Do you not feel the love for boiling coffee on a sunny day but missing your caffeine hit? Learn to make an Iced Americano like a pro and enjoy a refreshing alternative to Iced Tea this summer. Caffeine intolerant? No problem; you can make Iced Americano with decaffeinated coffee beans, and it will be just as thirst-quenching and delicious. 

Classic Iced Americano has three ingredients – water, ice, and espresso. There are no precise rules about how much you use of each, which means you don't need to measure anything carefully, so this couldn’t be an easier win on warm, sunny days when you don’t want to spend hours sweating in the kitchen. 

You will need an espresso maker before you start, so if you haven’t got one, check out our best espresso machines line-up.

In this simple step-by-step guide, we cover everything you need to know about making an Iced Americano at home, the tools you’ll need, and a few tips to help ensure success every time. Your friends and family will thank you.

How to make an Iced Americano: quick steps

• Source the best beans for making espresso.
• Make an espresso - one shot or two.
• Pour water into a glass - about a third will do.
• Add espresso and a scoop of ice and stir.
• Sweeten to taste, if desired. Classic Iced Americano is unsweetened.

How to make an Iced Americano: Step by step guide

• Tip: Bean freshness is key—buy beans with a recent roasting date on the packet, not a sell-by Date. If you are buying pre-ground beans, make sure the packet states they are suitable for espresso use. The grind needs to be fine but not too fine, or you’ll end up with a watery drink! 

• Tip: You can make an Iced Coffee using filter coffee, pour-over coffee, or a French Press, but it’s not, technically, an Iced Americano. 

• Tip: If you put the espresso in first and then add cold water, you’ll get less crema on top. Crema fans should always start with the water.

FAQs

Final thoughts

Making an Iced Americano may not be very difficult, but it takes a little trial and error to find the best water, coffee, and ice ratios to suit your taste. 

Drinking Iced Americano rather than regular hot Americano is much more refreshing, especially on hot sunny days or perhaps after gardening or exercising. It’s also a nice alternative to offer guests, and if you use decaffeinated beans, it can also prove popular with children, especially teens.

Looking for the best remote control car can be daunting as there are many options to choose from. With varying shapes, sizes, and speeds, it can feel like an endless search to find the perfect one that suits your needs. While Traxxas, ARRMA, and Redcat Racing are some leading brands, it's essential to consider other manufacturers to ensure that you find the right RC car for yourself or your loved ones.

When you are looking to purchase an RC car, there are a few important factors that you should consider beyond just the price. For instance, you must consider the type of racing you want to engage in, whether you prefer straight-line speed or sharp turning and drifting power. You should also consider the stunts you want to perform and whether you want a car that you can modify for various situations or if you want to roll over the top of other cars in a monster truck. Considering all these factors, you can make an informed decision when choosing an RC car that best suits your needs.

Alternatively, you may opt for specialized vehicles that you can choose between depending on the course conditions. As a beginner, it's essential to note that you will most likely crash your RC car a lot. Therefore, looking for a durable, rugged model that can withstand a few accidents is critical.

Though battery technology has advanced significantly in the past decade, the number of cells that can fit into a single chassis is still crucial. You should consider the battery types available and whether the car you're interested in comes with one included in the package or if you need to buy it separately.

When it comes to control, you can either use the controller that comes with the car or customize your own to suit your needs. If a twist controller isn't enough, you can opt for twin sticks or a smartphone.

Meanwhile, if you’re unsure whether RC racing is for you, how about something more relaxing, like the best electric trains?

The best remote control cars we recommend

Top Ten Reviews is on a mission to review everything we feature in our buyer's guides. Still, while we work hard to make this a reality—or where this isn't possible—some of our guides still feature rankings based on our team's considerable expertise and research.

While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.

The best remote control car overall

The Traxxas Rustler XL-5 takes the top spot on our list of the best remote-controlled cars because of its near-perfect blend of features. These are also topped with a price tag that seems impossible for a car at this level. As such, this is the car that will suit most people.

It's easy to set up and use. The 7-cell NiMH rechargeable battery pushes the Rustler up to 35mph, making this fun. That is limited to 15 minutes per charge, though you can upgrade this. There's good ground clearance to avoid knocks and bumps, plus sealed electrics, so this works in water, snow, and mud, making this good even for beginners. 

The steering wheel controls the remote, allowing you to drive the two-wheel drive car precisely using that wheel and a trigger. Thanks to the large traction-heavy tires, this will easily take on most terrain. The price is relatively low, but battery and charger are often sold separately.

The best remote control truck for older kids

No, that's not a typo, Laegendary is the brand, and monster trucks are what it's good at making. As such, this off-road truck is every bit as all-terrain as it looks with those chunky tires and that high suspension setup. 

This is built rugged, so it can take a knock or three, even when tearing about at that 20mph top speed. With a 40-minute battery life, this is ideal for going out in nature without worrying about plugging in to recharge. Sure, they take a while to recharge, but since they come built-in, they're easy to use, making this an affordable all-in-one option.

The shock absorption system is metal and set up to clear rocks, branches, and anything offroading might throw at you. This even has headlights to keep going in darker times, which also looks cool. There's little worry about obstacles as the pistol grip remote is super sensitive so that you can control the car very accurately; as such, it's aimed at older users.

The best value remote control drift car

Drift car fans, this is what you've been looking for. The Lightning EPX is fun as it's specifically designed for sideways racing. This is thanks to a four-wheel drive system that features low-grip rear tires. So even though this tops out at 15mph, it's more about how you drive this than how fast.

You get 15 minutes of sliding fun before the 7.2v 2000mAh battery will start to give in. And that's based on your driving on a smooth surface – which is ideal to get the most drift.

You will need eight AA batteries for the controller, so be sure to buy these - and spares - when you spend on the car itself. It'll be worth it for all the fun this drift car creates.

The best remote control stunt car

The Orrente Stunt car is a great choice for anyone who loves to do tricks and is especially well-suited for kids. It means not only driving a remote-controlled car but one that can flip and contort in ways mom and dad's car could only dream of.

Aimed at ages 6-12, this affordable stunt car can drive each side separately. That means the controller uses two sticks that can be mastered for fun tricks. This is easy to use but takes some time to master.

This multi-terrain RC car will do flips, and it'll rotate and drive in tight circles using that two-stick 2.4Ghz controller – meaning multiple can be raced without the worry of interference. Just expect batteries to get used up fast – thankfully, it works with rechargeable ones, so boosting back to full doesn't have to be expensive.

The best remote control car for speed

For all-out speed, this is the car to go for. With the right battery, this can hit a mind-bending 70mph. Yup, that does mean this will burn through tires fast, but it'll be worth it for the blisteringly fast fun. 

If that speed sounds worrying, the company is all about rugged building. In fact, it encourages racers to play with friends at speed and to push the limits, even to the point of risking crashing. The plastic is super flexible, and the front basher plate is made to take head-on collisions. The backing of a two-year warranty helps to support this claim of toughness. And frankly, at this price, you'd expect that.

The 2050Kv brushless motor gets you all the power from the trigger wheel remote. This Spectrum SLT3 radio is light and comfortable, with responsive controls and easily adjustable tracking. Arrma has built a speed demon that's good for racing, jumping, and even getting out in the wet and muck. When the tires wear down, you can even drift. This does it all very well.

The best remote control car for tough terrain

Look at that 4WD truck; you'll immediately realize this is built for off-roading. Chunky tires, high suspension, and a rugged front basher plate all scream tough. This is made for off-road fun.

The Volcano EPX has such a high ride height it'll take care of rocks, high grass, and anything besides. Should it hit a bump, that suspension is super-tuned to ensure the overall ride remains smooth, even when hitting the 19mph top-end speeds.

The 7.2v 2000mAh NiMH battery powers that four-wheel drive system and is rechargeable when it's time to boost up. Expect the wheels and suspension to take the brunt of the off-road driving beatings, leaving the car intact and ready to race another day.

The best remote control car for beginners

If you want an entry-level RC car to kickstart your collection, this BEZGAR off-road monster truck is a great option. Reviews say it's intuitive to use and has a 1/4 scale, making it easy to navigate - ideal for kids or those getting started.  

It has large truck wheels that do well on concrete, asphalt, and dirt and will easily accomplish jumps and donuts with good power. Reaching speeds up to 20 km/h with a strong built-in brushed motor, you can have plenty of fun using this car. It's also got a 2.4GHz non-interference remote controller and a radio control distance of around 50 meters, making the truck ready to run without losing signal. 

The best remote control Lamborghini replica

As replica cars go, this is a stunner, looking just like the gorgeous Lamborghini Aventador, only at a 1:24 scale. Despite being modeled on such a premium machine, this is super affordable to buy. The catch? It will require 24 AA batteries, so either have rechargeable ones ready or a whole load of spares. 

That said, it won't chew through the battery fast as this is limited to 4mph. It's ideal for younger drivers, then. That said, it has been known to drift, too, so there is still plenty of fun to be had with this car. And with a 2.4GHz controller, it can go up to 80 feet away before losing signal. 

You can even pick the Lamborghini color with suitably loud orange and yellow options available.

The best remote control Ford replica

This is a 1/10 scale version of the famous Ford GT, an already low-to-the-ground car. As such, this is built to look great, to go fast, and to eat up roads. Best kept to smooth surfaces, this remote control car can top out at an impressive 30mph. And using the TQiTM 2.4GHz radio system, you have instant control precision that's good for racing against other cars.

Even when standing still, this is fun with that accurate reproduction of the real car, right down to the injection molded exhaust tips, replica wheels, and aggressive tire tread pattern. You can pick your color with Liquid Blue, Liquid Red, and Liquid Grey options – but we all know a real Ford GT is best in blue.

How to choose the best remote control car

People choose specific remote control cars for a few different reasons, but the main reason is their performance. RC vehicles are built for racing, so you will want to look for one that can go fast over the type of terrain that you will be racing on. You should also look out for the sturdiness of construction, as unexpected pit stops can really infringe on your lap times. 

