# LearnRoots: Ethnic Languages — Learn Your Mother Tongue

> Language learning app for children of immigrants, focusing on cultural context and ethnic languages. (iPhone/iPad app by DANIEL ISHIMWE NGABO.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learnroots-ethnic-languages/id6804865340 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [DANIEL ISHIMWE NGABO](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804865342)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 232 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-09-06
- Data updated: 2026-09-27
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learnroots-ethnic-languages/id6804865340/reviews.md

## What is LearnRoots?

The World's First App Built For Children of Immigrants.

Every major language app was built for tourists and business travelers. None of them were built for you  the kid who grew up hearing a language at home but never learned to speak it back. Roots walks you through your own history, not a textbook's.

Start with an ordinary day lived in your language: wake up, walk to the spring, learn the words exactly where they're used. Answer real questions about what you just lived through. We're the only app in the world that teaches African languages properly Acholi, Igbo, Yoruba, Dinka, Kinyarwanda, Somali. And our reach goes further still, from Dari and Farsi to Samoan, Tagalog, and Bahasa Indonesia.

Learning French or Brazilian Portuguese? Our RootsLocal feature teaches you to sound like you're actually from Marseille or Rio, not like a textbook.
Built for children of immigrants. Built for you.

## Key features

- Designed for children of immigrants
- Teaches languages through real-life scenarios
- Focuses on ethnic languages
- Includes cultural context
- RootsLocal feature for authentic pronunciation

## Recent user reviews (5 of 5)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learnroots-ethnic-languages/id6804865340/reviews.md

### 5/5 — 👍

*2026-09-08*

100% worth it

### 5/5 — So helpful

*2026-09-08*

Best app out there for learning a language that actually teaches u to speak like the locals!
10/10

### 5/5 — Amazing Concept

*2026-09-07*

I love this app!!

it’s visually simple, but spot on with how it teaches.

I love how there is no bluff or irrelevant content, it teaches me exactly what I need to know for each language.

### 5/5 — Perfect if you cant speak but understand

*2026-09-07*

The app has features designed to help those who can understand their ethnic mother tongue but not speak well. This helps incredibly with that!

### 5/5 — Shona & Swahili learner

*2026-09-06*

Very happy with the app, it’s simple, easy to use and has a great educational approach!

## Frequently asked questions about LearnRoots

### What is the learning methodology used by LearnRoots?

LearnRoots teaches languages through real-life scenarios and cultural context, rather than a traditional textbook approach. The app immerses users in everyday situations to learn vocabulary and phrases relevant to their lived experiences.

### Does LearnRoots offer progress tracking?

The provided data does not specify progress tracking features. However, the app's design suggests an interactive learning experience where users answer questions about their lived experiences, implying a form of engagement tracking.

### Is LearnRoots suitable for all ages?

LearnRoots has an age rating of 17+, indicating it is intended for adult learners. While designed for children of immigrants, the age rating suggests mature content or learning approaches.

### What languages are available on LearnRoots?

LearnRoots offers a wide range of ethnic languages, including Acholi, Igbo, Yoruba, Dinka, Kinyarwanda, Somali, Dari, Farsi, Samoan, Tagalog, and Bahasa Indonesia. It also supports learning French and Brazilian Portuguese with a focus on regional accents.

### How often is LearnRoots updated?

The latest version is 1.0.3, last updated on September 8, 2026. This indicates a recent update, suggesting the app is actively maintained.

### What devices does LearnRoots support?

LearnRoots is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

### Does LearnRoots have ads?

No, LearnRoots does not contain advertisements. The app is free to download and use without any ad interruptions.

### Can I get a certification from LearnRoots?

The provided description does not mention any certification programs offered by LearnRoots. The focus is on practical language acquisition and cultural understanding.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.0.6 — 2026-09-26

Fixes for getting into your account.

If you tried to sign up with an email that already had a Roots account, the app used to send you off to confirm an account it never made, and the password you had just chosen was lost. It now tells you the account exists and takes you straight to logging in.

Password reset links now work wherever you open them, including on a computer. Open one on your iPhone and there is a button to finish in the app.

The reset screen no longer says an email is on its way when it could not send one.

### 1.0.5 — 2026-09-18

Meet your plant. It grows every time you learn, wilts if you stop, and it's yours to name.

Alphabets, properly. Greek, Amharic, Tigrinya, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Farsi, Dari and Urdu now teach the whole alphabet, a few letters at a time, with a memory picture for the letters that have one, and a chart you can open any time.

Eight new languages: Greek, Afrikaans, Telugu, Serbian, Ga, Edo, Ma'di and Madrid Spanish. That's 41.

Review cards after your lessons. Flip a card, say how well you knew it, and Roots brings it back at the right moment. Some ask you to type the answer.

Lessons that pay attention. Reviews and checkpoints now bring back the words you keep missing. Every course opens with a rebuilt welcome lesson, and typed answers are kinder: no special keyboard needed, and a wrong letter can simply be deleted and retyped.

Texting like a local. Rio and Paris now teach how people really type (obg, vc, mdr, tkt), with new one-to-one chats to practise in.

Friends, rebuilt. Send kudos or motivation from any friend's card, and see who studied today.

Reminders at the time you choose, and streak alerts that actually arrive.

Lend your voice. Speak one of our languages? Record its words from your profile to help other learners. Nothing is published until we've reviewed it.

Up to three languages at a time, so you can focus. Remove one whenever you like; your progress is kept.

Plus a long list of fixes.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-11

Connect, rebuilt. Three doors now: Explore, Friends and the Leaderboard. Friends shows who is online and how their week is going, and lets you message them, challenge them to a game, or send motivation and kudos.

Compare stats. Pick a friend learning your language and share a "who's more tapped in" card straight to your story.

One streak for your whole account. Any language counts, the flame lives in the top bar, and the app tells you before a streak ends or when a freeze has saved it.

Feedback from your profile: request a language, report a bug, or just tell us what you think.

Also: ten new card prompts, smoother cards, chimes you can actually hear, the leaderboard shows faces and medals, and a stack of fixes.

### 1.0.3 — 2026-09-08

Meet the people learning your language. Discover cards now introduce themselves when you open the app: real members, where they are, where their roots are, and how far into the language they have got. Set your own card up in about two minutes, or leave it for later and pick it up from the Learn screen whenever you are ready.

### 1.0.2 — 2026-09-08

Creating your account is quicker: one less step at the end of signup, and if you mistype your email address we now spot the likely fix before your confirmation email goes to the wrong place.

## Apps similar to LearnRoots

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Learn Somali - EuroTalk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-somali-eurotalk/id325543455) | 1.0 (1) | $7.99 | Education |
| [Jieng Lingua](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jieng-lingua/id6761125184) | — | Free | Education |
| [Discover UNE](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/discover-une/id1671493637) | — | Free | Education |
| [BPT Buddy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bpt-buddy/id6756802984) | — | Free | Education |
| [Brisbane Christian College](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brisbane-christian-college/id1535413627) | 4.5 (2) | Free | Education |
| [Chairo](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chairo/id1427135172) | — | Free | Education |

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-27.*
