Although most people turn to traditional language learning apps like Rosetta Stone or Duolingo in order to learn Spanish, more personalized instruction has become more popular in recent years. In this article, we analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the BaseLang Spanish program so you can determine whether it is the right fit for your specific budget and needs.
To help you navigate this detailed review, we have included jump-to links above for your convenience.
In the video above, John from the Test Prep Insight team covers the pros and cons of using BaseLang to learn Spanish. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full, written review below.
Before diving into the pros and cons, let’s quickly explain what BaseLang is and how it operates. At its core, BaseLang functions as an online Spanish school, offering two main options: Real World and Grammarless.
The Real World program, which is their primary offering, involves a monthly fee for access to online sessions with expert tutors. On the other hand, Grammarless is akin to a Spanish bootcamp, consisting of an intensive 80-hour program where participants spend 2 to 4 hours per day with a teacher over 1 to 2 months. This program is designed for individuals looking to quickly learn Spanish and start having basic conversations.
In essence, BaseLang is a platform that provides on-demand Spanish classes with native teachers, making it a straightforward option for language learners.
Now that we have that background, let’s discuss what I particularly like about the BaseLang program in comparison to other tutoring programs and language apps.
The first notable aspect is the unlimited tutoring sessions offered with the company’s flagship program for a flat fee, which is quite remarkable. You could potentially schedule up to eight tutoring sessions per day, treating it like a full-time job.
While most people may not go to such lengths, the ability to schedule as many sessions as desired at no additional cost is highly advantageous.
In comparison, BaseLang’s major competitor, Lingoda, requires the purchase of live session bundles, lacking the unlimited access with BaseLang, making it a significant advantage for BaseLang students.
Next, I appreciate BaseLang’s extensive pool of over 450 instructors. This variety ensures that you’re not limited to just one person.
If you schedule a tutoring session and find that you don’t quite click with that particular instructor, there’s no issue; simply schedule your next session with a different instructor until you find one you really connect with.
This flexibility sets BaseLang apart from Lingoda and other Spanish tutoring companies, where such options are not typically available. Additionally, having so many instructors means you can book a tutoring session at the last minute with generally no problems.
For example, if your lunch appointment is canceled, and you suddenly have a free hour, you can quickly meet with a tutor. Overall, this level of flexibility and convenience is a major benefit of BaseLang.
Alright, the third advantage of BaseLang is that all of their instructors follow a structured curriculum. This is what really sets BaseLang apart from other Spanish tutoring companies. In other words, it’s not a free-for-all among the tutors regarding what they teach.
With BaseLang, there are nine levels, with level 0 covering the absolute basics and level 9 designed for more advanced students. For example, during level 0, you’ll be introduced to basic words and phrases to help you get started. Levels 1 through 3 focus on getting you to the point where you can have your first conversation in Spanish, and so on until level 9, where instructors will teach you the nuances of Spanish grammar.
In my opinion, following a structured curriculum is beneficial for several reasons. It provides guidance on what to learn next, reducing the need for you to plan your own studies. It also optimizes your learning efficiency by avoiding unnecessary repetition or gaps in knowledge.
Additionally, seeing your progress as you move through the different levels can be highly motivating, encouraging you to continue learning and improving.
This is somewhat related to my last point, but I like that BaseLang’s entire goal is to get you to a conversational level of fluency as quickly as possible. Let’s face it, that’s really the goal of probably 75% of students anyway; they just want to be able to converse in Spanish, and they really don’t care about anything else. That’s where BaseLang comes in.
They forego all the fluff that apps like Duolingo and Memrise offer and instead strictly focus on having you practice speaking and listening in a supportive environment with a native teacher. It’s honestly pretty refreshing. I’m a big fan.
Next, I like that as you get introduced to new vocabulary during live sessions with your teacher, BaseLang prompts you to review flashcards to reinforce the new words you just covered.
Plus, what’s cool is that BaseLang uses a unique confidence-based repetition system that ensures you reach a hundred percent confidence level for each word before you stop seeing it.
