The Ultimate Language Learner Gift Guide: 17 Picks for Language Enthusiasts

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If you’re searching for the perfect gift for someone who wants to learn a different language, you’re probably thinking: so many resources, so little time! With hundreds of language learning apps, books, and courses–and the holidays just around the corner–you might feel overwhelmed before the gift wrapping even starts. That’s why we have created this guide of 17 unique gifts for language learners. From apps and books to board games and flashcards, this list is packed with useful and fun options to inspire language learners on every gift-giving occasion!

Gift an App Subscription: The Best Apps to Learn a Foreign Language

Apps are effective and addictive tools for learning a language at home. With apps, you can quickly learn useful vocabulary and grammar, develop your pronunciation, and even practice conversations with native speakers. This season, you can surprise them with a gift card for one of the language apps below and help them cross “learning a language” off their Christmas list or New Year’s resolutions.

Pimsleur

Pimsleur makes language learning fun and practical with audio-based courses designed to help you sound like a native speaker. You listen to a conversation between native speakers and repeat real-world phrases to develop your pronunciation. After just one lesson, you can easily understand and pronounce essential words and phrases in your target language. There are 51 languages available, and you can gift  3 to 12 months of Pimsleur’s All Access subscription to help your friends learn to speak the language of their dreams.

Babbel

The Babbel app stands out as one of the best apps for language learners trying to master vocabulary and grammar. Instead of boring you with long explanations, Babbel breaks grammar down into comprehensible bits and teaches you to use the language as you go. Practice your language skills with interactive games, podcasts, and a chatbot that mimics everyday conversations. You can gift 6 or 12 months of Babbel’s subscription for one or all 14 languages, or buy lifetime access to the app.

Gymglish

Gymglish is the perfect option for your loved ones with busy schedules. All lessons are sent directly to your email inbox and can be completed in about 15 minutes. One of Gymglish’s most important features is the AI technology it uses to personalize your language lessons. You follow a story and complete interactive exercises tailored to your level to learn new vocabulary and grammar. Watch videos, practice with interactive exercises, and speak or write to the chatbot to mimic a conversation with a native speaker. There are gift cards available for 2, 3, and 4 months for the English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian courses.

MosaLingua

MosaLingua isn’t just a flashcard app, it’s a quick way to learn the vocabulary you need to interact with people in everyday scenarios. From word lists, music, videos, and even books, this app offers you all the tools you need to learn the basics of a language. Study the vocab you need to become conversational and test your knowledge by reading complete books or watching engaging video clips in your target language. You can gift a MosaLingua Premium yearly subscription with access to the 9 languages available and help your friends and family prepare to use their new language skills in real life.

Rocket Languages

The Rocket Languages app is one of the most comprehensive apps to study a language. Each audio-based lesson teaches the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation you’ll need to start speaking. Whether you’re trying to go step-by-step or study the words and phrases you’ll need for specific scenarios, Rocket has useful notes and tools to ensure you know everything you need to communicate effectively. Rocket Languages has gift vouchers available for each of its 13 language courses, and you can buy one, two, or three levels of lifetime access.

Rosetta Stone

If you’re looking for an app that doesn’t focus on translating text, you should check out Rosetta Stone’s immersive courses. This app uses audio and images to teach you the meaning of a word. Then, you practice using it in different sentences to learn to apply it in the right context. Say goodbye to translations and practice speaking, writing, and reading in the language you want to learn. Rosetta allows you to gift a 12-month membership for one language, lifetime access to one language, or lifetime access to its 22 language courses.

italki

If you’d rather study with a tutor, italki can help you find the best online teacher for your language needs. You can find your perfect tutor based on the languages they speak, where they live, their specialties, and more. It’s completely flexible and you can choose what skills you’d like to target, the time for your lessons, and how many classes you buy at once. While you can’t buy lessons, you can gift italki credits to be redeemed by the student.

Lingopie

What better way to practice understanding a language than binge-watching your favorite shows? Lingopie has an extensive catalog of popular movies and series you can watch in the language you’re studying. Even if you’re a beginner, there are subtitles and captions available. You can click on the words you don’t know to see their meaning, learn how grammar is used in phrases, and create flashcards to practice later. You can surprise your friends with a Lingopie annual membership for one language or lifetime access to the app.