Speed

You will want your remote-controlled car to go fast, but ensure it can handle the speed and remain controllable as the needle rises. Increased speed means trickier turning but more impressive jumps and drifts, so generally, you'll want any extra power you can get unless you're buying one for a younger child when something that crosses the floor at a slower pace might be required. 

Handling

Check out the size of the wheels and the tires around them. Bigger, wider wheels mean better grip. This helps speed up without spinning and means you're less likely to lose the back end as you corner - unless you're into rifting, of course. Match the tires to your intended racing surface - slicks or semis for hard, flat tarmac, and off-road tires for almost everything else.  

Durability

Crashes are inevitable and can be some of the most exciting parts of an RC race. Having said that, you don't want to be left with a pile of plastic shards where your prized RC car used to be. A car that you can easily repair, whether by snapping parts back on with your hands or using simple tools, will get you back in the race more quickly. Off-road vehicles can take knocks from curbs and walls on their larger tires, but road racing cars may need careful nursing around sharp bends to avoid scratches to headlights and paintwork. 

Remote control car FAQs

Preserving precious memories is essential; digitizing them is the best way to protect physical slides. Slide-to-digital image converters can help convert your slides into a digital format, ensuring they are safe even if something happens to the physical copies. By converting your slides into digital images, you can display them in photo frames and give them a new life instead of letting them collect dust in your attic.

Digitizing your images allows you to give them a fresh look with the best photo editing software. This means you could reveal details that were previously hidden.

Excitingly, some image converters even enable you to edit and enhance the image on the slide or negative straightaway using the touchscreen. This means you don't have to wait until you've uploaded the image to your home computer.

The best slide to digital image converters we recommend in 2025

Top Ten Reviews is on a mission to review everything we feature in our buyer's guides. Still, while we work hard to make this a reality—or where this isn't possible—some of our guides still feature rankings based on our team's considerable expertise and research.

While we haven't been able to test any of the units in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best features to help you make the right decision for your home, all for the best price.

The best slide to digital image converter overall

The Kodak Scanza is an excellent slide-to-digital image converter because it is easy to use, has extensive film format compatibility, and has a large storage capacity. This device's sleek, small design makes it easy to use and store. It's made of plastic but feels sturdy and lightweight.

The only thing we didn't like about its physical design was its incredibly short cord, which may limit how much you can move it around. However, it comes with three plug types if you plan to travel with it or send it to an overseas friend.

The plastic frame trays never got stuck during our tests and always moved smoothly. Once an image is lined up within the scanner, it can be flipped horizontally or vertically.

The interface allows you to set it to run in eight languages. The buttons are easy to use. As we tested, the Scanza well-lit images seen before scanning, with blues, reds, and greens showing up nicely and accurately. The resultant digitized photos were incredible.

Read more: Kodak Scanza Digital Film & Slide Scanner review

The best budget slide to digital image converter

The KODAK 6x6 Mobile Film Scanner is a delightful way to breathe new life into your old 6x6 films. It scans slides and negatives from 120 and 220 film formats and is easy to use and eco-friendly. A perfect gadget for nostalgia on the go, it's lightweight and collapsible, so it's easy to transport and store.

The scanner is easy to set up. Just insert some AAA batteries, assemble the platform, and turn on the light panel, and you're ready to start searching for memories. Cotton gloves come with the package, so you don't get fingerprints or damage on their films. With the accompanying app, you can scan and edit your photos creatively with filters and resizing so they're ready for social media.

Customers rave about its value and simplicity. Although the ease of use is excellent, some users have expressed concerns about the product's overall quality and sturdiness. Image quality is also mixed. For those looking for a straightforward, memorable experience without complicated technology, the KODAK 6x6 Mobile Film Scanner can be a fantastic gateway into film conversion.

The best premium slide to digital image converter

Plustek's OpticFilm 8200i Ai is an advanced 35mm film scanner that is easy to use and powerful. Its remarkable 7200 dpi resolution captures intricate details and preserves the tonal range of your films, making it an excellent choice for photography enthusiasts looking to digitize their collections.

One of the standout features of this scanner is its built-in infrared channel, which effectively removes dust and scratches from original negatives and slides. Using this method, you don't have to do too much post-processing, which saves you time. With the IT8 calibration slide, you can create an accurate color profile to reproduce colors precisely how you want.

With its 3.6 dynamic range, this scanner beautifully captures highlights and shadows. It is a must-have for keeping the original images rich and deep. With a 48-bit internal color depth, the OpticFilm 8200i Ai retains all the colors in your slides and negatives.

SilverFast 8 AI Studio software enhances the scanner's performance by streamlining workflow and ensuring consistency. Multi-exposure and iSRD help improve image quality by reducing noise.

The device seamlessly integrates with Windows and Mac systems. It also comes with essential accessories like film and slide trays, a USB cable, and a user guide.

The slide to digital image converter for storage

This machine scored full marks in our testing process thanks to its easy-to-use interface and ability to handle multiple formats. It also packs a generously sizeable 4.3-inch screen, which makes it easy to check the scan quality of images and do some basic tweaking. The Titan has one of the highest-quality sensors we found (20MP), which equates to better-quality digital photos. Despite these features, this compact and lightweight machine is available at a reasonable price.

Most of the image converters we tested are compatible with 35mm slides and film negatives, but the Wolverine Titan also supports 110 slides and film, 126 slides and film, and even Super 8 film. This versatility makes it ideal if you need to convert various media formats.

However, this converter can’t digitize physical photo prints. In our tests, the scanning process was straightforward, thanks to the included plastic frame holders and labeled slots at the device's base. It is a stand-alone scanner, so it works without a connection to a computer, though you can connect the Titan to a TV for an improved viewing experience.

The best portable slide to digital image converter

Weighing just 0.6 pounds, the Sharper Image Slide & Negative Converter is an excellent portable image converter. Its on-screen interface, available in seven languages, is helpful for any workspace. The device’s small stature does not mean it has decreased functionality compared to the other image converters we tested.

However, the Sharper Image digitizer is compatible with standard 35mm film and slides but not with any other type of film or slides. Like many other converters, it cannot process physical photo prints.

The Sharper Image converter uses a 14MP sensor to scan and digitize your photos and offers manual and automatic exposure adjustment to ensure they look great. It is moderately easy to use, with a basic interface and a few clearly labeled buttons. The converter comes with a cleaning brush, a user manual, and well-made plastic frame trays, which securely hold your slides and film during conversion. The biggest downside is that it does not have internal storage or an SD card.

The converter does not work without an inserted SD card, which means you must buy one on top of the cost of the device. It’s worth considering because of its ease of use and sleek, portable form factor.

The best slide to digital image converter for features versus price

This slide-to-digital image converter from Magnasonic has many great features, including the ability to convert slides and negatives into 24MP JPEGs in just five seconds.

This scanner can also convert a wide range of sizes, including 35mm/ 110/ 126/ Super 8 film and 125/ 126/ 110 slides. While it has a respectably sized 5-inch LCD screen, you can also view your scanned images directly on a TV or monitor using one of the best HDMI cables.

This Magnasonic converter can also edit your images, which means you can eliminate your computer's middleman. The Magnasonic can adjust brightness and color and flip images. Seven film format options also help ensure that the scanning process is as precise as possible.

With 128MB of built-in memory, your scanner can store up to 50 images until you can download them onto your computer with a USB cable. However, you can scan and save up to 20,000 images using an SD card. If you purchase through Amazon, you should have the option to add three negative film holder trays, three slide film holder trays, or a 32GB SD card.

The best slide to digital image converter for digitizing photos

ION Pics 2 SD is a slide-to-digital image converter for preserving 35mm slides and physical prints. Its top-loading port and 3.2-inch preview screen make navigation and image previewing easy. With the included SD card, this device can digitize your cherished memories instantly.

The ION Pics 2 SD has some limitations, especially for people who have slides and prints. It doesn't support 110 and 126 film negatives or Super 8, which will disappoint classic film fans, and its 10MP resolution isn't as high as many competitors, even though it's still suitable for casual users.

The bulky device, measuring 8.7 x 8.2 x 5.8 inches and weighing 3.5 pounds, is the second largest converter in its category, only next to the Pacific Image ImageBox MF. This could be a consideration for those with limited space. In addition, SD cards have a 4GB limit, making digitizing difficult since you'll have to transfer images to your computer to free up space frequently.

The ION Pics 2 SD has a one-year warranty, customer support, and online tutorials. It might be a good choice if you're looking for a straightforward, affordable way to convert physical media without requiring advanced features.

Read more: ION Pics 2 SD Photo, Slide and Film Scanner review

The best slide to digital converter for beginners

If you have slides or negatives in color or black and white, then the Kodak Slide N Scan is a good option on your shortlist of potential converters.

A big sell is that large 5-inch color LCD, but it's also backed by onboard editing software, making for quick outputs without needing a computer. It's worth noting that this is automated, allowing you to scan in and enhance images with a single press of the "Scan" button. A continuous feed makes this a great option for flying through many negatives at speed.

There are very few downsides to this, although it isn't ideal to update the time and date every time you power back on.

A helpful SD card slot is available for immediately outputting photo files in a solid-state media format. Various film and negative adapters, including 135, 110, and 126 films, are also available.

How to choose the best slide to digital image converter

Format: You need to buy the right converter to suit the format of media you want to be made digital. As such, you'll need to decide from the outset on what type you need, be it 35mm slides, film, physical prints, or Super 8. A few options will cover off-film, slides, and prints in one model, but not Super 8. So grab the one you need for most jobs and send the rest off to a specialist service for conversion.

Price: As with most gadget buys, you may have the cost as a limiting factor. The range of models reviewed here is between $150 and $350, so there should be something for most needs. But you can splash out over $1,000 if you want a truly professional finish or want to bulk scan. The more affordable models should be enough for most needs, though.

Speed: If you choose an option that requires scanning a negative or slide at a time, consider the time you will spend. Converting a slide at decent quality will take about a minute per slide. If you want to go faster or do bulk conversions, it might be worth using a professional service or splashing out on a top-end machine.

