Easy to use and rewarding
Language app start up that values its users!
I was reached out to by one of the marketing team, who invited me to discuss my experience with the app in a casual online call. They were so happy to listen to my anecdotes and even invited me into a community where people shared their own wants and wishes for the app. The minor bugs are addressed rapidly and hardly interfere with the app itself.
As for the app itself: it really works. So much of the barrier behind learning a language is having ways to actually practice speaking it. Often in real world practice, foreign language speakers who know English tend to switch to it, especially when you are at a beginning stage. (unless you pay them!) So for my journey with rediscovering French, this app was really invaluable in building a great foundation of confidence. A few weeks ago, I was in Belgium for a TCG tournament, and several of my opponents were French speakers. I can say that this app is honestly the primary reason why I was able to have thought-provoking discussions about the metagame, or receiving suggestions about how I could have played better, all in a foreign language. During the weekend, I spoke with Uber drivers and restaurant owners in French. This is what the app excels in; simulating conversations around your interests and giving you the tools to talk about them in practice. I’ve used the app for less than a year, and can already see massive progress. This app is not a magic solution to immediate fluency, nothing is, but it provides a fantastic framework towards fluency that rewards the time you put into it with tangible results.
Response from developer
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this Benjamin0000002, and for updating your original review! Really glad the call and the community feel valuable to you. And what a story about Belgium! Talking metagame with your opponents in French, plus Uber drivers and restaurant owners over a weekend, that's a brilliant milestone and exactly the kind of thing we hope Sylvi sets people up for. You've absolutely nailed why the practice gap is so hard to close too - people switching to English the moment they spot you're a beginner!! Love your point that it's not a magic shortcut but a framework that pays back the time you put in. Bonne continuation with your French, and good luck at the next tournament! Best, Sam 🫶
Endlich eine Sprachlern App, bei der ich wirklich dranbleibe
Response from developer
Vielen Dank für die tolle Bewertung! Wir freuen uns riesig, dass du bei Sylvi wirklich dranbleibst – genau das ist ja beim Sprachenlernen oft die größte Hürde. Und schön zu hören, dass die Lektionen aus deinen eigenen Chats so gut zu deinem Lernstand passen, genau so ist es gedacht! Und danke für die lieben Worte übers Team, da steckt wirklich viel Herzblut drin 🫶 Weiterhin viel Erfolg und Spaß mit deinem Spanisch! Beste Grüße, Sam
Game changer
Great to build fluency
Immersion is so key and I really love that you can speak to your penpals and get real time answers. For instance, when the World Cup was going on, I was supporting Spain and you know they’d be able to answer me and talk to me about the game which I thought was great. For me, those types of little nuances I think is a really good touch.
I’ve restarted my Spanish fluency journey. I was in another app which is more gamification than learning IMO and it didn’t really help me to retain the knowledge. whereas here, I feel like this is doing that a lot better and one of my biggest things was not being able to speak the language. now I feel like I’m getting tons better at doing that so I definitely recommend for anyone who just wants to get a lot of speaking practice and also be able to learn from their mistakes on the go. Sylvi also does this really well in terms of correcting you as you speak. You get a report at the end of the week which highlights your strengths and weaknesses which is good in just understanding your level progression from A1 -> C1 etc. the mini lessons of the day are cool, but would love a place where they’re stored so I can always go back to them as needed.
I haven’t used much of the social features but so far I’m liking my experience a lot. Word and phrases come to me faster which is a good sign.
Response from developer
Misfitjinx, thanks so much for the detailed review! Really happy to hear Sylvi's helping you build proper speaking practice and that the real time nature of the penpals is landing (love that you were chatting about the World Cup, that's exactly the kind of thing gamification apps can't do). Also great to hear the weekly reports are helping you track your level progression. Good news on the mini lessons though, they're all stored and you can go back to them whenever! Drop me an email at sam@sylvi.ai and I'll show you where to find them, then maybe we can make this a 5 star review! Best, Sam 🫶