Books on Every Wish List: Books for All Types of Language Lovers

A language book is the perfect gift for serious language learners looking to delve deeper into grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing. Below, you’ll find high-quality books your language learner friends will love adding to their collections. There are even some options for linguists and language enthusiasts.

The books below are options for general language enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a book that teaches a specific language, check out our in-depth book guides for some of the most popular languages.

The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book

The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book won’t teach you to speak a language, but it’s a fun way to explore the linguistic aspects of your favorite languages. This book uses words to give you clues to figure out how to write different words. You can also find interesting notes about writing systems around the globe, how naming children works in other languages, and even discover the meaning of ancient hieroglyphics. Check it out here.

The Art of Language Invention 

Is your friend a fan of languages like Elvish or Klingon? With The Art of Language Invention, you can learn how these languages were created, understand their systems, and even start to develop your own unique language. It also includes examples from popular shows and books like Game of Thrones and Dune to increase the vocabulary of any fictional language lover. Learn more about this book here.

Language Picture Dictionary Coloring Book

If you’re trying to motivate your kids or friends to finally start learning a language, giving them one of the Language Picture Dictionary Coloring books is a good way to start. These books are available in popular languages like Spanish, French, and Italian, but also for less common ones like Tagalog, Swedish, and Dutch. Each book comes with over 1500 words and phrases to quickly teach you the vocabulary you need to speak, grammar notes, quizzes to test your knowledge, and fun illustrations to color while you study. See if this is the right gift for the language lover in your family here.

Comparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French

The Comparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French book is the ideal gift for the language learner trying to master more than one Romance language at once. It shows you the similarities between languages to help you understand essential grammar quickly. This book was written for beginner learners, but it can also be useful for anyone trying to learn Romance languages at any level. Take a closer look here.

Language for Dummies Series

If you’re looking for a book to help your friends reach their language goals, you might be interested in the Language for Dummies book series. We’ve reviewed these books in several languages, so we know that they work best for beginners trying to reach the intermediate level of a language. The books in this series offer structured lessons that break down grammar and teach you to use a language the way its native speakers use it. Check out the different languages available here.

Other Great Gift Ideas for Language Learners

In case you’re looking for more unique options, we’ve also included a variety of gifts that can come in handy when you’re learning a new language. Whether it’s tools for immersion or games to make practice fun, these picks will make this holiday season feel perfect for language learning.

Kloo

Kloo is a board game that makes language learning fun and easy, even if you’re a complete beginner. It comes with color-coded cards you use to form sentences in the language you’re learning. You can compete against your friends and have small conversations to practice using the language in real life. Kloo is available for Spanish, Italian, French, and English. Learn more about Kloo here.

Travelflips

A Travelflips card set is a great gift for a friend trying to learn a language before they get off the plane. Each card set contains 60 words and phrases with translations and phonetic pronunciations to ensure you can use the new vocab in a conversation. You can find Travelflips in popular languages like Spanish, German, and French, but they also have them available in Asian languages like Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese. Check out all the options here.

Magnetic Poetry Language Kit

If your friend enjoys surrounding themselves with their target language, a Magnetic Poetry Language kit might be the gift you’re looking for. These kits come in different languages and include 550 words and word fragments you can use to create your own sentences. This way they can practice their grammar and amaze guests with their language skills every time they enter the kitchen. Learn more about this unique gift here.

Kindle Paperwhite

Many language learners out there dream of being able to carry their language books wherever they go, and this is easily doable with a Kindle Paperwhite. This eReader is only 7 inches long and you can download up to 16 GB of language books to keep studying wherever you go. You can’t download any apps or receive any emails on a Kindle, so it’s a great option for those who love studying free of distractions. See more Kindle options here.

Final Thoughts

I hope this gift guide has helped you find the right gift for the language learners in your life or, if you’re in the mood, a treat for yourself! There’s no better way to tell someone you care for them than supporting their language journey. Learning a language isn’t easy and staying motivated requires the right tools, patience, and practice. By choosing a thoughtful gift, you’re supporting your loved ones’ passion for language and helping them stay on track to reach their goals.