Resolution: Quality is, of course, of great importance, as you'll likely want to get the best result from the starting format. While resolution here means more pixels on the image, that is simply detail, so going for the highest MP number won't necessarily enhance the image—it just means you can blow up the shot larger, perhaps for prints, without losing quality.

Color and exposure: Another area to consider regarding quality is color and exposure. Some machines let you adjust these details as you input the slide or negative for conversion. While many automate this process for ease, some give you greater control over levels of individual colors of green, red, and blue and brightness so you can get it exactly as you want.

Design: Most converters come with screens, but these are only about 2.5 inches, so this lack of clarity is worth considering with all the above editing features. It's usually best to edit on your computer, where the clarity is better. With that in mind, going for a smaller machine to save space is an option, although most roughly average the size of a football. Some come with SD card readers and scanners, so that's a design feature worth looking out for if you want to scan from negative direct to a memory card without a computer.

Standalone: Are standalone converters best, or should you go for one that requires a computer? As mentioned above, a computer-based device is best if you want to edit the images. But if you want to transfer the negatives or slides to a memory stick, you could save money and time by using a standalone device that eliminates the computer middleman.

Support: While most converters are designed to be user-friendly, many resources are available to offer help and support. From online guides and FAQs to community support forums, many manufacturers offer plenty. The best companies also provide a point of contact, so if you have any specific issues, you can contact staff to get help directly.

How we tested the best slide to digital image converters

We've spent over 60 hours testing and researching the best slide-to-digital image converters, gathering information about older media formats, and noting the most popular sizes for converting slides. We're also conducting hands-on testing with the best products on the market to find out what you can’t learn from a spec sheet. We ran various media formats through the machines to test their user-friendliness, features, performance, efficacy, and results.

Online tutoring is growing in popularity and platforms like Revolution Prep and TutorMe offer a safe, remote learning environment for students who can’t access traditional in-person classes. While online learning can’t replace face-to-face teaching, online tutoring platforms are trying their hardest to make virtual learning more effective and convenient for students all over the world with features like whiteboard tools and peer interaction forums. 

Interested in exploring different online tutoring platforms before you make an investment? Take a look at our guide to the best online tutoring services. But among the available options, Revolution Prep and TutorMe particularly stand out because of the wide variety of subjects they cover and the tools and resources they offer. Both platforms have their pros and cons, so consider your learning goals and needs before choosing a platform. 

To help you choose between the two online tutoring platforms, this article will break down their similarities and differences, while offering an overview of which features will best suit your current needs. 

For anyone who's more interested in independent learning, we'd recommend having a flick through our guide to the best online learning platforms. 

• See all tutors on Revolution Prep
• See all tutors on TutorMe

Subjects covered

Revolution Prep covers over 30 academic subjects plus SAT/ACT/PSAT test prep so you can be prepared for most exams. The specific subjects include sub-topics in math, science, computer science, and literature, covering a wide base of concepts for comprehensive preparation. 

TutorMe offers almost 10x as many subjects covering 300+ topics in social science, math, humanities, science, history, foreign language, engineering, and computer science.  

Verdict: TutorMe is a clear winner here with more variety of topics covered, so if you’re studying multiple subjects at once, we recommend choosing TutorMe over Revolution Prep.  

Tools and features

Revolution Prep offers live online tutoring sessions, guidance from full-time tutors, self-scheduling on the tutor’s calendar, and all the typical virtual learning tools. The best part? Students can also opt for group tutoring and get homework help when they’re in a crunch.

TutorMe offers 24*7 tutoring so you can access help any time you need. The platform also has a Writing Lab feature where students can submit their assignments for feedback. Finally, just like most other online tutoring apps, TutorMe comes with a virtual whiteboard, text editor, audio/video chat, screen sharing options, and other learning tools. 

Verdict: Both platforms have similar tools and features, but the major difference is that TutorMe has a “matching” feature where the student is assigned a tutor immediately for urgent help. So if you’re on a deadline, TutorMe may offer a faster service. This platform also has the above-mentioned Writing Lab service, where you can get feedback on a particular piece of work — useful if you have an assignment you're worried about. 

Tutor vetting process

The biggest reason users choose to invest in the Revolution Prep tutoring platform is that they hire full-time tutors who have extensive training in their field. Every tutor on the platform undergoes 150 hours of annual training and development and they only hire people who score in the top 10% on the subjects so you’re sure to get high-quality learning and homework help. 

TutorMe only accepts about 4% of its applicants so their vetting process is also fairly rigorous. The tutors hired come from elite universities like Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, and MIT and need to show “demonstrated tutoring or teaching experience” so you’re guaranteed to get a professional learning experience. 

Verdict: Both Revolution Prep and TutorMe vet their tutors pretty thoroughly so you will find subject matter experts on either platform. The only difference is that Revolution Prep has full-time tutors and TutorMe hires experts on a per-hour basis. 

Cost

Revolution Prep offers private 1:1 tutoring starting at $1,398 for 12 hours of learning. Here, you can fully customize your schedule and get personal attention for all your subjects. The platform also offers a 1:3 tutoring program where one tutor teaches a batch of up to 3 students. This starts at $199 for 5 hours. If you want something cheaper, Revolution Prep also has a group tutoring plan where 1 tutor works with 8 students at once. This starts at $499 for 12 hours. The platform also offers a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied with your teaching across the first 30 days or six hours. 

TutorMe has flexible pricing. You can choose to pay as you go with a “$1 per minute of tutoring” plan if you’re not yet sure of how much help you need. The platform also offers fixed-fee plans starting at $69 a month for 2 hours of coaching, $119 a month for 4 hours of coaching, and $209 a month for 8 hours of coaching. The $209 plan can be affordable if you need more than 8 hours of coaching as the rates for extra help here are 44¢ per additional minute.  

Verdict: TutorMe definitely seems like the cheaper plan here, so if that's a key deciding factor in your choice of online tutors then go with that platform. 

Verdict

If you absolutely have to choose, we recommend picking TutorMe for its subject variety and flexible pricing. But we would also recommend you consider Revolution Prep for its highly trained tutors and group tutoring programs.

Revolution Prep offers fewer subjects but the tutoring platform has full-time tutors so you can work with the same tutor regularly. On the other hand, TutorMe has a wide variety of subjects so you can choose to work with various experts for a more comprehensive learning experience. So if you’re double majoring or studying in a school with different subjects, we recommend going for TutorMe. 

In terms of pricing, TutorMe offers more flexible plans which can be more affordable if you buy a long-term tutoring plan. Revolution Prep is a bit rigid as you’re forced to buy at least 5 hours of tutoring services from the first day, which can seem a bit daunting for students new to the world of online learning. It's one of more expensive online tutoring platforms currently available. 

Finally, when choosing between the two platforms, think about your learning needs. Do you need 24*7 help? Then choose TutorMe. Do you need consistency and accountability by working with the same tutor regularly? Then choose Revolution Prep. Do you learn better in a group setting? Then choose the “Group Tutoring” option on Revolution Prep. 

As education moved online during the lockdown months, e-learning platforms like Wyzant and Skooli started gaining attention. The accessibility provided by technology, combined with both apps’ diverse subject offerings makes these two top the list of popular tutoring services across the United States. 

Whether you are new to the world of online tutoring, or a seasoned learner looking to try a new platform, both Wyzant and Skooli have much to offer. They both have their pros and cons, so it might help to focus on your learning needs to see which platform is the right fit for you. 

To help you choose between the two platforms Wyzant and Skooli, in this article we will break down the major similarities and differences between them and highlight which one you should choose based on your unique learning needs. 

Want to dive deeper and explore more options? We have got you covered. Here’s a list of the best online tutoring services you need to try during the upcoming school year. Or, if you're more into independent learning, have a look through our round-up of the best online learning platforms instead. 

• See all tutors on Wyzant
• See all tutors on Skooli

Wyzant versus Skooli: Subjects covered

Currently, Wyzant offers tutoring across 275+ subjects including mathematical courses like algebra and calculus, technical courses like electrical engineering, foreign languages like Spanish, creative courses like writing, and many more. The platform is said to have over 80,000 tutors so you are sure to find much variety and a large pool of knowledge and resources to draw from. 

Skooli offers tutoring in various subjects including languages like Spanish, French, Chinese, ESL, science courses like physics, chemistry, biology, humanities courses like history, reading, writing, business, and finance courses like accounting, marketing, and economics. 

VERDICT: Wyzant undoubtedly offers more variety in its subjects here, so if that's more important to you go with this platform. You can pick up obscure languages on the platform and learn things like coding and project management too. 

Wyzant versus Skooli: Tutor vetting process

To register on Wyzant, tutors have to undergo a rigorous vetting process which includes submitting qualification documents, taking proficiency quizzes, highlighting their professional experience, and describing their tutoring knowledge. However, the platform does not conduct any background checks on the tutors who apply to join the platform. 

Skooli asks potential tutors to submit identity proof, educational and professional qualifications, copies of teaching licenses, and other necessary information to vet their identity and skill level. Skooli also asks applicants to submit a criminal record check completed within the last 6 months before applying to become a tutor on the platform. 

VERDICT: We think that Skooli wins this round, thanks to taking the extra step and running background checks on its tutors. That said, we did see plenty of four and five star reviews left for tutors on Wyzant when we tested out the platform. 

Wyzant versus Skooli: Tools and features

Wyzant offers a wide range of features to enable efficient learning. These include live teaching and 1:1 lessons so every student can get the type of personalized guidance they need. Tutors and students can also make use of a digital whiteboard for better explanations and conducting interactive sessions. Finally, the platform also offers free online resources to facilitate additional learning. It's worth pointing out that Wyzant also offers in-person tutoring, but for the purpose of this comparison we're only comparing the online tools and features. 

