I Tried Lingopie for 2 Weeks & Now I’m Spilling the Tea — A Lingopie Review

A quick introduction: I’m a slow traveler and avid language learner. I’ve tried nearly every app, book, tool, or platform to learn foreign languages for my travels.

Over the years, my primary focus has been learning Spanish.

I’ve used my Spanish in real-life situations, like that one time in Colombia when I met my Spanish tutor IRL and went salsa dancing or when I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and walked with only Spanish-speakers.

Now that we’ve properly met, let’s dive into my review of Lingopie. 

My Lingopie Review: What I Loved

First, okay. I’m going to be real here. I truly love a lot of things about Lingopie.

The obvious: I get to binge-watch my favorite Spanish show, Money Heist, while also learning Spanish.

The not-so-obvious: I can click the subtitles while I’m watching, and then they’re automatically added to my flashcards deck so I can review them later.

A few more features I love about Lingopie:

It’s Good for All Levels

The great thing about Lingopie is it’s good for beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners. 

For reference, I’m coming in with Spanish at a B1 level. I still need plenty of practice to get to total fluency, but I have more than just the basics under my belt.

When you’re searching for something to watch, you can change the speed of the video playback or even filter by your level.

🗣️ Learn languages the fun way with Lingopie! 7-day free trial + 70% off

Grammar Coach

Confused about a phrase or sentence? That’s where the Grammar Coach comes in. It basically feels like an AI tool that immediately explains the grammar behind any subtitle. 

It’s pretty incredible. You just click on the lightbulb icon, and the coach explains the grammar rules within context.

Watch Shows by Country

If you’ve studied languages at any point in your life, you probably already know that languages can vary regionally or by country. Especially with Spanish!

Colombians pronounce the ll like a j sound, while in other countries, it sounds like a y. Thatst one example of how varied the pronunciation and word usage can be. 

So, if you’re looking to learn one type of Spanish over another, i.e. Latin American Spanish over Spain Spanish, you’re in luck with Lingopie. 

With Lingopie, you can quickly identify which country a show’s from. It’s easy to only watch shows from Mexico, for example, or only watch shows from Spain. 

That way, you can get accustomed to a particular accent and train your ear on that pronunciation. Brilliant!

Review & Practice

I really like the fact that Lingopie isn’t just “Lingopie Netflix,” it’s more than that. There’s also a Lingopie Review & Practice section.

You can practice the terms you’ve added to your flashcard deck.

There are three ways to practice: 1) Flashcards, 2) Pop Quiz, or 3) Word Master.

Flashcards is a pretty standard flashcards deck; self-explanatory, as you might imagine. You can click on the word and hear the pronunciation.

Pop Quiz is basically a multiple-choice game. You can see which show the word or phrase is from, and then you choose what the translation is. 

Word Master is another multiple-choice game but this one gives you three Spanish versions that you need to match up to their corresponding English translations.

Try Live Classes for Free

Right now on Lingopie, you can also get access to their live group classes for free. Now, I haven’t tried them yet, so I can’t vouch for them.

But they look great, and I always think live practice, whether online or IRL is helpful. 

There are also private, one-on-one online language classes available through Lingopie for an additional fee. 

My Lingopie Review: What I Didn’t Love

Okay, it wouldn’t be a Lingopie review if I didn’t mention what I think it can improve on. There are just a few things I wish were different about Lingopie. 

You Can’t Use Lingopie on Your TV

So, the main draw of Lingopie is watching shows, right? Well, where do you usually watch those shows? Your TV.

As far as I know, you can only use Lingopie on your computer using a web browser, on your iPad, or on your phone using the mobile app.

And, it kinda makes sense, because you’d want to be able to easily click on the subtitles and see the translation or add them to your flashcard deck. It’s not easy to click when you’re using a TV.

But it’s still a little bit of a bummer that I can’t just plop down on my couch, turn on the TV, and use Lingopie.

Now, if you wanna get technical, you can use a magic workaround: mirror your web browser on your Smart TV.

It’s not too complicated, but it IS an extra step, although a pretty small one.

You Can’t Watch Every Netflix Show

When I first started using Lingopie, I was so excited to watch Money Heist. It’s my fave.

And so, I did. It was awesome.

Then, I was ready to rewatch Valeria, one of my other favorite Spanish shows. To my surprise, it wasn’t available on Lingopie!

Even when you connect your Netflix account to Lingopie, you should know that you can’t get access to everything you normally would. Only select Netflix shows are available in Lingopie.

Ultimately, I realized that Lingopie is best used if you’re open to discovering new favorites.

Now, all that said, there are some VERY popular shows and movies on Lingopie, such as Cable Girls, I Am Georgina, Stranger Things, Roma, etc.    

Cost of Lingopie

Let’s talk about cost.

Lingopie offers a 7-day free trial, so you can see if you like it. 

After that, Lingopie costs less than a Netflix subscription. Which is pretty great, considering all of the added language-learning tools and features. 

Plus, when you sign up now through my link, you can get 70% off your subscription. It’s an incredible deal! 

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Lingopie?

The only free alternative to Lingopie is using Netflix. You can also get a plugin called Language Reactor. 

However, Language Reactor has a more complex interface. Pro features, like saving words to a flashcard deck, are only available with the paid version. 

Lingopie, with its simplicity and user-friendly design, is worth the modest subscription fee considering its comprehensive learning tools.

What are the cons of Lingopie?

One downside of Lingopie is that it primarily focuses on listening and reading skills, which means you won’t always have the opportunity to practice speaking.

While it excels in immersive language exposure through TV shows and movies, learners seeking extensive verbal practice might find this limitation a drawback in achieving well-rounded language proficiency.

What is the #1 best language learning app?

Determining the #1 best language learning app is truly subjective. Experiences can vary widely depending on who you are. 

While I enjoy using Babbel and Lingopie for their unique features and learning methods, others might prefer different apps based on their personal learning style and goals. 

Ultimately, the best app is the one that aligns with your specific language learning needs and preferences.

Final Thoughts: Is Lingopie Worth It?

So, I spent two weeks with Lingopie, and guess what? It’s pretty awesome! 

Yes, I’ve taken online classes, and yes, I’ve used apps like Duolingo and Babbel.

But there’s something about turning on my favorite show that makes language learning way more fun and way LESS like a chore.

Now, do I think you can get fluent by only using Lingopie? 

No, I don’t. Lingopie is an excellent supplement to the learning practice you’re already doing.

I think the best way to learn a language is to practice with someone in person for extended periods of time. You have to be pushed into uncomfortable situations to figure out how to say things. 

But if you can’t do that, the best approach is to combine grammar practice on apps, writing daily in a journal, listening to podcasts, taking online classes, and watching shows in that language using Lingopie. 

It’s really the closest thing you can get to being in Germany if you’re learning German or in France if you’re learning French. 

Lingopie is like having a friend who makes language learning feel like a breeze. 

📺 Have fun while learning languages with Lingopie!
7-day free trial + 70% off

Craving more language learning tips and tricks? Check out my honest review of Babbel.

Looking for video language classes? Read my review of Preply.

Let’s keep the language party rolling!

Planning a trip right now? Here are a few top resources I use on every trip:

🏨 Booking.com for great deals on hotels.

🎟️ GetYourGuide for incredible tours around the world.

🌍 Faye for travel insurance with great customer support.

📞 eSIM for staying connected in the air, on a cruise ship, or exploring on foot.

🗣️ Babbel for brushing up on my language skills.