Nigerian English is the one to learn if you plan to live, study, or work in Nigeria, or to talk with Nigerian friends. More than 520 languages are spoken in Nigeria, and many Nigerians also speak Nigerian Pidgin. Most English apps teach American or British English, and our English app comparison covers apps for any kind of English.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn English. You learn from English you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, that you're starting a job in Lagos next month. She writes a lesson at your level about your first day at the office. Ask her about any word you don't know.
To practice with people, try a partner or tutor in Practice With People From Nigeria. If you want Pidgin, see our Nigerian Pidgin app comparison.
- Lessons are in Nigerian English, written for life, study, and work in Nigeria.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons teach Nigerian English. Nigerian Pidgin is a different language, and Bubblegum teaches it too.
- 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™
Mobile
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Search for partners in Lagos, and tell them which situations you want to practice.
- Tandem has a page for English speakers in Lagos.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Preply
Preply lists English tutors from many countries. If you find one from Nigeria, tell them which situations you want to practice, so the examples fit your life there.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Watch a tutor's intro video before you book.
MobileWeb
italki
On italki, you pick the teacher and the topics. Ask for a teacher from Nigeria if you want to hear the way people there talk.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
A Dictionary of Nigerian English Usage is a 384-page book from 2008 by Herbert Igboanusi, a linguist at the University of Ibadan. Its entries were chosen for how often people write and say them and for their cultural and historical importance, and the publisher says it is for Nigerians and foreigners alike.
Channels Television is a Nigerian news channel with a live stream and videos on its website. Watching a news show helps you hear how newsreaders and guests speak.
| App | Free? | What's Free |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Free version | 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. |
| Tandem | Free version | Signing up is free, and Tandem reviews each new member first. Many features are free, and Tandem Pro gives you all of them. |
| Preply | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each tutor sets their own price. If your first tutor isn't a good fit, you can try two more for free. |
| italki | Paid | You pay for each lesson, and each teacher sets their own price. Practicing with the community and taking the level test are free. |
Try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 74 | Supported language pairs |
| Preply | 19 | App Store |
| italki | 19 | App Store |
| Tandem | 14 | App Store |
Which Nigerian English app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning English, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Tandem if you would like to talk with people in Lagos first.
Is Nigerian English the same as Nigerian Pidgin?
No. Nigerian English is a kind of English, and Nigerian Pidgin is an English-based language of its own that many Nigerians speak with friends and family. Bubblegum teaches both.
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
- Bubblegum: Nigerian English
- Tandem: Learn English in Lagos
- Channels Television (Nigerian news, live stream and video)
- Igboanusi, A Dictionary of Nigerian English Usage (LIT Verlag, 2008)
- Wikipedia: Languages of Nigeria (more than 520 native languages; Nigerian Pidgin)
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: what's free
- Preply: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- Tandem: iPhone App Store listing (languages you can use it in)
- italki: what's free
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