Skooli also offers an effective learning environment with the help of various tech tools. For instance, each session includes live chat bubbles so students can communicate with their tutors. This feature is especially helpful for students who hesitate to speak directly with their teachers. Similar to Wyzant, Skooli also offers online whiteboard and drawing tools for effective teaching. Finally, along with its flat-fee tutoring service, the platform also provides flexible payment plans to accommodate different learning needs (more on that below). 

VERDICT: It's a draw on this one, as both platforms offer various bits of tech to help with the teaching process. Both websites offer that handy interactive whiteboard — and you can record lessons, to refresh your memory later if needed. 

Wyzant versus Skooli: Cost

Tutors set their own rates on the Wyzant platform and some tuition is available for as cheap as just $10 per hour. This is tremendously helpful for students on a budget who can’t invest a huge sum in online tutoring just yet. The cost of a tutoring session on Wyzant can range anywhere between $10 to $100, but a representative of the platform said an average session tends to cost between $35-$65 per hour. The best part? The payment plan is pay-as-you-go so you only pay for the tutoring time you actually use. You don’t have to pay any upfront or monthly fees. You can choose your own time and pay what you can afford. 

Skooli can be both expensive and affordable depending on how you plan on paying for and using the platform. For instance, currently, the app offers two types of payment plans. If you want to work with a pay-as-you-go model, you will be charged $0.82 per minute for however long your tutoring session lasts. 

If you want more commitment, you can consider buying one of their fixed payment plans. There are three plans available: Genius, which costs $352 for eight hours ($0.73 per minute), Mastermind, which costs $672 for 16 hours ($0.70 per minute), and Einstein, which costs $1,248 for 32 hours ($0.65 per minute).

Neither company makes you commit to subscriptions, which is a plus, and both offer guarantees of some sort too. Not satisfied with your first Skooli session? Skooli will give you another 30 minutes for free. And if you're unimpressed with your Wyzant lesson, you can get a refund.

VERDICT: We like a clear and simple payment plan, as they make it easier to budget. Because of this (and its money-back guarantee) Wyzant just about wins this round — but we'd prefer that both companies were more upfront and adopted a model like Remind, where you know how much everything will cost you before you commit. 

Wyzant versus Skooli: Which is better?

We rate Wyzant really highly, partly because it offers such a wide range of subjects. We also think that it has a slightly more straightforward payment plan, which is why we rank it above Skooli in our guide to the best online learning platforms. (As mentioned above though, both platforms could benefit from having a more simple set of payment options.)

Skooli does have a reputation at being especially impressive when it comes to math tutoring, so that may be the better option if this is your chosen subject. But Wyzant offers the more watertight guarantee, as it will cough up for a refund if you're unhappy with your first hour of tutoring. 

As such, we think Wyzant is the slightly better platform. Whichever one you choose, make sure you put some time into carefully selecting your own tutor on the platform, to ensure that they're a good match for your learning needs.

Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. That’s why learners of this language will not only have a better chance of advancing professionally but will also have more opportunities to network with millions of Spanish speakers around the world. 

However, conversing with natives and other proficient language learners takes more than knowing the vocabulary and grammar. To sound like a true native, you need a firm grasp of the popular sayings, idioms, and local phrases. 

Excited to see what Spanish idioms are all about? You have come to the right place. Here’s a list of the 10 most popular Spanish idioms you need to know to sound like a native speaker. 

Additionally, if you want to get an even better understanding of the Spanish language, take a look at our list of the best learn Spanish online courses. Or, if you're trying to master a broader range of skills, take a flick through our round-up of the best online learning platforms. 

1. Dar la vuelta a la tortilla 

English translation: To flip the tortilla (turn the tide, change the game)

Ever wanted to talk about the time your life completely changed, about how you turned the tide against all odds? That’s when you can use Dar la vuelta a la tortilla. While it literally means “to flip the tortilla,” it figuratively translates to changing a situation. Maybe you have experienced a miracle or overcame something major in your life - when the tide changes, you can flip the tortilla!  

2. Ser pan comido 

English translation: To be bread eaten (being too easy, a piece of cake) 

You think learning Spanish is a piece of cake? Well, then you can say it’s Ser pan comido. It translates to be bread eaten, and it’s used to indicate something is too easy. For instance, maybe your new job is Ser pan comido or the vocabulary your friends find difficult is Ser pan comido for you. 

 3. No tener pelos en la lengua 

English translation: Not having hairs on the tongue (to say it like it is)

Sometimes you just need to call a spade a spade. In Spanish, this is called No tener pelos en la lengua and it means to be straightforward or to say it like it is. Say you want your friend to be honest about your new haircut or need straightforward advice from a mentor, that’s when you can use No tener pelos en la lengua. 

4.  Lo dijo de labios para fuera

English translation: Say it with lips outward (to not mean what you say)

Sometimes people do the opposite of calling a spade a spade - they don’t mean what they say. In Spanish, it’s called "Lo dijo de labios para fuera", literally translated to saying something with your lips outward. In English we call this “lying through the teeth,” and it can mean somebody is saying something because they think that’s what you want to hear, or just lying to protect themselves. 

5. Empezar la casa por el tejado

English translation: Putting the roof before the house (doing things in the wrong order)

In English, if someone is rushing something or messing up the order of things, we say they are putting the cart before the horse. In Spanish, this is called Empezar la casa por el tejado and it means you’re making a mistake by doing things in the incorrect order. For instance, if someone is spending money before they earn the next paycheck, you can use Empezar la casa por el tejado to say they are building their house without a solid foundation or starting at the wrong step of a process. 

 6. No hay color 

English translation: There’s no color (it pales in comparison)

Have you ever seen something so beautiful that everything else seems dull in front of it? You can express that in Spanish by using No hay color which means something is incomparable. While it typically expresses a positive intent by saying something is so good, it can’t be compared to others, occasionally it could also be used in a neutral sense to say something is so different, it can’t be compared with anything else.  

7. Ser un ave nocturna

English translation: To be a night owl (to stay up late)

Imagine you have a roommate who stays up all night, what would you call her in Spanish? Ser un ave nocturna! The phrase literally translates to be a night bird and it’s the closest you can get to saying someone is a night owl.  

8. Se me hace agua la boca 

English translation: To be mouth-watering (to be delicious) 

This is one of the most commonly used idioms in Spanish and it is used to convey that something is so delicious, it’s making your mouth water. The idiom is quite similar to its English variation so it’s also one of the easiest to learn. It’s mostly used to appreciate food but you can get creative! 

9. Echar agua al mar

English translation: To throw water into the sea (to be pointless)

Like the English saying “a drop in a bucket,” or “a drop in the ocean," this expression means that something won't make the least bit of difference to a situation. It literally translates as "to throw water into the sea."

10. Encontrar tu media naranja

English translation: To find your half orange (to find love or ideal soulmate)

When you find the perfect person for you, you can say you have found your half orange or Encontrar tu media naranja in Spanish. It’s a cute, romantic expression to say you have found your other half and can be a great phrase to know if you are really trying to find love in Spain.  

Aimed at K-12 children (kindergarten to 12 years of age), Type To Learn is a Web program that uses scientifically researched methodology to help little ones develop their keyboard skills. Like all the best typing software for kids, it offers fun and engaging tuition that's designed to keep pupils motivated. And since it's a cloud-based application, students can keep up their practice from anywhere, and using any device, as long as they have an internet connection and a keyboard. 

Type To Learn was created by Sunburst Digital, a company that's been working in the education sector for more than 30 years. Based in Illinois, it claims that its learning solutions are now found in more than 97% of US school districts and over 15,000 schools. But can it help your child? In this review, we'll take a closer look at what Type To Learn has to offer, how much it costs and whether you should sign your child up for a course. 

Want to improve your own keyboard skills? Then take a look at our guide to the best typing software for adults. If you want to expand your child's learning to include other subjects, then read our pick of the best online tutoring services. 

• See all courses on Type to Learn

Type To Learn review: How it works

Now in its fifth iteration, Type To Learn is an online learning platform designed to help K-12 children master their keyboard skills. Subscriptions are available both for kids who are homeschooling and schools that want to help groups of pupils learn at the same time. Whichever option you go for, the basic concept is the same. Children are thrust into a futuristic adventure in which they become special agents charged with rescuing the world from a communication breakdown. In order to save the day, they must complete a number of game-based activities, each of which focuses on a specific typing skill (for example, speed or accuracy). And as they pass each activity, so they climb the ranks from beginner/recruit to master agent. It's a light-hearted approach that taps into children's interests while encouraging a sense of ambition. And it's founded upon scientific research, too, with input from Dr Leigh E. Zeitz – a keyboarding instruction expert from the University of Northern Iowa – along with teachers and students. 

As well as teaching children to type (in line with keyboarding standards across the United States and Canada), Type To Learn helps them with their technique, which can improve posture and reduce the risk of them developing conditions such as repetitive strain injury (RSI). Parents or teachers can also set prompts that encourage children to take a screen break and stretch during their lessons.   

Before a child can start their typing lessons, they're required to take a pre-test to determine their current ability level (in terms of accuracy and words per minute). This enables the program to calculate whereabouts in the curriculum they should begin. It's a great idea as it minimizes the chance of children becoming frustrated that their tuition is too hard or too easy, and wanting to give up.  

Finally, we mentioned that the basic concept of this program is the same whether you choose the home or one of the school options. There are a couple of differences between the overall packages, though; aside from the pricing, which we'll discuss further down the page, school subscriptions come with more admin features, such as the ability to create lesson reports and student certification.   

Type To Learn review: Special features

The creators of Type To Learn have put a number of measures in place to guide children and parents through their tuition journey. Under the About Us menu option, there's a library of in-depth training videos that help with everything from understanding the basics of the program to changing the settings and creating student reports. In the same section, there's also a selection of news and articles based around the Type To Learn experience, plus a Customer Support hub, which is aimed specifically at teachers and administrators.   

Type To Learn has also been created with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. There are a number of features designed to help sight- and hearing-impaired users, such as closed captioning, text-to-speech, and enhanced font sizes and colors. And there's also support for Spanish people who are learning English as a second language. While this is a handy addition to the site, we would like to see other languages added in due course.

Type To Learn review: Teaching method

Type To Learn draws children in from the very beginning, an animated avatar explaining the backstory and the object of the mission. After taking their pre-test, pupils can begin their lessons – there are 34 in total, based around five core games. In the first of these, called 'Big Ideas', speech bubbles move across the screen and kids have to type the letters they see inside – using either their left or their right hand exclusively – before the bubbles disappear. This is aimed at improving left/right-hand coordination. 

In game two, 'Dig This', pupils have to type accurately in order to break a chunk of ice or stone and uncover what lies beneath. The object here is to enhance the child's typing cadence. Speed is the main focus of the third game, 'Drone Control', in which students are required to type commands as quickly as possible in order to control an unmanned drone and deliver vital information.  

Next up, we have 'Message Master', where pupils have to send messages by typing text, dictation and original writing prompts, improving all of those skills in the process. And finally, there's 'Reconnect', in which students have to type lines of secret code that include things like capital letters and symbols – the idea being that it'll help them to master using the Shift key. Throughout their tuition, the child's progress will be displayed on a graphic 'medallion' – the more tasks they complete and the more assessments they pass, the further round they'll go and the higher up the ranks they'll climb. 

All of the games are very simple – both in terms of their playability and their graphics – so we're not sure how successful they'll be in keeping older children engaged. But for younger kids, they're ideal as they're easy to understand and quite addictive... in a good way!  

Type To Learn review: Cost

As mentioned above, the price of a Type To Learn subscription differs depending on which version you require. If you're a parent or guardian buying the software for a child or children  to use at home, then you'll pay $39.95 for a year (note that the subscription will auto-renew at the end of this period unless you cancel). While that sum is higher than all of the products in our guide to the best typing software for kids — including our top-ranking choices Mavis Beacon Keyboarding Kidz and Typing Instructor — we think it's still pretty reasonable for a year's worth of tuition, especially as that price enables up to three kids to use the service.  

Pricing for schools is applied quite differently. A 'classroom' subscription, giving up to 30 kids access for 12 months, costs $229.95. If you have the full quota of 30 kids, that works out at around $7.60 per child. You can also buy a 'school' subscription for groups of over 30, with the price depending on how many children are using it. So, for example, if your group numbers 75 to 199 students, you'll pay $3.35 per child, but this drops to just $1.25 per child if the group adds up to more than 18,000! 

Whichever subscription you choose, there's always a possibility that you might change your mind after making your payment. If that's the case, you'll have 30 days after starting the subscription in which to cancel it and get a full refund.

Note: According to the Type To Learn website, new pricing will be introduced from 1 January 2022.

Should I buy Type To Learn?

It's important that children get to grips with a computer keyboard from an early age, and Type To Learn is well equipped to help them. Launched by a company with a proven pedigree, its tuition is based on scientific research, enabling kids not only to master skills like speed and accuracy but to perfect their technique and posture. Since it's a cloud-based program, your child can take their lessons from anywhere, and on any device, as long as they have an internet connection and a keyboard. And there are special features in place to help sight- and hearing-impaired pupils.

While the lessons offered by Type To Learn will engage younger children, they might be a bit too simple for older students. For those children, we'd recommend something like Typing.com, which is a little more grown-up (and it's free!). Speaking of cost, Type To Learn isn't one of the cheaper options out there, but we think the quality of tuition and the flexibility it offers still make it a good-value choice.    

Looking for the best telescopes for beginners? You’re in the right place, as we’ve got a comprehensive round-up of the best models for anyone who wants to get into astronomy. These models have been carefully selected from top brands like Celestron, Meade and Sky-Watcher, so you can rest assured that they all provide some top quality optics.

There are various types of telescopes available: reflector, refractor and catadioptric. These all have different benefits and drawbacks, but in brief refractors are great for looking at the moon and planets, while reflectors are better for low-magnification targets such as galaxies and nebulas. Catadioptric telescopes fix some visual aberrations in these older types of telescopes - but they are often a bit more expensive. If you scroll down, you’ll find more advice on how to pick the best telescope for you.

One of our main bits of advice when buying a scope is to get one with a biggish aperture, so you can gather plenty of light. This should mean that you’ll be able to pick up deep sky targets that are fainter and further away - and nearby targets will appear more brilliant in the night sky. 

Looking for more buying advice on optics? Have a scroll through our round-up of the best cameras, or read through our guide to the best beginners cameras currently available.  

1. Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ: Best telescope for beginners 

The development of the smartphone has revolutionized how we interact with technology, and Celestron’s Starsense series of beginners’ telescopes take full advantage of that. The Celestron Starsense Explorer DX owes its ingenious design and ease of use to the Starsense app, combined with the magic of GPS.

Ordinarily, a GoTo telescope user would have to align their telescope on one or two bright stars for the onboard computer to figure out what direction it’s pointing in. This could be a bit daunting for newcomers to the hobby who just want to start observing amazing celestial wonders, without getting bogged down in the setting up. Celestron’s Starsense technology ingeniously does all of the calibration and aligning for you in a matter of minutes.

First download the Starsense app onto your smartphone, which you can then place into a bracket attached to the telescope’s mount. A mirror built into the dock sits below your smartphone’s camera, reflecting the starry sky into the camera’s lens. The app takes an image of that reflected starry sky, and based on the patterns of the stars that it "sees", can calculate what direction the telescope is facing, mapping out where astronomical objects of interest are in relation to its field of view. 

Your smartphone screen will then display a simulated view of the night sky along with menus from which to select objects (such as the planets or galaxies) to observe. Once you choose your target, screen arrows are displayed, directing you to nudge the telescope in the direction of your chosen object. Once it's in your instrument's field of view, the Starsense app will issue an alert  - all you have to do is look through the eyepiece!

Celestron’s Starsense Explorer range includes a 4.5-inch aperture Newtonian and a 4-inch refractor, but for better light-grasping views, the Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ, which boasts an aperture of 5.11 inches, is the model to go for. 

The Celestron Starsense Explorer DX 130AZ does come with two eyepieces, a 25 mm and 10 mm, which will provide magnifications of 26x and 65x, but as with all mass-produced budget telescopes, we recommend purchasing additional bespoke accessories to make the most of this instrument's optical system. 

The supplied mount also isn’t particularly heavy duty, and the lack of a motor drive means you have to make the effort to push the telescope around the sky rather than let it drive itself, but as a beginner's telescope with integrated smartphone technology, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an instrument as good and easy to use for the price.

2. Meade Instruments StarPro 102: Best for fuss-free assembly and maintenance  

With its long tube, Meade Instruments' StarPro 102 has the look of a classic refractor - simple to use and assemble, it's a no-frills telescope for those who are happy to learn their way around the night sky without the aid of technology. 

The telescope is attached to a single arm alt-azimuth mount and features slow-motion control cables that enable fine movements - from left to right as well as up and down - during navigation. There’s no more need for sweeping past an object, and jerky movements are banished when centring a chosen target in the eyepiece. Control is as smooth as velvet.

The StarPro 102 is fully supplied with a tripod, three eyepieces with focal lengths of 26mm (25x), 9mm (73x) and 6.3mm (105x) plus a Barlow lens that can double the magnification of a given eyepiece. 

A star diagonal is also included, which directs the light upwards to the eyepiece for comfortable viewing, although be careful – this accessory's weight can tip the telescope along the altitude axis, requiring the user to adjust the slow-motion control. A smartphone adapter is also supplied for basic astrophotography.

Also supplied is the AutoStar Suite Astronomer Edition software on a DVD, so it's a little old-fashioned compared to downloadable smartphone apps, but this will suit users uncomfortable with using advanced technology, making for a nice, simple observing experience. 

The StarPro is also available in apertures of 2.76 inches (70mm), 3.15 inches (80mm) and 3.14 inches (90 mm), but for a telescope that's able to observe a wider variety of targets, the StarPro 102 is highly recommended.

3. Sky-Watcher Flextube 200P: Best for deep views of the universe

Dobsonian telescopes are considered by astronomers to be observing powerhouses - huge tubes on simple alt-azimuth rocker mounts that don't require the need for a tripod - but they can often be bulky and cumbersome for travel. Sky-Watcher’s line of Flextube Dobsonians solves problems of portability by manufacturing the tube so that it splits in two, allowing it to extend along a truss or collapse into a more compact form.

Because of their design, Dobsonian mounts can comfortably hold larger apertures, usually at far less of a cost than the equivalent tripod-mounted reflecting or refracting telescopes. The Flextube 200P, with its 7.87-inch (200mm) diameter aperture, is a great bargain for the price - especially given the superb views it offers thanks to its light-gulping ability: if you've ever wanted to see some of the furthest galaxies and nebulas up close, then this is the telescope for you.

There is a problem with the Flextube 200P though, and it’s that the telescope needs frequent collimation - the process of aligning the primary and secondary mirrors, using tiny screws that hold them in place. Even a few small jolts can knock the mirrors out of alignment, so be prepared to tinker with this instrument.

The aperture size presents another issue: although the truss-tube design makes the set up more compact and portable, the tube and mount still weigh over 50 lbs (22.7 kg) together. It’s not quite a grab ’n’ go telescope, so we advise being mindful of this before traveling to dark-sky sites.

The Flextube 200P comes with a 10mm (120x) eyepiece, suitable for presenting wide fields of view that can encompass entire galaxies or the full moon, and a 25mm (48x)  one for more detailed work on, say, a close up of the rugged lunar surface or the planets.

Sky-Watcher's Flextube series also includes the larger 9.84-inch (250mm), 11.81-inch (300mm), 13.78-inch (350mm) and 15.75-inch (400mm) models, but for a beginner wanting a little bang for their buck, the 200P is a great place to start.

4. Orion StarBlast 102: Best for portability 

Aside from affordability, the prerequisites of telescopes for beginners also include portability and simplicity, and the StarBlast 102 from Orion Binoculars and Telescopes has all three in abundance.

