The best Taiwan Mandarin speaking app depends on what you want to say and who answers you. Poppy answers questions and plays roleplay, Glossika has you repeat recorded sentences, and italki, Preply, HelloTalk and Tandem put you in touch with people. Traditional characters on the screen don't make a course Taiwan Mandarin, so this page looks at the Taiwan scope of each option. For courses, dictionaries and reading, see our Taiwan Mandarin app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Taiwan Mandarin. You learn from Taiwan Mandarin you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Taiwan Mandarin lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it, or ask her to roleplay a conversation.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Lessons are in
Taiwan Mandarin, with Traditional characters, zhuyin and Taiwan usage. - Ask Poppy to explain a sentence, or to roleplay a conversation.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter in the free Taiwanese Mandarin Zhuyin course, with a picture to help you remember each one.
- Bubblegum centers on reading and listening, so for spoken turns use it next to one of the options below.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Zhuyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Glossika
Glossika suits learners who want to say full Taiwan Mandarin sentences out loud from the first day. You can try it free, and full access is paid.
- The Taiwan Mandarin course has native-speaker audio, and you listen, then repeat prepared sentences.
- Sample sentences appear in Traditional characters.
- Traditional characters
MobileWeb
italki
italki suits learners who want a Taiwan teacher to correct their spoken Mandarin.
- Filter Chinese teachers from Taiwan and book a live one-to-one lesson.
- A person hears you and corrects you.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply suits learners who want to compare many tutors by profile before they book.
- Book a live Mandarin tutor for lessons that include correction.
- Lessons are paid, and a free download does not include tuition.
MobileWeb
HelloTalk
HelloTalk suits learners who want to chat with Mandarin speakers and help them with English in return.
- Chat with language partners by text, voice messages, voice rooms and calls.
- Basic exchange is free, with an optional VIP plan.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem suits learners who want to arrange calls with an exchange partner.
- Find a partner and talk by messages, voice notes and calls.
- Basic exchange is free, with optional Pro.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- CiaoSpeakA character asks one question in a Taiwan scene, you tap the mic and answer, and the app shows that it understood you or gives a correction and a more natural way to say it. Up to five speaking questions a day are free, and Plus is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
- Pocket TaiwanA phrasebook of Taiwan situations, with an AI playing the clerk, server or landlord while you reply. Five situations are free, and the rest unlock with a one-time $5.99 purchase. The AI practice needs an internet connection.
- SpeechlingFree dictation in Traditional Chinese, with audio you can replay and answers it checks. Choose it for listening and typing before you speak.
| App | What you say | Feedback | Taiwan scope | English help | Free boundary | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Questions and roleplay with Poppy | Poppy answers and explains what you ask about | Taiwan Mandarin journey | Partly | Lessons by other learners are free to read; unlimited custom lessons need Pro | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Glossika | Repeated sentences | Listen and repeat, no person | Taiwan Mandarin course, native-speaker audio | Yes | Free to try, then paid | Web, app |
| italki | Live lessons | A teacher corrects you | Teachers from Taiwan can be filtered | Partly | Account free, teachers set prices | iPhone, Android, web |
| Preply | Live lessons | A tutor corrects you | Unconfirmed | Partly | Lessons paid | iPhone, Android, web |
| HelloTalk | Messages, voice messages, calls | Depends on the partner | Depends on the partner | Partly | Basic free, VIP paid | iPhone |
| Tandem | Messages, voice notes, calls | Informal partner corrections | Depends on the partner | Partly | Basic free, Pro optional | iPhone, Android |
| CiaoSpeak | Spoken answers to scene questions | Understood, or a correction and a natural alternative | Taiwan scenes | Yes | 5 speaking questions a day free | iPhone, Android |
| Pocket Taiwan | Replies in Taiwan situations | AI answers in character | Taiwan situations | Yes | 5 situations free; $5.99 once | iPhone, Android |
| Speechling | Typed dictation | Answers checked | Traditional characters; audio unconfirmed | Yes | Dictation free | Web |
If you want to read and listen to Taiwan Mandarin before you speak, our Taiwan Mandarin comprehensible input app comparison covers those apps. For speaking apps in any language, see apps for speaking practice.
Which Taiwan Mandarin speaking app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Taiwan Mandarin, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or choose italki if you want a teacher from Taiwan to correct you. Choose Glossika if you want recordings to repeat.
Can I practice speaking Taiwan Mandarin with an AI?
CiaoSpeak and Pocket Taiwan both put you in Taiwan situations and answer you. Poppy answers questions about your lessons and can roleplay a conversation.
How do I find a Taiwan speaker to practice with?
On italki you can filter Chinese teachers from Taiwan. On HelloTalk and Tandem, ask for a partner from Taiwan in your search, and check the profile before you start.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Glossika: Taiwan Mandarin course
- Glossika: pricing
- italki: Chinese teachers from Taiwan
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- HelloTalk: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- CiaoSpeak: Chinese course
- CiaoSpeak: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Pocket Taiwan: official page
- Pocket Taiwan: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Speechling: Traditional Chinese dictation
- Bubblegum
- italki
- Preply
- HelloTalk
- Tandem
