Welsh English is the one to learn if you're moving to Wales to live, study, or work. Many English apps use American or British English. Our English app comparison covers apps for any kind of English.
Welsh English is English, as people speak it in Wales. Welsh is a separate language, and Bubblegum teaches it too. Our Welsh app comparison covers apps for learning Welsh.
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 Cardiff next month. She writes you a lesson at your level about meeting your new team. Play it, and ask her about any word you don't know.
To hear and practice real Welsh accents, try a tutor or partner in Practice With People From Wales.
- Lessons are in English as people use it in Wales, with Welsh names and places spelled the Welsh way.
- Lessons use British spellings, like colour and centre, and Welsh words like cwtch where they fit.
- 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 are read aloud in a British English voice with no Welsh accent.
- 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
Preply
Preply has thousands of English tutors. Tell your tutor you're moving to Wales, and ask to practice the conversations you'll have there, like registering with a doctor.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Filter tutors by the other languages they speak.
MobileWeb
italki
On italki, tell your teacher which town you're moving to, so the examples fit your life there.
- Filter English teachers by where they're from.
- Book one-to-one lessons over video.
MobileWeb
Tandem
On Tandem, you help someone with your language while they help you with English. Search for partners in Cardiff, and agree on how to split your time between the two languages.
- Find language partners who live in Cardiff.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
MobileWeb
Wales has English classes for adults who speak another first language, called ESOL (English for speakers of other languages). Carmarthenshire's council says its ESOL classes are free through Welsh Government funding if you meet the rules, and a fee may apply if you don't. They run in the daytime and evening, online and in person, from beginner to Level 1. Other councils and colleges have their own classes, so ask where you live.
The Welsh Refugee Council also lists English classes, mostly online, with grammar and grammar-and-culture groups, plus one in-person group. You sign up with an online form, and its page doesn't say who can join, so ask first.
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
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 Welsh 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 a tutor on Preply or italki if you'd like to practice speaking with someone from Wales from day one.
How is Welsh English different?
Welsh English has words of its own. A cwtch is a cuddle, or a cosy hiding place. People in Wales also say tidy to mean great, or fine, in reply to a question. Welsh is a separate language.
Can I learn Welsh English for free?
Yes, in some places. Carmarthenshire's council says Welsh Government funding pays for ESOL classes for people who qualify, and other councils and colleges have their own classes.
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: Welsh English
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Cardiff
- Welsh Refugee Council: English classes (ESOL)
- Carmarthenshire County Council: ESOL classes (free with Welsh Government funding if you qualify)
- Wiktionary: cwtch (Wales)
- Wiktionary: tidy (Wales, expression of agreement)
- italki: what's free
- 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)
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
