DuolingoDuolingo has a Scottish Gaelic course, but Scottish Gaelic and Scottish English are different. Scottish Gaelic is a separate language. Scottish English is English as people speak it in Scotland, with words like wee for small and bairn for a child. Our Scottish English guide covers English classes in Scotland.
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, your level and what you like, and she writes your Scottish English lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
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.
Try asking Poppy what a bairn is.
Bubblegum is mostly reading and listening, so see the tutors and partners below for speaking practice.
- Lessons are in Scottish English, read aloud by voices picked for Glasgow English.
- Lessons use British spellings, like colour and centre, and keep Scottish words like wee when a speaker uses them.
- 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 standard Scottish English, so they don't teach Scots or Scottish Gaelic.
- 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™
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uTalk
uTalk's Scottish English course starts at beginner level and covers topics like first words, transport, food and drink, and shopping.
- uTalk has a separate Scottish English course.
- It has dozens of topics, from first words to a visit to the doctor.
MobileWeb
Preply
Tell your tutor you're moving to Scotland, and ask to practice the conversations you'll have there, like talking to your flatmates.
- Filter English tutors by country of birth.
- Filter tutors by the other languages they speak.
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italki
Tell your teacher which city 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.
- Find language partners who live in Edinburgh.
- Trade voice notes, or talk over video.
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| App | How You Can Start |
|---|---|
| uTalk | You can try starter words free, then buy the course or subscribe. |
| Preply | Each tutor sets their own price, and you pay per lesson. |
| italki | An account is free, and every lesson you book has a price set by the teacher. |
| Tandem | The app is free to join, and Tandem Pro costs extra. |
Which Scottish 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 try uTalk's Scottish English course if you want a word list for Scotland.
Is the Scottish Gaelic course on Duolingo Scottish English?
No. It teaches Scottish Gaelic, a separate language from English, so it isn't the place to learn how people talk in Edinburgh or Glasgow.
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
- Duolingo: course list
- Duolingo: Scottish Gaelic course for English speakers
- uTalk: Learn English (Scotland), recorded by native speakers
- uTalk: current iPhone listing (free starter words)
- Wiktionary: bairn (Scotland, northern England)
- Preply: English tutors (country of birth filter)
- italki: English teachers (Teachers from filter)
- Tandem: Learn English in Edinburgh
- City of Edinburgh Council: ESOL classes for adults
- italki: home page (what is free)
- Tandem: current iPhone listing
- Bubblegum
- uTalk
- Tandem
