.
Flashcards
Lingopie’s flashcards are similar to dedicated flashcard apps like Anki, but using a simpler algorithm for review.
These Flashcards have your target language on the front side, and English (or base language) on the back side.
You then choose either “I know”, “not sure”, or “I don’t know”.
If you click on “I know” they will be considered as “mastered” and won’t show up again. If you click on any of the other two, they will show up in your reviews later.
What makes the flashcards standout in Lingopie is that they use the actual scenes from the shows.
It’s like a “flashback” that replays that particular scene where you saw the word.
You get both the visuals and original audio of that sentence. Now that’s just fantastic!
Front side of Flashcards
Back side of Flashcards
The great part is they show the full sentences, so you get the whole context of the words (I’ve always been a big believer in learning whole sentences and not just separate words).
Another handy feature is the option to review flashcards from just one specific show, rather than all of them. This is useful if you want to go over show-specific cards in between episodes.
Pop Quiz & Wordmaster
Pop Quiz is a variation of Flashcards, but instead you’ll have a multiple-choice option to pick the correct word.
Just like flashcards, they use the original audio and scene where the word was encountered.
Pop Quiz
Wordmaster
Wordmaster works a lot like Pop Quiz, but involves matching words in your target language with your base language instead.
The purpose of these 3 different review games seems to be to just get some variety in your reviewing.
There is a difference though:
With Flashcards, once you have “mastered” a word it won’t show up again. In Pop Quiz and Wordmaster the words will appear randomly.
Live group lessons
If you’re learning German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Japanese, you have the option to book a “Live group lesson with a Teacher”.
The first lesson is free. After that, it's $60 per month for unlimited access to as many classes as you want (with 2-3 classes offered daily).
These sessions include practicing speaking, focusing on specific topics, and learning grammar points.
I have to admit, I’m not much of a group class person when it comes to language learning. I believe the most important learning happens through immersion. However, I can see the value in group classes if you want a sense of community and inspiration, especially if you thrive in a group environment.
Private lessons
There is also an option to book private lessons with a teacher (only available in German, French, Spanish, or Italian).
You book a package of 4 lessons, for $80.
Usually, I would just advise you to head over to LanguaTalk for your language lessons.
However, the cool part is that these teachers are actual Lingopie employees and can create material based on the content, guide you in using it, help you set goals, or just practice conversation.
The downside is that there’s no convenient way of booking lessons. You have to email support to do that. Once you do, you’ll agree to meet on a video call at a time that fits for both you and your teacher.
If you want a teacher to specifically guide you in using Lingopie then trying one of their teachers might just be the way to go.
If you’re looking more for conversation practice (or you’re learning any other languages than the 4 they have teachers for) I would go with LanguaTalk (← book a free 30 min trial lesson with any of their top-notch teachers).
4.) Pros and Cons of Lingopie
Like any language learning app and platform, Lingopie has its pros and cons.
There are many things it does well, but there is also room for improvement.
Pros
#1) A diverse, ever-updating content library
I was impressed by the variety of content on Lingopie.
There's something for everyone, keeping you engaged and from getting bored.
There’s even a “Kids” section for those who have children who want to learn a new language (or if you're a multilingual family and want immersion content in a specific language for your children.).
Lingopie also continuously adds new content, which makes it feel alive and fresh.
So even if you finish your current list, you’ll probably find new shows have come out by the time you’re done. That adds a lot of value to Lingopie.
#2 Design & interface
Using Lingopie, whether on a desktop or on the phone app, is a delight.
It strikes the perfect balance between functionality and elegance.
The design is clean and visually pleasing without being overly flashy or distracting. This is crucial because an app's interface directly impacts your language learning experience.
It’s also easy and intuitive to use, so you can jump right in without wasting time figuring out how it works.
Lingopie’s platform is easy and pleasant to navigate.
The phone app version looks great too.
#3) You learn REAL lanaugage
The big advantage of watching native content is that you get authentic, everyday language.
This is challenging, but in a good way. Because it prepares you for real-world conversations.
