Glossika Review: Pros, Cons, and More

It can be incredibly frustrating when you spend hours learning a language but can’t bring yourself to speak it fluently.

Why do we stutter through the phrases and sentences we have practiced for days, weeks, or even months? It’s quite simple: we simply don’t have enough speaking practice.

Though many platforms claim they can improve all four skills related to language learning, most fall short of our expectations when we analyze their practice exercises for listening and speaking. This is where Glossika differs.

In this Glossika review, we will discuss everything this platform has to offer and why it will be a great choice for learning a new language.

Quick Overview: Glossika Review

Criteria	Glossika
Content Quality	4/5
Support	4.5/5
Value for Money	3.9/5
Ease of Use	4.5/5
Overall Rating	4.2/5

Is Glossika Legit?

Yes, Glossika is a legitimate platform for sincere language learners. Glossika’s ardent lovers would probably throw a fit if they saw us discussing the website’s legitimacy. (How dare we doubt?) 

Anyway, Michael Campbell founded it in 2010 and has become so associated with it that my friends refer to him as ‘Micheal Campbell Glossika’ whenever we discuss the polyglot. So, you can rest assured that this is a legit website that has been around for more than two decades.

How Does Glossika Work?

Glossika emphasizes repetition to enable natural learning. According to the website, a five-year-old can speak a million sentences because of repeated exposure. Therefore, it uses audio tracks of native speakers to help you pick up the language easily. You start speaking the language from the first day of learning.

Of course, Glossika also helps you improve your writing and reading skills. Depending on your requirements, you can toggle between the full practice mode and listening-only mode. An issue most people face when learning a new language is forgetting certain words and phrases. 

Glossika preemptively stops this from occurring through its personalized lessons. It makes you review a list of sentences you might forget every day. This Glossika Method is effective as per the numerous Glossika reviews available. And I don’t dispute the claim as it worked for me when I took a few lessons in Gaelic. 

Pros and Cons

It is wise to carefully evaluate the consequences (the good and the bad) of picking a particular website to aid your learning journey. What could the site possibly provide you that other platforms can’t? And what mildly irritating factors do you have to put up with to enjoy those unique features? Let’s see, shall we?

The pros of choosing Glossika are:

• The Glossika spaced repetition: This platform’s algorithm ensures you retain everything you learn and aren’t prone to bouts of forgetfulness.
• Mass sentence practice method: The focus is on helping you learn by practicing with sentences rather than making you slave over individual words.
• Difficulty levels: The practice sentences are categorized into twelve difficulty levels. You will gain confidence as you progress through these Glossika levels. And, as we all know, being confident is the key to fluency building.
• Personalized content.
• One subscription for access to 60+ languages (including several minority languages unavailable on other platforms). 

The cons:

• The Glossika Method review indicates that its effectiveness varies with the target language. Even though the method is constant, the resemblance between the native and target language plays a key role in your progress.
• Lack of gamified elements (one reason why people tend to be partial to Duo in the Glossika vs Duolingo debate).
• The free Glossika language courses do not inspire awe. What’s the point of learning a language if the experience isn’t exciting and the content isn’t comprehensive?

Variety of Languages

You can learn 60+ languages on Glossika including popular languages like Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. It also teaches obscure languages like Hakka, Wenzhounese, and Kurdish. A1 – B1 learners will find this site suitable for improving their skills. 

Glossika Catalan, Glossika Hungarian, and Glossika Persian are some of the site’s intriguing courses. The Finnish and Estonian courses are awesome, too. This is unsurprising as Glossika’s courses on unusual languages are what set it apart from similar platforms.

Smart Features

The website uses an AI-powered algorithm to customize the lessons according to your interests and preferences. Other AI-powered features like spaced repetition and breakdown of languages (by grammatical structure and difficulty level) are also well-received by the masses.

Quality of Instruction & Content

The course content and instruction quality of most languages on Glossika are up to mark. However, some of the free courses need more depth. This one has an advantage in the Glossika vs Pimsleur discussion because of its full-practice mode. However, I feel Pimsleur is a better option if you only need to improve your listening and speaking skills.

Fortunately, the courses on Glossika are updated periodically so that the content remains relevant. And, despite the lack of instructors, you do become comfortable speaking in the target language. The practice exercises are good enough to ensure that.

Learning Experience and User Interface

Your learning experience will improve dramatically when you understand how to use Glossika. Keeping up the daily streak and regularly reviewing what you learn will make learning a new language a less painful experience. Not everyone can dedicate several hours to studying. However, it’s possible to set aside 10 – 15 minutes a day, right?

The Glossika learning experience is quite good as its algorithm ensures you progress through a structured path with gradually increasing difficulty levels. The Glossika memory training practices through spaced repetition is a well-liked feature that motivates people to put in more effort. 

And the Glossika fluency-building exercises are excellent. What’s lovely about the site is the ability to record yourself and compare it to how native speakers talk. Or, you can use the feature to listen and bask in the fact that you have come far from the bumbling wannabe language learner you were before progressing through the course at a later period.

One of the highlights of the Glossika language learning experience is the phonetic breakdown of the words in the sentences you learn. Although knowledge of IPA isn’t strictly necessary for you to enjoy the lessons, it will make them more interesting. You can use the YouTube channel Glossika Phonics to learn IPA if the idea intrigues you.

Another useful resource is the downloadable sentence pairs. Why are these sentence pairs (native + target language) important? Because they are part of the Glossika sentence patterns technique. They allow you to detect the pattern in the target language based on your native language. That is, they help you understand sentence structures better.

As for the user interface, it is neat and uncluttered. Navigation is not unnecessarily complex (thank the gods for that!). On some websites, navigating is akin to guiding a ship through shark-infested waters with perilous rocks on both sides of the path. That’s why I make it a point to check if the UI is user-friendly.