The affordability is naturally reflected in the price, but also in value for money. Here we are getting an achromatic refractor with a decent four-inch aperture for less than $400, with eyepieces, red-dot finder (for helping to home in on your celestial target) and a basic pan-head alt-azimuth mount and steel tripod combo.

As mentioned, some refracting telescopes suffer from a malaise known as chromatic aberration or color fringing, which can lead to you looking at bright objects like the moon and seeing fringes of color around it in your field of view. Being an achromat, the StarBlast 102 makes use of a concave lens, placed next to the primary convex lens, in order to correct the aberration - the aim is that the two reverse lenses cancel each other out, in theory removing the color fringing around objects seen through the eyepiece. 

This works up to a point with the StarBlast 102, but it wouldn’t be advisable to use too high a magnification - say, anything greater than 80x or 100x - with this telescope as the achromat solution isn’t perfect. 

To that end, the telescope comes with two quality Plössl eyepieces, one with a 25 mm focal length that provides a magnification of 24x and a 10mm eyepiece that enables 60x. Observers will get great views of the moon, the darker cloud bands of Jupiter, Saturn's rings, and the brighter deep-sky objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy in the constellation of Andromeda and the Ring Nebula in Lyra.

The StarBlast 102's portability comes from its weight of 10.6 lbs (4.8 kg) as well as the carry bag that’s included in the package, which can fit the scope, mount, tripod and eyepieces snugly inside.

Finally, its simplicity is found in its ease of use. For example, it’s equipped with a ‘right-side-up’ star diagonal, meaning images are not upside down when viewed as is the case with most other refractors. This is definitely an advantage, especially when trying to use the simple two-way pan-head mount to slew the telescope to your desired target.

5. Unistellar eVscope: Best for group observation

Unistellar’s eVscope is the next generation in telescopes, integrating an electronic sensor at the telescope’s focus, producing an image that builds up in detail, color and contrast over time as the sensor acquires more photons. 

Your chosen target is viewed through a faux eyepiece, which is, in fact, an LED screen. All in all, the views that the Unistellar eVscope produces are much more advanced compared to what you would expect to see through the eyepiece of an equivalent telescope. 

Even better, you can save your observations, just like an astrophotographer stores their images. It isn’t a direct replacement for astrophotography though: imagers take many raw frames and process them to high fidelity, but for beginners wanting to avoid the learning curve presented by other telescopes, this is a fantastic new product. Be warned though, it is pricey, retailing at just over $3000. Price tag aside, the technology behind the eVscope is attractive to both beginners and more experienced astronomers.

The telescope is also assisted by the Unistellar App, which you can download onto your smartphone and use to control the telescope by connecting to the eVscope’s built-in WiFi. The app contains details of 5200 celestial objects, including planets, comets, stars, nebulae and galaxies. It's also updatable, so if a new comet comes along, you won’t miss out.

The eVscope is straightforward to set up, attractive to those interested in experiencing the latest in telescope technology, provides better views than any telescope of equivalent aperture size and is great for showing children the sights of the night sky. You can even connect ten smartphones up to the telescope, allowing for simultaneous group observations.

What's the difference between refractors and reflectors?

You'll find that the larger the reflector, the less expensive it is compared to a refractor of equivalent size. However, there is a downside to using a telescope with mirrors - reflectors do need a lot of upkeep, especially when making sure that their mirrors are aligned (or collimated): if they are not, then views of the night sky are somewhat distorted since the light will not be able to focus into one point at the eyepiece effectively. 

Generally speaking, refractors are great for views of the solar system and bright deep-sky objects, while reflectors are light guzzlers, so are better placed for capturing faint galaxies and faint nebulas.

While, in comparison, refractors are primarily chosen for their low maintenance, whilst still achieving good views, the larger, high-quality models can cost many hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some cheaper refractors are also known to suffer from an optical effect called chromatic aberration, which results in stray colors appearing in the image, particularly when observing bright targets such as the moon and bright planets such as Jupiter and Venus. The higher-end refractors have been manufactured to eradicate the problem.

What is the ideal aperture for telescopes?

For decent views, it's recommended that you go no smaller than an aperture of at least four inches if your heart is set on a reflector. If a refractor is more your kind of telescope, then you can afford to go down to three-inches without compromising on optical prowess - especially in high-quality models. Though again it's always best to shop around for larger apertures, depending on your budget.

The larger the aperture, the more light your telescope captures, and the fainter the object you can see. All four-inch telescopes will show the cloud bands and moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, close-ups of the craters on the moon, and the brighter nebulas, star clusters and galaxies. The greater the aperture, the more detail you can see in these objects.

What else will beginners need?

Telescopes are usually supplied with two or three eyepieces, offering the astronomer a variety of different magnifications that's dependent on the focal length of the telescope tube and the eyepiece in question. Measurements of the latter are given in millimeters on the side of any given eyepiece. Examples are 25mm or 10mm.

Eyepiece fittings are also an essential part of telescope kit and describe the size of the slot in which the eyepiece fits into in inches. In beginner telescopes, you'll discover that a 1.25-inch fitting is the most common, while two inches is reserved for slightly more advanced instruments.

As well as eyepieces, most beginners telescopes will come with everything you need to get started in astronomy: a tripod, accessory bag, software if relevant, instruction manuals, finderscope, dew shields and a mount, which allows you to either manually or electronically slew to objects in the night sky.

If you’re willing to expand your budget and pay a little more, you can buy a telescope with a motor drive and computerized GoTo system. These revolutionary instruments make the most of a hand controller (or, as is becoming increasingly common, an app on your phone) that affords you the opportunity to instruct the telescope to slew to a chosen target at the touch of a button.

As with all telescopes - whether it's a beginner's instrument or not - it is often necessary to upgrade them with accessories in order to make the most out of the optical system. The good news is that items such as tripods, mounts and eyepieces can also be bought separately, and often at even greater quality than those that are supplied with beginners’ telescopes.

Learning a new language can be beneficial for a number of reasons; it can help you to land your dream job abroad, meet new people and make the most of those foreign holidays. And the aim of both of Rosetta Stone and Duolingo platforms is to help you master a choice of tongues, from Hebrew to Hindi, Japanese to German, giving you the confidence to speak, write and listen in a range of everyday scenarios.   

Founded in 2011 by University of Pittsburgh lecturer Luis von Ahn and one of his post-graduate students, Severin Hacker, Duolingo now has over 500 million registered users worldwide. Rosetta Stone – named after the ancient stone slab on which the Decree of Memphis is inscribed in three writing systems – was founded in 1992 by Virginian brothers Allen and Eugene Stoltzfus, along with Allen's brother-in-law John Fairfield. It currently has just over 500,000 subscribers. 

Duolingo and Rosetta Stone both give their users the choice of accessing content via a desktop computer or a smart device, enabling them to keep up with their learning whether they're at work, at home or on the go. But which of these platforms is more likely to have you speaking fluently in your chosen language? Let's take a look... 

Thinking of mastering a particular language? Read our guides on the best learn Spanish online courses and the best learn French online apps and websites  to find the right course for you.

Duolingo versus Rosetta Stone: Ease of use

When you arrive at Duolingo as a new user, you're immediately asked what language you'd like to learn and why you want to learn it. Once you've made your selections, you're given the opportunity to set yourself reminders on social media, presented with a choice of daily goals – from casual (five minutes a day) up to intense (20 minutes a day) – and asked whether you're a beginner or have some prior knowledge. This will inform how far through the syllabus your lessons will begin.

So far, so easy. After that, though, things start to get a bit confusing as you're launched straight into a series of multiple-choice exercises. Don't get us wrong, the exercises themselves are very simple and engaging (more about that in the next section). It's just a bit disorientating being bombarded with random questions before you've even been presented with details of your course.

Once you get to the end of this initial burst, you finally land on your hub page. Now things start to make more sense, as you're given a structured plan of your different modules, informed of your progress and given the chance to invite friends from Facebook. There's also a menu bar where you can choose to access Duolingo Stories – mini-tales that challenge your reading and listening skills – along with the site's discussion boards and  shop. Though some of the gamification concepts seemed a little childish to us – including 'Streak Freeze', 'Double or Nothing' and even a virtual currency – we generally found the site fun, friendly and easy to understand.

Our introduction to Rosetta Stone wasn't too dissimilar to the Duolingo experience. Once we'd chosen the language we wanted to learn, selected our skill level and stated that we were an adult male (this is to help with voice recognition), we were again presented with a series of seemingly random exercises. However, whereas Duolingo's were at least straightforward, it took us a while to get our head around what we were supposed to do here. And it didn't help that navigating the site was rather slow and glitchy. 

With Rosetta Stone, stating your reason for choosing a particular language informs how your course will pan out. So, if you say that you're learning French for travel reasons, your entire syllabus will be focused on travel-related phrases. Some people might like this more focused approach to learning, but we found it a little inhibiting. 

We were also less enthusiastic about how our personal hub page was laid out on Rosetta Stone. Unlike Duolingo, our course path was not laid out on the main page (we had to click on a separate link for that). And, in place of clearly set-out menu options at the top of the screen, there's a solitary option to 'explore all content'. Selecting this leads to a page filled with materials that might help with your course: videos, phrasebooks, etc. It's all very useful but it's a lot to digest in one place. Yet another page takes you to the lessons plans, which we've screenshotted below.

Duolingo versus Rosetta Stone: Number of courses

Duolingo currently offers 40 different languages. All the popular ones are there – French, German, Spanish, etc – but there are also quite a few less obvious ones, including Yiddish, Ukrainian and Navajo. Brilliantly, you can even choose to learn cult TV languages such as High Valyrian (from Game of Thrones) and Klingon (from Star Trek). Under each language option, it states how many people are actively learning it.

With Rosetta Stone, you're given a choice of 23 languages. As with Duolingo, the really common ones are all represented; however, there are a few notable omissions here that feature on the Duolingo platform, including Finnish, Czech and Hungarian. There are also no novelty languages (sorry, Trekkies!).

Duolingo versus Rosetta Stone: Quality of courses

Duolingo's mission is to make its courses “so fun that people [will] prefer picking up new skills over playing a game”. And they certainly are fun, comprising a series of bite-size interactive exercises that cover reading, writing and listening. In one exercise, we were played an audio clip of someone saying a sentence in Spanish, before being presented with that sentence in writing, with one word missing – the idea being that we had to find the omitted word from the choice given to us. Another exercise saw the words in a Spanish sentence scrambled up, giving us the task of arranging them into the correct order. 

While the games seem simple and engaging, Duolingo insists that they are based on “a methodology proven to foster long-term retention, and a curriculum aligned to an international standard”. That said, the company's CEO has previously stated that Duolingo can only elevate users to a level between advanced beginner and early intermediate, so if you're looking to become an expert then you might be disappointed. 

One of the best things about university education is that students can benefit from support and collaboration. This is something that Duolingo has taken on board, complementing its lessons with things like in-person events and podcasts. Not only does this give users the opportunity to engage and empathize with like-minded linguists, it enables them to try out some of their new-found skills in a real-world scenario.

Duolingo no longer offers live tutoring, having discontinued this service in 2019. However, Rosetta Stone does still provide access to real-life, certified teachers – or at least it does if you opt for one of the more expensive 'Self-Study + Coaching' packages. This is a useful option to have if you lack confidence and need that extra level of support that human interaction can bring. 

Though we didn't love the Rosetta Stone user experience (see the 'ease of use' section, above), we were left feeling that – if you persevere with it – this platform will make you more of an expert in your chosen language than Duolingo will. This is partly due to the aforementioned live tutoring, but also because the site features something called TruAccent. Rosetta Stone's proprietary speech engine will analyze the pronunciation of your words, compare it to that of native speakers, and then feed back to you whenever you make a mistake. It's a really clever piece of technology, and one that should enable you to lose that Texan twang when you're ordering a steak frites in Paris.  

Rosetta Stone gives you the option to download your lessons, meaning you can carry on with your studying even when you don't have access to the internet. And the site also features something called an audio companion, which enables you to listen to your lessons – handy for those times when you fancy a screen break.  

For those people who judge the quality of a business based on its high-profile endorsements, we should mention that Rosetta Stone claims that its platform is trusted by the likes of Twitter, BMW, Uber and LEGO.   

Duolingo versus Rosetta Stone: Pricing

According to the Duolingo website, this learning platform was created “so that everyone could have a chance” at mastering a new language and gaining access to better opportunities in life. And sure enough, the vast majority of content is free. You'll only need to stump up cash if you want the Plus package, which gives you benefits like no ads, the ability to skip levels and personalized mistakes reviews. If those things matter to you, you can either choose to pay as you go ($9.99 per month) or subscribe to a 12-month plan, which costs $79.99 (or $6.67 per month). Want to sample the goods before making a commitment? Duolingo offers a free 14-day trial – though bear in mind that you'll need to give your card details and will be charged if you forget to cancel before the period elapses.

Rosetta Stone is a purely subscription-based platform, offering a selection of payment plans. There's no option to pay as you go; you can either choose a three-month membership (from $35.97), a year (from $170), two years (from $249) or a whole lifetime (from $299). The base prices here are for 'self-study' subscriptions – if you want to combine your self-study with sessions led by certified group coaches, expect to pay more. As with Duolingo, you can sample Rosetta Stone's content before you commit, though in this case the free trial only lasts for three days. For extra peace of mind, the platform offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Duolingo versus Rosetta Stone: Which is best?

Both of these platforms have their pros and cons. We would say that, overall, Duolingo offers a more fun and intuitive experience, providing the motivation to come back time and time again. This platform also offers a wider choice of languages, including novel options such as High Valyrian and Klingon. On the downside, it's been acknowledged that Duolingo's courses do not enable you to become a 'master' in your chosen language – which is fine if you're just looking to improve your skills in preparation for a holiday, but perhaps not as ideal for those who are moving to a new job in a foreign country.  

As for Rosetta Stone, its lessons are more geared towards making you an expert – especially at speaking. However, we found the user experience to be a little slow and staid at times; the choice of languages is smaller, and it also doesn't offer a pay-as-you-go option like Duolingo does. It's worth mentioning that neither Duolingo nor Rosetta Stone offers universally recognized certification upon completion of its courses. If this is important to you, then you might want to check out the best online learning platforms, some of which offer accreditation.

Coursera has just released its latest Global Skill report, analyzing the numbers and stats from its 77 million members. Among the many discoveries is an estimated time for how long it takes to retrain on the online learning platform, if you’re hoping to switch jobs. The easier skill sets can be acquired within 35 hours, while the more intensive skills take around 70 hours to learn.

Interestingly, the report also highlights that the USA is falling behind when it comes to data science and technology skills, with a lower number of skilled workers than several European and Asian countries. 

This is despite the fact that the World Economic Forum (WEF) has identified several jobs in these areas that are increasingly in demand. Topping its list of 'emerging' professions are data analysts and scientists, AI and machine learning specialists, and big data experts. 

So, if you are going to retrain, there are some clear areas where there's a huge demand not being met by the current supply. Handily, Coursera – which we rate as one of the best online learning platforms , providing some of the best coding courses online – has broken down exactly how long it will take to retrain for these specific careers. We've outlined a few of the main ones, below.

Retraining for: Cloud computing

One of the emerging professional areas identified by the recent WEF report, people in this field deliver internet-related computing services, working on things like servers, storage, databases, networking, software and analytics. 

Cloud services are estimated to see some quick growth over the next few years, as both public and private companies begin to rely more heavily on this service. Despite this, there's a huge shortage of skilled workers in this area.

To be a cloud computing whizz, you'll need to have a good understanding of operating systems and various cloud platforms, along with solid knowledge on databases and security. Coursera estimates it will take around 51 hours to retrain for an entry level position, which would be something like a computer support specialist.

Retraining for: Data & AI

This is another field where there's a huge shortage of skilled workers and an increased need for them. People working in this area develop computer code and algorithms to help make sense of massive amounts of information.

A lot of big companies rely on this kind of knowledge, parsing the data so that they can predict customer behaviors. There's been a steady growth in the number of roles advertised in this area over the past few years and Linkedin reports that this trend isn't going to slow down soon.

To succeed here, try studying up on Excel, Python and SQL. It's also useful to have some basic knowledge of statistics and some practice with data visualization techniques. Coursera's report shows that it takes the average learner about 64 hours to retrain for an entry-level job, such as a data analyst, in this particular area.

Retraining for: Software engineering

As a very broad overview, software engineers assess user needs then design, test and implement software that will meet the requirements. According to the WEF report, jobs in this area are expected to grow in demand by 22% through to 2029.

Training for this field requires students to learn various types of code, from Python through to Java. Soft skills like good communication are also important to have for this career, as you'll often be working in a small team to create and test your product. Coursera estimates it will take a cool 49 hours to retrain to be something like a web developer, which is an entry-level position in this area.

A lot of these careers will require upskilling sessions, as these fields are often disrupted by the introduction of new types of technology. This is where online learning platforms can come in handy, as they give the chance to brush up on skills at a pace that suits your schedule.

Looking for more guidance? We have articles outlining the most useful coding languages to learn in 2021, along with in-depth features exploring the possibility of switching your job for a career in coding. 

If you are looking for widely recognized credit-based courses from reputable institutions, Coursera and edX are among the best options available. Through their partnerships with schools and universities worldwide, these massive open online course (MOOC) providers offer accredited degree programs and expert-designed learning paths to deepen your understanding of a particular subject. 

After testing them out, both websites made it onto our list of the best online learning platforms. Both companies also offer free courses that you can complete at your own pace without having to submit any projects. The only problem with this: free courses don’t have professionally valid certificates. If you want one of those certificates, you'll have to pay for it.

This free plus paid combination of courses offered by Coursera and edX makes them a suitable platform for learners at all levels. If you are one of such students, looking to go down the remote learning route, you might be wondering which platform is right for you. In this guide, we'll briefly highlight the pros, cons, and key differences between Coursera and edX to help you choose the best option.

Coursera vs edX: Subjects covered

Coursera offers 3,000+ courses in subjects like humanities, math, business, language learning, and coding among others. There's a huge variety of education levels available here; you can access beginner courses, intermediate lessons, and even study for Master degrees via the platform.

edX has a similar number of courses (3,000) in subjects like social sciences, medicine, economics, design, and more. Like Coursera, it has beginner courses, intermediate classes, and also offers postgraduate education.

As well as the above, Coursera has something called “specializations". These are actually several courses, linked together, covering a particular topic. In theory, completing these pathways should help you get a better all-round understanding of a particular subject.

edX also has an unusual offering in the form of MicroBachelors and MicroMasters programs created by accredited institutions. These courses take between 2 - 4 months to complete and have been curated by colleges, universities and well-respected institutions.

Which one should you choose? There's not a lot of difference in terms of subjects here; both platforms cover a really broad range of topics. However, if you need a quick boost to buoy up your career, then you might want to opt for the 'MicroBachelor' or 'MicroMaster' programs from edX. Coursera has plenty to offer here too, with professionally qualifying certificates from organizations like IBM and Google. These take a little longer to complete, but we rate them as some of the best coding courses online.

Coursera vs edX: Course quality

Courses on Coursera and edX are created by professors and industry professionals so you are pretty much guaranteed high quality training. 

Coursera has partnered with universities like Stanford, Yale and University of Michigan while edX has partnered with Harvard, Boston University, Caltech, Cornell, and more. There's also some crossover with the degrees from these online platforms, as they both offer identical courses from the same institutions (for example, you can study for a Master's degree in Computer Science, awarded by the University of Texas, on either edX or Coursera.) 

Coursera seems to have a slightly larger and more international offering when it comes to degrees, with links to a greater number of universities across the globe.

Due to these accredited partnerships, the quality of courses is fairly high on both platforms. However, when we were testing them out, we found that a handful of the lower-priced courses were in need of updating. They featured clunky interfaces and outdated references. This is a problem that's recurrent across quite a few of the larger online learning platforms (we found similar issues with Skillshare.) 