I talked about this in my previous blog post where I noticed after a few months of Lingopie that certain resources started to feel too easy.
Watching content on Lingopie will make it easier for you to interact with native speakers.
Because you're already used to their fast and colloquial speech, including slang expressions.
#4) It’s adjustable to different levels
Most language learning materials are designed for either beginners or intermediate learners.
Rarely both.
Lingopie has tools (like audio slow-down and auto-pause) that make their content suitable for beginners.
Because you can take your time and learn at your own pace, even if it’s not necessarily a show for beginners.
#5) The brilliant "flashbacks" feature
Creating flashcards from content and TV shows can be a very time-consuming task.
They also typically use computer-generated text-to-speech to let you hear the pronunciation.
With Lingopie, you press a button to create a flashcard that includes a flashback to the actual scene. Not only does it save you time in creating the card, but you’re getting the original audio and visuals!
Now that’s just a brilliant feature.
Not only does this save time, but you also get a much more authentic flashcard (since they are snippets from the shows you've watched). This strengthens memory connections, helping you remember the words more easily.
#6) It’s highly addictive and fun
Let’s face it, we’ve all had TV shows we’ve been addicted to.
Where we’re thinking:
“I should probably go to bed… well, maybe just one more episode won’t hurt”
Lingopie takes advantage of this and uses it for language learning.
Because when you get hooked on a show, you won’t have to force yourself to learn.
Lingopie creates this immersive language learning experience that makes you want to spend more time immersed in your language.
Everything about the platform just oozes fun, which is crucial.
When learning is enjoyable, you'll spend more time in your target language and see progress more quickly.
Cons
#1) It’s only available in the most common languages
If you’re learning a language other than the most common ones, you’re out of luck with Lingopie.
I would love to see Lingopie available for less common languages (like Swedish or Finnish), and hopefully in the future it will be.
I think it would be a complete game changer for learners of those languages and they would surely flock to Lingopie.
If Lingopie was available for Cantonese, I would literally recommend it to every single Cantonese learner!
(I honestly think it would quickly become the no. 1 choice for people learning Cantonese).
#2) Translation inconsistencies and auto-play issues
I don’t expect the translations to be perfect, and they are good overall.
However, I found it odd that they were sometimes inconsistent, even within the same line of subtitle.
Sometimes when you click on a word, the translation doesn’t make sense. But when you turn on the English full sentence subtitles they sometimes use a different translation of that word. That can sometimes be confusing, but at least the full-sentence translations usually help when it happens.
(A good thing to keep in mind is that if the translation doesn’t make sense to you… well, it’s probably not correct)
I also found that the auto-loop function didn’t work as well as I had hoped. Many times the audio was cut off in the middle of the sentence. Other times there was too much silence before the actual sentence started. This meant I couldn’t always use the auto-loop function effectively for all sentences.
#3) Phone app is more limited than the desktop version
While the phone app works well on Lingopie, I would have loved to see it include the same functions as on the desktop.
Like Grammar Coach, which is not available on the phone app.
Also, when clicking on a word using the phone app, it automatically saves the word to your Flashcards. On the desktop version you can choose if you want to save it or not. I would prefer to have that option on the app too, since you might sometimes just want to check a word without saving it.
I would also like it to “pause” the video on the phone if I press the play/pause button on my headphones (just like it does if you’re using YouTube and other apps). It’s a minor thing, but it was something I thought of.
The Netflix integration is also not available on the iPhone iOS, only desktop. It is however on Android, so that’s good news for Android users.
5.) Is Lingopie effective?
The importance of improving your listening comprehension in your target language can’t be emphasized enough.
It will improve your interactions with native speakers in every way since you won’t struggle to understand them. It also is what influences your speaking ability the most.
Watching TV shows in your native language is always going to be effective, even without a tool like Lingopie.
What Lingopie does is reduce frustration and makes it more convenient and accessible to learn from this type of content. Using target language subtitles makes it drastically easier to watch TV shows (since you get the visual confirmation of what you’re hearing).
Who will benefit from using Lingopie?