The Glossika app, too, is easy to use and doesn’t pose any problems. Every feature from the listening-only mode to the progress tracker is available on the app. Many apps like Glossika exist; however, only a few have all the features their web versions have. That’s why the site is so popular. 

Plans and Pricing

How much does Glossika cost? Is it relatively affordable or do the plans fall on the pricier side? These are valid questions that must be answered.

Though Glossika plans are generally considered worth the price, some opine that they are a bit on the expensive side compared to any given Glossika alternative.

The free plan grants unlimited access to limited minority languages such as Gaelic, Welsh, and Manz. You can access only one course with the basic plan costs $16.99/month or $13.33/month if you subscribe to the annual plan.

The Pro plan is the best among the Glossika pricing options. The monthly subscription costs $30.99; however, the annual subscription costs only $25/month. You can access all 60+ language courses. 

As you can see, you can save 19% by opting for the annual plans. The Glossika Student Premium plan costs only $13.95/month and provides unrestricted access to all language courses.

The only difference between the Basic and Pro plans (besides the number of courses included) is the access to downloadable learning resources for offline use. Basic plan users can download only a hundred pairs of sentences. On the other hand, Pro plan users can download 500 pairs for each language.

You can use the Glossika free trial to determine whether subscribing to the platform is worth it if you are skeptical about its effectiveness. I am sure you will find that it meets your requirements.

Glossika Coupon Code

You are in luck if you are searching for a Glossika promo code to get a discount on the Glossika subscription cost. The following are the current active coupons you can use:

Coupon Code	Discount	Discounted Price (for Pro plan)
BTS2024	30%	$17.5/month
GLOSSIKA0916	20%	$20/month

Learning Community

Glossika doesn’t have a community or discussion forum for learners to interact. However, you can use other online language learners’ forums created for that purpose.

Customer Support

Glossika’s customer support is considered helpful. Honestly, the fact that people aren’t ranting about uncancelled subscriptions, battling for refunds, etc. is a huge point in its favor. You have no idea how many popular websites have abysmal customer support. Or perhaps, you do. In which case, hang on my friend. We will get through these depressing times.

Who Should Use Glossika?

You should use Glossika if you value conversational skills. Glossika’s main appeal is that it helps you speak the language you choose right from the start. If you like diving headlong into sentences instead of wasting time on trivial words you will never use in your life, you will love this learning platform.

Beginners and intermediate-level learners will benefit from Glossika, but it has nothing for C1 or C2-level learners. More importantly, if you rely heavily on visual cues to learn, Glossika isn’t the right choice. Though it has exercises for writing and reading, its main focus is on helping you learn by listening.

Therefore, you must pick another alternative if you want to be proficient enough to start writing novellas in your target language. The final factors to consider are time and money. You must spend at least 15 minutes a day for Glossika to be effective. 

And, many other affordable learning platforms are available for learning a language. However, the counterpoint that more expensive websites are also out there can be made. So, use Glossika if you feel the price is on par with the benefits received.

Glossika Alternatives

1. Pimsleur

Pimsleur is the best website for improving your listening and speaking skills and I will die on this hill. The best thing is that you can learn a language while doing mundane chores at home. After all, you only have to listen. You don’t have to write anything down. The spaced repetition method ensures what you learn is retained in your long-term memory.

2. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is well-known for its immersive learning methods. Since you use context clues to learn devoid of any translations, Rosetta Stone provides an exceptionally fascinating learning experience. 

That is probably why people are interested in the Glossika vs Rosetta Stone debate. Rosetta, too, uses audio tracks of native speakers. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about sounding like a tourist with no clue as to why they decided a trip to a country speaking completely foreign language was a good idea.

3. Speechling

Speechling is a free language learning website that focuses on helping you speak confidently. It is recommended for intermediate and advanced-level learners.

In the Glossika vs Speechling discussion, the latter holds its ground. Why? Because you simply have to listen, record, and receive feedback to improve your skills significantly.

The mix of tech and human coaching makes it a unique platform that every aspiring polyglot must try at least once. Moreover, it’s free! You only have to subscribe if you need one-on-one coaching and additional premium learning resources. The plan (Speechling Unlimited) costs only $19.99/month.

Final Verdict: Is Glossika Worth It?

If you want to speak in your target language like a native and not end up with horrible fake accents, then yes, Glossika is worth it.  Seriously, the benefits of speaking in the language you are learning from day one cannot be emphasized enough. So many awkward situations could be avoided if we only took the time to practice speaking more.

So, was this Glossika review informative and fun? Goodbye, for now, my friend. Let’s meet again for the next review.

FAQs

1. Is Glossika free?

Nine of the 65 Glossika language courses are free, and you have unrestricted access to all the learning tools and awesome features. You have to subscribe to access other courses. However, you can use the Glossika free trial (unlimited access for 7 days) to determine whether the site is better than whatever resource you are using at the moment.

2. Can you listen to Glossika on an MP3 player?

No, all downloaded content is stored in the app or site itself. You can’t listen to Glossika on an MP3 player. However, we humans are devious creatures. So, I won’t be surprised if someone finds a way around this obstacle.

3. Does Glossika really work?

Yes, it works. However, your progress in learning different languages will vary as the similarity between your native and target language has a huge impact on the perceived difficulty level.

4. How to use Glossika effectively?

Consistent practice and use of complementary learning resources ensure effective utilization of the site. There is no point in crying out that Glossika doesn’t work if you only spend about five minutes a week using it.

5. Is there a Glossika app?

Yes, and it has all the features available in the web version.

6. How far does Glossika take you in learning a language?

It is possible to reach the B1 level in your chosen language using Glossika and in some rare cases B2.