READING 5 A2

Our three new apps for English language learners

See hear
This new app has over a thousand pictures with the English word spoken in male and female
voices with different accents from around the world. You can also hear hundreds of example
sentences that contain each word, and you can play these at natural speed or a little bit slower
to help you understand.
Cost: $1.99 Available for all smartphones and tablets.
Extra in-app purchases: When you are ready, you can buy more words at only $0.99 for
each extra 200 words.
Spell along
We know that English spelling is very difficult. This app helps you by showing you some of the
rules, for example i before e except after c (friend, ceiling). Yes! There are some rules! You
can take quizzes, play games and, if you buy the special in-app purchase, create your own
spelling tests for words that you find difficult.
Cost: $2 Available for all smartphones and tablets.
Extra in-app purchases: For only $1.50 extra you can make your own tests.

Vidme
This is a great new app that lets you send video messages to friends who are also learning
English. You can record a video message that lasts up to 60 seconds, and for an extra $1.25,
there is also a ‘Contact’ button that helps you find and contact other people who are learning
English. They can watch your video and reply to you with their own video.
Cost: $2.99 Available for all smartphones and tablets.
Extra in-app purchases: $1.25 for a Contact button to find other English language learners.

1 Read about the apps quickly and answer the questions. There are lots of new apps for people learning
languages… but what do you think about them?
1 Which app helps you practise communicating with people?
Maryam I really don’t like the Spell along app.
See hear / Spell along / Vidme The spellings are too easy and sometimes the
2 Which app helps you learn how to write words correctly? app doesn’t work. The instructions for making the
See hear / Spell along / Vidme tests are really difficult to understand.
3 Which app helps you learn how to say words? Juan I bought the Vidme app and the extra
‘Contact’ button. I think it’s a really cheap way to
See hear / Spell along / Vidme
practise English. I have made friends with people
2 Read again and choose the correct options to complete the sentences. all over the world and we share our videos. Buy it!
PJ See hear is quite a good app and I’ve learned
1 The See hear app has 3 If you pay extra for Vidme
a lot of new words with it. Sometimes it’s difficult
A a thousand example sentences. A you can make longer videos. to find the words I want though. You can buy
B a hundred example sentences. B you can send videos to your more words but not more sentences. :-(

C hundreds of example sentences. friends.

2 The Spell along app costs
A $2 if you want to make your own
tests.
B $3.50 if you want to make your
own tests.
C $3.50 if you don’t want to make
your own tests.
C you can add a ‘Contact’
3 Read people’s opinions of the apps, and
button.
4 Who wrote this page?
A English language learners
B People who make apps
C English language teachers
choose the correct words to complete
the sentences.
1 Maryam thinks the spellings /
instructions in the Spell along app are
too hard.
2 Juan has / hasn’t used the Vidme in-
app purchase.
3 PJ thinks it is hard to understand / find
the words in the See hear app.

Skills Boost A2 READING 5 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable