Talkpal Review

Table Of Contents:

• Talkpal features and app overview
• Talkpal pricing
• What we like about Talkpal
• What we dislike about Talkpal
• Who is Talkpal best for?
• How Talkpal compares to other language learning apps
• What users say
• Is Talkpal good? Our final verdict

As this is a pretty lengthy review that covers a number of topics, you’ll find a helpful jump-to table of contents above for your convenience.

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Talkpal Features And App Overview

Let’s start this Talkpal review with a quick program overview. Talkpal uses GPT technology to provide AI-powered lessons in 57 different languages. They offer more languages than the majority of the other language apps on the market, making it a polyglot’s dream. While getting started with Talkpal, I found the interface visually appealing and easy to use, which made a good first impression.

When you set up your account, Talkpal asks you a few questions to kickstart your personalized learning, such as what your current proficiency is in your target language (I chose Spanish). You’ll share some of your goals, letting the program know what you want to achieve. Are you hoping to learn the basics, improve your fluency, or your speaking? You also let the app know how often you want to practice, whether that’s once a day or a few times a week. The app will tailor its lessons to your goal. 

Then, depending on whether you decide to upgrade to their paid plan (more on that below), Talkpal offers various ‘modes’ that enable you to practice listening, reading, speaking, and writing through AI-powered conversations.

Here Are The Nine Language Learning Modes You Get With Talkpal

1. Chat: Back-and-forth conversation with an AI tutor.
2. Word mode: Practice using and pronouncing simple words in context.
3. Dialogue mode: Oral practice with a tutor in everyday situations: ordering a taxi, booking a hotel, grocery shopping, etc.
4. Sentence mode: Beginners can listen to and repeat simple sentences.
5. Call mode: Audio-only phone calls with an AI teacher.
6. Roleplay mode: Talk through everyday activities and travel scenarios.
7. Character mode: Chat with historical and fictional characters.
8. Debate mode: Defend a controversial position for advanced speaking practice.
9. Photo mode: Describe AI-generated images.

Talkpal breaks away from the typical structured approach you see in most language apps. Instead of being locked into specific modules or lessons, you can jump around and practice however you want. I found myself gravitating toward the Chat feature when I wanted something more relaxed – since it’s text-based, I could practice anywhere without having to worry about speaking out loud in public.

As I tested out the various modes, I got feedback on everything, whether I was typing out responses or actually speaking to the AI tutor. When I nailed it, I’d get a simple checkmark. But when I made mistakes, there’d be this caution sign that I could click on. That opened up a feedback window on the right side with really specific notes about my pronunciation, word choice, verb tenses – that kind of thing. The AI tutor not only slowed down for me but also asked me in Spanish whether I wanted to focus more on speaking or listening. It adapted and personalized my lesson in real time, I found this feedback pretty helpful for understanding exactly where I went wrong. 

The fact that it is GPT-powered language learning means you’re often going beyond scripted exercises to engage in more conversational, free-form interactions with the AI tutor.

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Progress Tracking

Talkpal tracks your progress pretty well. You can see how close you are to leveling up and check your stats anytime on the progress dashboard, such as total practice minutes done. The app also gives you daily feedback based on everything you’ve been working on. Mine pointed out specific areas where I could improve my writing and speaking, which was helpful.

What I liked is that I could explore the various modes depending on what I felt like doing. There’s no traditional points or badges system like in Duolingo, where you have to earn your way to the next level. Instead, I noticed the app just adapted to wherever I was: if I was doing well, it would throw me tougher material, and if I was struggling, it would dial things back and give me more foundational practice before pushing me forward again.

So that’s the Talkpal course structure in a nutshell. It allows you to freely jump between modes as you’d like, rather than having to follow a structured plan. The emphasis here is on conversational ability. That being said, Word Mode and Sentence Mode do provide a limited step-by-step curriculum for beginners, but it’s mostly hearing and repeating short sentences, with a few simple review exercises mixed in. Otherwise, most of the app is a freestyle chatbot-driven experience where you’re simply logging in and chatting, rather than completing formal lessons and quizzes.  

If a more structured curriculum is important to you, you might consider checking out Rocket Languages or Babbel, which focuses heavily on guided lessons centered around grammar, conversation and speaking. 

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Talkpal Pricing

Talkpal offers both a free and a subscription version. With the free version you’re limited to the basic chatbot mode, which lets you both listen to an AI tutor and read along to catch what they’re saying. The app cuts you off after 10 minutes of practice per day, which can be frustrating. 

If you’re serious about language learning, you’re better off opting for their subscription version, Talkpal Premium. This plan gives you all the modes and unlimited daily usage. You can opt for a single-month plan for $15 per month, or prepay for a 3-month, 12-month, or 24-month subscription, which run for around $6 to $13 a month. This puts Talkpal pricing right in line with other language learning apps, like Babbel and Super Duolingo, but cheaper than Rosetta Stone and Rocket Languages. 

