Jiveworld — Language Learning

Jiveworld, SPC

About this app

Jiveworld fills a crucial gap for intermediate-level and above language learners who've hit the "sound barrier" — where the language you've learned in the classroom doesn't resemble what you actually hear at street level.

Jiveworld Español uses engaging stories from Radio Ambulante, an award winning podcast with interviewees from across Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities beyond.

Jiveworld English features stories from the biggest names in radio and podcasting in the United States, including This American Life, Radiolab, The Truth, and The Moth.

The stories are broken into chapters and paired with the patented Jiveworld player which provides help and guidance when you need it, and gets out of the way when you don't.

Only have a few minutes a day? Try Soundbites. These mini lessons pose a question or challenge based on an audio excerpt from a full story. When you're done listening, tap reveal to check the answer and show deeper insights into the challenge. Soundbites go far beyond the dictionary, exploring the language and culture across eight dimensions: Idioms & Sayings, Speech & Accents, Useful Patterns, Vernacular & Slang, Strategies, Grammar, Vocabulary, and History & Culture.

Jiveworld offers you help as you listen, with speed controls, vocabulary, and notes about language and the cultural context. But the real magic lies in some unique features:

• Story Scaffolding — stories organized into chapters and passages, with succinct guides that help you follow the plot

• X-Ray Script — follow the script while you listen, but only show the most difficult words

• Smart Pause — ensures you always listen in complete sentences, without stop-start in unnatural places

• Study Flow — after you complete a chapter in Study mode, re-listen in Natural Listen mode to reinforce the authentic sounds of the language

• Vocabulary Review — master the new words and phrases you encounter with a unique ears-first story-based review workflow

• Deep Insights — many stories feature Soundbite challenges, focusing on an aspect of language or culture, presented before the chapter you're about to study

• Idiom to Idiom — wherever you see a translation, you'll see the most natural expression in both languages, showing you how your target language really works.

By studying regularly with Jiveworld, you'll be able to engage in real conversations with any native speaker.

Ratings and reviews

I highly recommend this app to any intermediate student of Spanish. I've been a fan of Radio Ambulante for some time, and although the Spanish transcripts are available, this app provides more: an interactive method for increasing your comprehension and listening skills. The price is very reasonable and the developers are actively working on improvements and adding features. There's not a comparable language-learning tool on the market.

It's a great app for learning Spanish if you know the basics. I'm somewhere between an intermediate and advanced level so the app wasn't quite hard enough for me. If the developers can add more levels of difficulty, such as the entire podcast episodes in 5 minute sections, or writing and speaking practice with other learners, I'd consider using the app regularly and possibly pay for it.

Lupa is perfect for intermediate learners who struggle to understand native speakers. I have been studying Spanish for years, but still can't converse fácilmente con mi esposo y su familia. The interface helps me understand what I hear - first you listen to slowed audio with some written cues for harder parts, then at normal speed, with moving blocks that indicate when the speaker is starting a new word. Plus, the content is interesting to listen to, unlike a lot of language learning content.

What’s new

Minor bug fixes