This spaced repetition algorithm helps reinforce your memory over time, reducing the likelihood of you forgetting.
Lastly, I quickly want to cover the company’s Grammarless program. Now, obviously, it’s not going to be for everyone; it’s pretty intensive and quite different from the company’s bread and butter Real-World program.
However, if you’re dead set on speaking Spanish quickly, this is an amazing option. Essentially, BaseLang throws learning grammar out of the window and immediately goes straight to teaching you how to speak, almost as if you’re a toddler learning your native language.
Back then, no rules were explained to you; the input was random and unorganized, and it likely took several years for you to understand the patterns of your native language.
Well, with the Grammarless program, you essentially learn the same patterns but in a structured method, so you can learn in months, not years. BaseLang is so confident in their program that they actually guarantee you will be conversational by the time you complete your 80 hours of tutoring.
So, long story short, if you need to learn Spanish quickly to live in Spain or Latin America, be able to converse in Spanish for a new job, or date a Spanish speaker without embarrassing yourself, the Grammarless program from BaseLang is an excellent option.
Now that we’ve touched on the positives, let’s turn the tables and discuss some of the negatives of using BaseLang to learn Spanish.
The first negative is cost. There’s no getting around it. BaseLang is expensive. Their Real World program costs around $180 per month, and their intensive Grammarless program costs around $1,200.
So if those price points are just not going to work for you, you may want to consider signing up for Babbel Live instead, which costs around $50 per month. Similar to BaseLang, with Babbel Live, you get unlimited access to live sessions. Just keep in mind, these are live group classes with Babbel, not one-on-one tutoring sessions.
I sort of alluded to this earlier, but another downside with BaseLang is the variation in instructor quality. With over 450 instructors, as you might imagine, they’re not all superstars.
Even though BaseLang has a pretty rigorous hiring process, and each instructor must possess a degree in teaching Spanish, occasionally you’ll come across a tutor who just doesn’t have very good communication skills.
This is kind of a bummer, especially after you waste an hour of your day, and you don’t leave feeling productive. But again, the nice thing with BaseLang is that you can quickly change tutors at the drop of a hat.
The last negative is that the BaseLang program is not as convenient overall as using a more traditional language learning app like Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone, for example.
You need to schedule your tutoring sessions, which makes your calendar more rigid, and the minimum time for a session is 30 minutes. So that means, you can’t just pull out your phone at a moment’s notice and complete a quick 10-minute study session like you can with other language apps. There’s just more planning and logistics involved.
Well, after testing the company’s Real World program, I think the answer is absolutely. And yes, I know the price tag is expensive; $180 per month is definitely nothing to sneeze at. But if you can stomach the price, I think you’ll be quite pleased.
BaseLang blows traditional language learning apps out of the water. I mean, unlimited live tutoring, come on, that’s incredible. Plus, I love that the company’s entire curriculum bypasses all the fluff and focuses solely on getting you to a conversational level of fluency as quickly as possible.
So really, it’s up to you. If you are determined to speak Spanish and you’re actually committed to learning for at least 8 to 10 hours per week, then I’d say BaseLang is an excellent option and definitely worth the money.
If not, maybe you just want to learn a few phrases for an upcoming trip to Cancun, then I’d say stick to cheaper apps like Rosetta Stone, Lingopie, or Pimsleur.
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BaseLang offers two different Spanish programs – Real World and Grammarless. The company’s Real World program costs $180 per month, while its intensive Grammarless program costs $1,200 total.
Yes, BaseLang is effective for learning Spanish because it offers unlimited live tutoring sessions with native-speaking instructors, providing personalized feedback and immersive practice. Additionally, BaseLang’s structured curriculum focuses on conversational fluency, bypassing unnecessary grammar rules and emphasizing practical language skills for real-life communication.
Yes, in my opinion, BaseLang’s high cost is justified given the fact you get unlimited access to expert Spanish tutors. I think BaseLang is an excellent fit for students who are serious about learning and speaking Spanish.