The Talkpal free trial also lets you test out its features for 14 days before you commit. If you are one of the prepaid 3, 12, or 24-month plans and don’t cancel within those 14 days, then you won’t get a refund. However, I think it’s important to note that Talkpal is always running some sort of deal or special promotion. I usually see their plans discounted, making the price more reasonable, so be sure to check for coupon codes before buying.

Read our review  for Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur

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What We Like About Talkpal

Now that we have covered pricing, subscription options, lessons and features, let’s take a look at some pros and cons. Here’s what I found while using the app:

It’s Great For Conversation Practice

Talkpal is all about practicing speaking and listening for self-directed learners. The speech recognition software is both accurate and quick, making conversations feel seamless. For me, chatting with an AI language teacher took the shame out of speaking: no human is listening, and I didn’t even have to click on the option for viewing grammatical feedback if it ever started feeling too critical. Embarrassment is one of the main reasons language learners struggle to develop their speaking ability, so to me, using AI as a conversation tool is beneficial.

I also liked that aside from a few structured dialogue options, Talkpal primarily focuses on a free-flowing conversation format. Coming up with sentences on the spot pushed my learning significantly. At the same time, my experience using Talkpal wasn’t overwhelming. I could speak as slowly as I wanted, start over if I messed up, and make my responses as short or long as I liked. That makes Talkpal perfect for students and kids: the AI tutor will meet them where they’re at, rather than expecting kids to achieve the same level of conversation as an adult or professional.

Looking for more kid-friendly language learning apps? Check out our list here

Lots Of Fun, Engaging Features

Talkpal’s various modes let you mix up your approach to learning instead of getting stuck in a rut. I liked jumping between features whenever I got bored with one. There are different modes to accommodate different learning levels, too. Beginners might simply read a script out loud in Dialogue Mode to get a feel for proper word order; intermediate learners can use the chatbot to express their own thoughts. Since I’m advanced in Spanish, I challenged myself with Debate Mode, which pushed me to develop complex arguments about nuanced topics like the ones shown below. In truth, it did help me a little to enhance my Spanish as I tried to defend my position against this all-knowing AI!

My favorite feature was Character Mode, which provides a good variety of popular characters from diverse cultures. In this mode you can have a conversation with historical figures (I couldn’t resist Frankenstein’s Monster). His low, rough voice didn’t disappoint, and his descriptions of life as a monster were definitely entertaining! Although some of the answers were abstract and could be improved, it was a fun feature. 

Freestyle Approach Makes Learning Feel Natural

What I also liked was that I found myself constantly bouncing between different activities – one minute I’m chatting with the bot, the next I’m describing what I see in a picture. That variety kept things interesting and honestly felt more like how you actually use language in the real world, where you’re not stuck talking about one narrow topic for hours.

The whole experience is different from the high school language classes we all remember. There’s no sitting through tedious vocabulary lists or repetitive drills. Instead, Talkpal creates something that feels surprisingly close to actual immersion. It’s way more natural and authentic than those game-style apps where you’re just collecting points and moving through levels.

Real-Time Feedback Helps You Improve At Speaking

The AI tutor provides detailed, real-time grammatical feedback for everything you say. This is a huge advantage over human teachers, who will naturally limit how much feedback they provide. People generally feel too embarrassed to rigorously correct one another’s speech, but the bot highlighted every mistake I made. If that’s too much, you can simply choose not to view all of the feedback, but it’s really nice to have the option for anyone wanting to know what is or isn’t working. 

Seeing my own sentences corrected a few seconds after I said them helped me think through my speech patterns, then practice saying them correctly. This was one of my favorite things about Talkpal, as correcting my own sentences right away really helped the proper phrasing stick!

What We Dislike About Talkpal

There’s a lot to like, but it isn’t perfect, and it isn’t for everyone. Here are some downsides.

Tech Issues Can Be Problematic

Talkpal sometimes gives incorrect grammatical feedback. I ran into some issues with the app’s accuracy – it would let obvious pronunciation mistakes slide by, or misidentify what part of speech a word was. It became pretty clear that the AI has some consistency problems and isn’t always reliable with its feedback.  Since AI technology is still evolving, it can be tricky to verify whether the language tips you’re getting are spot-on without checking them against other sources. If the feedback isn’t quite right, it could lead to some confusion or reinforce mistakes.

I was also a little frustrated by the app transcribing my speech into written text, then correcting its own punctuation! Reading about punctuation rules wasted my time and interrupted my focus. For me, this is the biggest area where Talkpal can improve. I love the conversation practice, but I’d like to see Talkpal implement more reliable speech recognition software and feedback so I know exactly what I’m doing right or wrong.

