The rapid advancement of technology has revolutionized language learning, offering a plethora of applications that promise to improve language proficiency. These electron apps provide accessible, flexible, and engaging ways for individuals to learn new languages. This article delves into the theoretical value of these apps, examining how they facilitate language learning and their effectiveness across different proficiency levels.

Knowledge, skills, and high level of foreign language proficiency form an essential component of professional competence of a modern specialist, thus being crucial in professional training of higher education students. Such statement is particularly relevant for students majoring in international relations and international activities. For students majoring in purely technical specialties, in particular, future specialists in applied physics and mathematics, nanotechnology, mining, ecology, and heat power engineering, foreign language knowledge and skills are equally important since they open for students the opportunities for world achievements and exchange of experiences in a barrier free communicative environment in these crucial areas of activity. Importantly, such students have to attain a high level of foreign language competence in order to achieve professionalism in their future activities and build their professional careers. [ 3]

Headway

- Overview: Headway is a language learning app that emphasizes extensive reading to improve comprehension and fluency. The app provides users with a variety of texts, ranging from short stories to articles, tailored to different proficiency levels.

- Features:

- Diverse Reading Material: Offers a wide range of reading materials to cater to different interests and proficiency levels.

- Comprehension Questions: Each reading piece is followed by comprehension questions to ensure understanding and retention.

- Progress Tracking: Tracks user progress and adjusts the difficulty level accordingly.

- Offline Access: Allows users to download content and read offline.

- Benefits:

- Improved Reading Skills: Regular reading practice enhances vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

- Cultural Exposure: Reading diverse texts exposes users to different cultures and contexts, enriching their learning experience.

Duolingo. Duolingo employs gamification to enhance engagement and retention.

- Overview: Duolingo is a popular language learning app that uses gamification to make learning engaging and effective. It covers multiple languages and provides a structured learning path.

- Features:

- Gamified Learning: Lessons are structured like games, with rewards, levels, and challenges to keep learners motivated.

- Interactive Exercises: Includes exercises on reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

- Daily Streaks: Encourages consistent practice with daily streaks and reminders.

- Community Support: Users can join clubs and compete with friends for a more social learning experience.

- Benefits:

- Engaging Learning: The gamified approach makes learning fun and addictive, enhancing user engagement.

- Comprehensive Skill Development: Covers all language skills comprehensively.

Real Life. Real Life connects learners with native speakers for immersive experiences.

- Overview: Real Life is an app that connects language learners with native speakers for immersive practice. It focuses on real-world communication to enhance conversational skills.

- Features:

- Native Speaker Interaction: Connects learners with native speakers for live conversations.

- Topic-Based Conversations: Offers a variety of topics for users to choose from, ensuring relevant and interesting dialogues.

- Community Events: Hosts events and meetups to facilitate language practice in a social setting.

- Language Exchange: Allows users to practice their target language while helping others learn their native language.

- Benefits:

- Enhanced Speaking Skills: Regular practice with native speakers improves fluency and confidence.

- Cultural Immersion: Interacting with native speakers provides cultural insights and real-life context.

ELSA Speak. ELSA Speak uses artificial intelligence to provide precise pronunciation feedback.

- Overview: ELSA Speak uses artificial intelligence to provide precise feedback on pronunciation. It helps learners improve their speaking skills by focusing on pronunciation accuracy.

- Features:

- AI-Powered Feedback: Uses AI to analyze and provide instant feedback on pronunciation.

- Personalized Learning Path: Tailors exercises to the user's pronunciation needs and tracks improvement.

- Speech Recognition Technology: Detects and corrects mispronunciations in real-time.

- Practice Exercises: Offers a variety of exercises focused on sounds, words, and sentences.

- Benefits:

- Pronunciation Improvement: Helps users achieve native-like pronunciation.

- Confidence Building: Accurate feedback and gradual improvement build speaking confidence.

Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder. Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder uses spaced repetition to ensure long-term vocabulary retention.

- Overview: Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder utilizes spaced repetition to ensure long-term retention of vocabulary. It is designed to help learners expand their vocabulary efficiently.

- Features:

- Spaced Repetition System (SRS): Reviews words at optimal intervals to enhance memory retention.

- Flashcards: Uses flashcards to introduce and reinforce new vocabulary.

- Audio Pronunciations: Provides audio pronunciations to aid in learning correct pronunciation.

- Customizable Decks: Allows users to create and customize their own vocabulary decks.

- Benefits:

- Effective Vocabulary Retention: The SRS method ensures that vocabulary is retained in long-term memory.

- Convenient Learning: Flashcards and audio pronunciations make vocabulary learning accessible and efficient.

By leveraging the strengths of these apps and incorporating them into a comprehensive language learning strategy, learners can achieve significant improvements in their language proficiency. Combining these tools with traditional learning methods and consistent practice can lead to a more effective and enjoyable language learning experience. These theoretical frameworks underpin the practical applications of these tools, offering insights into their pedagogical effectiveness.