Lingopie especially caters to those learners who are more independent in their learning and want to create their own path.
Since you choose what you want to watch based on your interests.
If you’re learning Korean because you’re into Korean drama, Lingopie is probably one of the best resources you can use. Since you’re learning directly from these shows.
If you’re someone who like the idea of boosting your comprehension, vocabulary, and listening ability by watching TV shows, Lingopie is just a great vehicle for that.
It’s also great for those of you who value convenience and having everything you need in one package, as Lingopie have all the tools you need to learn from its content.
Who Lingopie might not be a fit for
If you’re someone who is very picky about what shows you watch, then chances are you won’t find what you’re looking for in Lingopie. It’s limited if you have something very specific you want to watch.
Some people also need a very clear, structured path, whereas with Lingopie it’s up to you to create your learning path.
A solution to this however is to work with one of Lingopie’s teachers, or online teachers from a platform like LanguaTalk (my nr #1 choice for online lessons) and come up with a plan using Lingopie.
Will Lingopie work for beginners?
Lingopie uses mostly TV shows for native speakers so the majority of the content isn’t targeted for beginners.
What Lingopie has is tools to make this content more accessible at lower levels, but that doesn’t mean it fits all beginners.
Whether or not Lingopie is right for you as a beginner depends on a few things:
Are you okay with not understanding the majority of what you hear?
Are you okay watching episodes multiple times?
Is your level of interest in the content more important than that it’s at the right level?
If the above ones are a “yes”, then go for it. Lingopie will be challenging at first, but a fun and effective way to learn.
If it’s a “no” then I’d recommend a more structured beginner resource until you’ve built up your level of comprehension (like Uncovered StoryLearning Beginner courses or Pimsleur).
The sweet spot for using Lingopie is somewhere around an intermediate.
That being said, Lingopie does have content such as “Daily Talks”, “Easy News”, and stories that are targeted towards beginners.
There just isn’t as many options as there is for someone who is intermediate, so that’s just something to be aware of.
The amount of content for beginners also vary from language to language. For example, you will find a lot more beginner friendly content in Spanish than in Japanese.
It’s not a matter of “will Lingopie work?” as much as it is about your personal preference and personality type.
6.) Pricing - how much does Lingopie cost?
Lingopie has 3 different plans that is currently discounted:
3-month plan ($12/month = $36 ) (1 language only)
1-year plan ($144 50% off = $71.88) (ALL languages included)
Lifetime subscription ($663, 70% off = $199) (ALL languages included)
Lingopie is significantly more affordable than many of its competitors.
The Lifetime subscription especially offers incredible value. You’re not only getting access to the content they have available now, but all their future content and updates.
For a one-time payment of only $199.
Through Lingtuitive, you’ll get an an extra 10% off any plan:
3-month plan: $36 to $33 (10% OFF)
1-year plan: from $144 to $65 (55% OFF)
Lifetime plan: from $650 to $175 (73% OFF)
That makes the Lifetime plan an even more crazy deal than it already is. This is the best price for Lingopie that I have seen (click the button below to take advantage of it).
To be honest, looking at the potential of this platform, and knowing some of their future plans, the prices could very well go up at any time. If you want to lock in this price then this is the time to do so.
All plans come with a Free 7-day trial.
7). Conclusion
Although there are aspects of Lingopie I'd like to see improved, the most important tools work really well.
Where Lingopie shines is in its convenience and ease of use.
There are other tools and Chrome-extensions that let you click and interact with subtitles. What sets Lingopie apart is that they use their own subtitles (that matches the audio word for word) and also include the actual content.
Everything you need to learn languages through TV shows is bundled in one package.
This makes learning languages from TV shows with Lingopie a breeze, highly effective, and enjoyable.
For learners of multiple languages, their Annual and Lifetime subscriptions is especially valuable since it unlocks all their languages.
With a platform like Lingopie, there’s only potential to grow. I’m excited to see what future features and languages they’ll add.
If you like the idea of getting lost in a TV show, and massively level-up your target language comprehension, look no further than Lingopie.