Beginners May Struggle With Complex Conversation Practice

While more popular languages do have a few features for beginners, Talkpal isn’t designed for entry-level or beginner learning. For example, when I used Word Mode, it quickly threw me into repeating long sentences, which could be overwhelming for someone with no previous exposure to the language. 

I find it easier to get started in a new language by having some structure and doing more rapid-fire drills, like Mondly offers, as a means of mastering a few words and phrases at a time before building on that vocabulary. Also, some learners often do better with visual-based programs, such as Rosetta Stone. Overall, Talkpal’s beginner features seem more like a last-minute addition, rather than a strategic curriculum designed around how beginners actually learn.

Not sure what your language level is? Explore the key stages of language learning in our guide

Limited Features For Less Popular Languages

I found that features are very limited for less popular languages. The chatbot works great, but there aren’t any lessons or scripted conversations for beginners, making the app limited for someone trying to get started with a less popular language, like Hebrew or Bosnian.  This isn’t too big of a drawback, though, as the Talkpal language app is still good at providing conversation practice in any of its 57 languages in the chat mode. 

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Who is Talkpal best for?

• Intermediate to advanced learners wanting more conversation practice.
• Busy professionals in need of speaking practice.
• Students who are open to natural, conversation-led practice.
• Parents exploring kid-friendly apps and AI tutoring resources.
• Polyglots wanting lots of language options.

How Talkpal Compares To Other Language Learning Apps

In terms of vocabulary and grammar instruction, Talkpal isn’t as robust as lesson-based apps like Babbel and Pimsleur. If you’re comparing Talkpal vs Babbel, Talkpal is mostly limited to providing conversation practice, whereas Babbel combines quick daily lessons and review exercises with an AI conversation mode. 

Still, Talkpal gives more speaking practice than apps that prioritize listening like LingoPie. For example, LingoPie has you listen to shows in the foreign language and merely repeat what the characters said to check your pronunciation, rather than generate your own sentences. Even audio-based Rocket Languages offers less speaking practice than Talkpal, although Rocket is the stronger option if you’re looking for a more comprehensive curriculum that includes vocabulary and grammar instruction. 

I found Talkpal a little less engaging than gamified language apps, like Mondly, where you earn points, track streaks, and compete against friends and other users. But keep in mind that gamified apps tend to be designed for beginners, so while Mondly does offer a VR mode for AI-based conversation, they lack the wide range of modes for intermediate and advanced learners that Talkpal offers. 

Other lesser-known AI language learning apps, like Busuu, use AI for purposes other than conversation, like creating a personalized review experience. To me, this seems to be barely scratching the surface of what AI can do; gaining actual conversation practice is far more beneficial for overall language learning. Kahoot and Learn Languages 24 similarly underutilize AI, using it only for assistance with writing, learning materials, and review.

Even AI apps that offer text and voice conversation tend to be more limited than Talkpal. WordUp only provides language practice for those learning English, and Speakpal costs more than Talkpal yet only offers one basic chatbot mode compared to Talkpal’s nine learning modes. Praktika might be the closest competitor, with similar pricing and functionality to Talkpal. However, users complain of frequent glitches and delays of its cartoony AI tutor that moves around the screen while you chat.

Ultimately, a more structured program like Babbel or Rocket is better for overall language learning, but we see Talkpal as one of the best apps out there for AI conversation – consider it a supplemental resource to help your conversational skills become more natural.

What Users Say

Talkpal is a popular language app – it has over 1 million downloads, 30,000+ reviews on Google Play Store, and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. We evaluated user reviews from Trust Pilot and Reddit, and the views align with our findings: Talkpal is an engaging conversation app good for intermediate users, but there are some inconsistencies they need to fix.

One user stated, “It uses your previously learned words in the sections to follow which is great…My only complaint thus far is the fact that some of the sentences don’t make sense, especially in the ‘build a sentence’ exercise.” Another Reddit user said, “I have felt more confident speaking English after two weeks of using Talkpal…it’s a good way of practicing speaking English if you are at an intermediate level, like me.” 

The general sentiment was positive, with some complaints on how the app can improve. 

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Is Talkpal Good? Our Final Verdict

Overall, I came away pretty impressed with Talkpal. The AI-powered conversations actually kept me engaged without feeling robotic, and I genuinely enjoyed switching between all the different lesson modes. The interface is clean, the live grammar feedback really helped me improve, and I liked how the conversations adapt over time. With that said, there are some kinks they need to work out, such as some inaccuracies in the grammar feedback and not having many structured lessons. 

All things considered, I would definitely recommend Talkpal, just depending on your language ability and your specific goals. Talkpal is best for learners who already have some language knowledge and are looking for a fun conversation partner to improve their speaking skills. For beginners, Talkpal works well as a conversation supplement alongside something more structured like Babbel that teaches you the fundamentals. You’ll want to build that foundation first, then use Talkpal to practice applying what you’ve learned. 

Prefer structured daily lessons? Check out Babbel

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