This study employs a qualitative analysis of user experiences, app features, and educational outcomes associated with each language learning app. Data is gathered from user reviews, academic studies, and app performance metrics to assess the practical importance of these tools. The analysis focuses on how these apps cater to different learning styles, their user interface, content quality, and overall impact on language proficiency. The ability to communicate in a foreign language is most quickly achieved through progressive mastery of labor skills while simultaneously developing the entire language system, which implements the speech skills of a new language very accurately and in a timely manner necessary for the student in his daily activities. This is the only way to form thinking in a foreign language quickly enough in which the presentation of thoughts takes place in accordance with the norms of the new language system acquired for its expression in everyday speech.

Language learning apps offer several practical benefits, including convenience, personalized learning paths, and a wide range of resources. They cater to diverse learning preferences and provide opportunities for consistent practice. The interactive nature of these apps, combined with their ability to track progress and adapt to individual needs, makes them valuable tools for language learners of all levels.

The analysis reveals that these language learning apps significantly contribute to language proficiency improvement. Users report enhanced vocabulary, better pronunciation, and increased confidence in using the language. For instance, Headway users benefit from improved reading skills,

- Enhanced Reading Skills. users of Headway report significant improvements in their reading skills. The extensive reading practice provided by the app helps in enhancing vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.

- Increased Engagement: The variety of reading materials keeps users engaged and motivated to continue their learning journey.

- Better Comprehension: Regular practice with comprehension questions helps users understand and retain what they read, leading to improved overall comprehension skills.

 Duolingo. Duolingo users appreciate the structured and engaging learning modules.

- Structured Learning Modules: Duolingo users appreciate the structured and gamified learning modules that make language learning engaging and effective.

- Consistent Practice: The app’s daily streaks and reminders encourage users to practice consistently, which is crucial for language retention.

- Improved Vocabulary and Grammar: Users report enhanced vocabulary and better understanding of grammar rules due to the comprehensive exercises covering different language aspects.

 Real Life. Real Life facilitates real-world language use

- Real-World Language Use: Real Life connects learners with native speakers, facilitating real-world language use. This immersion helps users become more comfortable and fluent in conversational settings.

- Cultural Understanding: Interaction with native speakers provides cultural insights and practical language use, enriching the learning experience.

- Increased Confidence: Regular conversations with native speakers help users build confidence in their speaking abilities.

ELSA Speak. ELSA Speak enhances pronunciation accuracy,

- Pronunciation Accuracy: ELSA Speak’s AI-driven feedback significantly improves users’ pronunciation. The precise and instant feedback helps users correct their mistakes and achieve native-like pronunciation.

- Personalized Learning: The app’s personalized learning path, tailored to individual pronunciation needs, ensures targeted improvement.

- Confidence in Speaking: Users report increased confidence in their speaking abilities due to accurate pronunciation practice.

 Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder. Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder strengthens vocabulary retention.

- Long-Term Vocabulary Retention: The spaced repetition system (SRS) used by Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder ensures that vocabulary is retained in long-term memory.

- Efficient Vocabulary Learning: Users find the flashcard method effective for quick and efficient vocabulary learning.

- Pronunciation and Usage: The app’s audio pronunciations help users learn the correct pronunciation of new words, and customizable decks allow for targeted vocabulary practice relevant to users' needs.

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Notion: the information on the table was gathered regarding the updates of 07.06.2024, and it might be different compared to the exact time of your reading date.

By consistently using these electron apps, learners can achieve substantial improvements in their language proficiency. They can develop better reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The apps also promote cultural understanding and linguistic competence, preparing learners for real-life communication. The combined strengths of these apps make them valuable tools in a comprehensive language learning strategy, contributing significantly to language acquisition and proficiency improvement. To meet the requirements of competence-based approach, new forms of adaptation of educational process to the current trends of computer technologies’ expansion are developed and introduced in Russia and abroad. For instance, the technology of “flipped classroom”, presented in 2007 by American methodologists, combine video lectures that students watch at home and practice in class. [2]

By consistently using these electron apps, learners can achieve substantial improvements in their language proficiency. They can develop better reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The apps also promote cultural understanding and linguistic competence, preparing learners for real-life communication.

Each app caters to different proficiency levels, from beginners to advanced learners. Headway and Duolingo offer comprehensive courses that gradually increase in difficulty. Real Life and ELSA Speak provide opportunities for advanced learners to refine their skills through real-world interactions and pronunciation practice. Duo Cards Vocabulary Builder is particularly effective for learners looking to expand their vocabulary across different proficiency levels.

Forms of extracurricular work with students can be conditionally combined into two groups, which correspond to the influence on the components of foreign language communicative competence. Further investigation requires verification of the effectiveness of the proposed forms. [1].

To maximize the effectiveness of these apps, learners should integrate them into a broader language learning strategy. Combining app use with traditional methods such as classroom instruction, language exchange, and immersion can lead to more holistic language acquisition. Additionally, regular practice, setting realistic goals, and actively engaging with the app’s community features can enhance learning outcomes. The presence of foreign-language communicative competence among engineering students is a necessity in the current conditions of the development of science and technology. The availability of this competence significantly increases the competitiveness of professionals in the labour market. Therefore, the formation of foreign-language communicative competence should occur while studying at the university. In the face of reduced classroom hours, extracurricular work with students is becoming increasingly important.