Learning a new language is difficult! And it’s doubly difficult when the writing system is entirely different as well. Plus, even with languages that use the same alphabet, the pronunciation of each letter can sometimes be very different. But don’t worry, we won’t throw you in the deep end — well, not without help anyway. 

 

On the learning home screen, you’ll see an ‘Alphabet’ icon, which will help you get familiar with the letters in your new language and how they’re pronounced. 

  • For Arabic, Japanese and Korean, the ‘Alphabet’ icon unlocks an entire unit in and of itself. Work your way through this, and by the end, you should start being able to recognise each letter and spell out the pronunciation of words.
  • For Thai and Russian, the Alphabet section sets out the vowels and consonants, along with example words. You can click on each letter and word to hear its pronunciation (this function is also included for languages that use the Roman alphabet).
  • For Chinese, which has an entirely non-phonetic script, the Alphabet section takes you through the Pinyin system, which is used to indicate the pronunciation of Chinese characters.