To avoid this, we'd recommend testing out the free 'audit' version of classes before paying, so you can get a feel for how well maintained the course is. 

Which one should you choose? If you have a favored university or company, choose the MOOC provider that has partnered with your preferred institution. If you are fine with any university, both Coursera and edX offer high-quality lessons from reputable institutions, so we recommend choosing based on your preferred subject.

Coursera vs edX: Ease of Use

To attract new users, Coursera highlights its partner universities and the benefits of signing up on the platform on the front page. This can make it difficult for first-time visitors to quickly find the courses they are looking for. 

We also came across some clunky elements on the platform when we were testing out a Spanish course. Graphics were warped and stretched on the page and some of the interactive elements were hard to click on. However, Coursera has an excellent video player with all the desired functions, including speed control and a running transcript.  

edX’s homepage features a healthy mix of partnered universities and popular courses, making it easier for new users to find their desired courses or to try something new from the recommendations offered. edX offers a detailed course category list at the bottom of their homepage, so users can quickly navigate to their preferred subject group. 

However, you will sometimes find archived courses included in your search results, which can be irritating. We also found that the descriptions of what was contained in the courses a little vague. 

Like Coursera, edX also has a neat video player that lets you adjust the speed, streaming quality, and transcript.

Which one should you choose? There's room for improvement on both platforms here, but we had fewer issues with the edX website. The platform quickly and effortlessly directs you to the next learning step and we didn't come across any issues with interactive quizzes or on-screen graphics. edX is also better for casual browsing, as Coursera's search functionality is a little more confusing.

Coursera vs edX: Cost

Coursera offers an annual $399 subscription that provides access to “Specializations” (series of courses) and individual classes that you can take at your own pace. You can also buy each class individually, which costs you between $39-$99. But subscribing will give you access to all of those professional courses provided by the likes of Google and IBM.

The best part: You can “audit” courses for free, meaning you can access the learning material without getting a certificate. This makes it easier to get a lesson preview so you can decide if the course is the right investment option for you. You can also choose not to buy the course at all, which is a great feature for reducing economic barriers to entry. 

edX lets you “audit” all courses for free too, making it an excellent option for new users who haven’t yet decided on their preferred subjects. You can buy individual courses on edX for $50-$300, depending on the subject and the type of program the course is a part of. The MicroBachelor and MicroMaster programs vary wildly in cost, but they fall within the $400 - $1000 bracket.

Degrees on both platforms cost upwards of $8,000, going up to $25,000, which can still be cheaper than in-person tuition at private universities. 

Coursera vs edX: Final verdict

Picking between Coursera and edX can be confusing as both offer accredited courses at discounted rates, and sometimes even free. Courses on both platforms have interactive lessons that encourage community learning while working at your own pace by yourself. 

But if you must choose, here are some key differences to keep in mind:

edX has more science-oriented courses while Coursera offers a broader range of self-development and language learning classes (for example, we could only find mindfulness courses through Coursera). There are a few more intermediate and advanced level courses on edX, while Coursera has a massive library of beginner-friendly courses. We also like that Coursera displays ratings on its classes, which is something that's missing on the edX platform.

So if you are a new learner who wants easier courses in the lifestyle and humanities category, we recommend trying Coursera. If you are a slightly advanced learner looking for science-based courses that will deepen your understanding of the subject while offering credit-based certificates, edX could be a key resource for you. 

Both of these platforms have quite intensive course schedules. If you're looking for a more laid-back approach to learning, you might want to look through our comparison article Skillshare vs Udemy. 

According to UNESCO, there are approximately 6,000 languages spoken across the globe, out of which nearly 2,500 are at risk of extinction. In the states, several Native American tongues are now listed as endangered, while European languages like Irish and Welsh are also at risk.

As part of a renewed effort to combat this wave of linguistic annihilation, some learning apps are offering lessons in rarer languages and a new tool from Google is helping communities preserve their dialects. 

In addition to traditional learning apps adopting a broader range of languages, a lot of the best online tutoring services are also helping to buoy up the numbers of speakers, with sites like Preply offering tutors who can teach rare dialects on a one-to-one basis.

Woolaroo: the new Google AI translation app 

Woolaroo is the name of the recently released tool from Google, which allows indigenous communities to preserve their languages via a photo-recognition interface. It’s simple to operate - just point your camera at an object and the AI tool will recognise it, then give you a translation. The interface then provides details of the word in your native tongue, along with the written translation in the target language and a recording of the correct pronunciation.

Indigenous communities can edit these entries, reporting when they think there’s an incorrect translation or pronunciation. They can also add entries into this clever little tool, to help bulk out the number of items already recognised by the system.

It works with your browser, so you don’t need to install a new app to play around with it. Currently, there are ten indgenous languages available on the app, including Maori and Louisiana Creole.

Learning platforms preserving rare languages

Digital learning platforms now cover a broader range of languages. Some of the best learn Spanish online courses  and best learn French online apps and websites now offer classes in rare languages.

Duolingo supports Welsh and Yiddish, Pimsleur offers lessons in languages like Swiss German and Irish, and Living Languages has courses in Hawaiian and Scottish.

A lot of these language learning apps are available for free, too, or come with a free trial period. This means that it's easy to explore these lesser-known languages without committing to a full-blown subscription.

Endangered languages in Europe and America 

In a recent blog post, Busuu outlined the most surprising European languages that are currently at risk. That list includes entries such as Welsh, which is spoken by 750,000 people, and Swiss German, which is actually used by a grand total of 4,930,000 people.

According to the UNESCO vulnerability scale, Welsh is rated as ‘vulnerable,’ while Swiss German is classified as a ‘severely endangered’ language. These ratings don’t directly reflect the total numbers of speakers, but also take into account factors like intergenerational language transmission, governmental language policies and proportion of speakers within the native population.

Over in America, there are 191 languages which are at risk of disappearing, including Sioux (classed as vulnerable) and Cherokee (classed as definitely endangered.) A lot of these disappearing languages are Native American in origin, although a few have Caribbean or Polynesian roots.

Busuu’s Lead Language Expert, Federico Espinosa, says: “Many might be shocked to discover that the more ‘famous’ regional dialects are dying, but sadly it’s unsurprising.

“People no longer choose to live their lives in the same regions as their families – globalisation means people move around and they don’t pass on their regional dialect.

“It’s great to see that some are committed to preserving their native tongue. The Welsh government have set themselves ambitious targets to double the number of native speakers by 2050. This is a really positive step forward.”

Endangered languages: Why preserve them? 

UNESCO does a lot of work recording stats and figures related to languages. According to that organization, there are some clear reasons on why it’s necessary to preserve them. 

Rather than thinking of languages as abstract or distinct from communities, used purely for communicative purposes, UNESCO argues that we should think of them as reflections of value systems, philosophies and cultural features. 

As such, their disappearance could be a great historical loss, as we’d lose knowledge relating to specific traditions and practices - which could not only help us understand past communities, but also help us reflect on modern phenomena and events.

Coursera offers a wide variety of course options, both free and paid-for. These range from “guided projects” that can be completed in under two hours, to preparation for professional certification, and fully-online Bachelor’s and Master's degree courses.

There’s a strong focus on business, data science and IT skills here, but there are also a range of language, humanities and personal development courses. For the purposes of testing, we signed up to a Spanish Vocabulary: Meeting People course, which is led by Dr Robert Blake from University of California-Davis. 

Overall, we think that there are some solid lessons and programs available on Coursera, which have clearly been compiled by experts and professors. We really rate the tech classes on there and think it offers some of the best coding courses online. That said, we did find some of the language course content quite dry and there was some clunky functionality that formed part of the lessons. For this reason, it doesn't hit the number one spot in our guide to the best online learning platforms. 

It’s a good option if you need to achieve some kind of academic certification online (the degree courses are attached to accredited universities from around the world) but if you’re more focused on simply having a good time while you learn there are better options out there.

Coursera Review: How it works

When you sign up, the platform invites you to fill out your profile by supplying information about your current profession, areas of interest and whether or not you have plans for a career change: it uses this data to suggest courses that may be relevant to you. 

Courses run on rolling deadlines, with each cohort of students encouraged to complete assignments by a certain date. Once you’re logged in, Coursera encourages you to begin your course by setting weekly goals stating which days you plan to study, then nudges you to block out these time slots in your online calendar.

This time-mapping feature goes slightly further than other online learning platforms. When we tested out LinkedIn Learning, we were also asked to set a goal for how much time we’d like to dedicate to learning every day - but we weren’t nudged to input this into our calendars. It’s a nice touch for anyone who likes to have that level of control over their schedule, but some might find that it goes against their understanding of the laid-back model of self-paced learning.

Like a lot of modern day learning platforms, Coursera has a strong focus on career-improving subjects. A good example are the courses on the platform that, when completed, offer you a Google Career Certificate. These courses have been designed and approved by experts and Google employees, so in theory they should carry a little more weight with employers.

Coursera review: Ease of use

It’s relatively easy to navigate through the platform, and it’s certainly very straightforward to find a subject you might want to study. You can search for courses directly via the on-site search bar, browse through areas of education, or narrow down your choice by selecting topics like free lessons, degree programs or certified courses.

Once you’ve started a course, the main overview page has a tracker showing you the percentage you’ve completed. Throughout the program, you’ll also come across pop-up messages encouraging you to build on your progress and suggesting how long your current assignment will take to complete. These pop-ups usually feature fairly peppy language, such as: “[this is] a great way to build and apply your new skills” - it’s down to the individual learner whether this is perceived as supportive or patronising. 

There are several areas that could be improved in this section of the site. For example, each page of a study unit must be marked as complete in order to progress. However, without a progress tracker on each individual screen of the course, it’s not obvious how many more parts of the unit there are to complete, so it’s tricky to gauge when would be a good point to take a break. 

We also came across a baffling popup inviting students to tag the learning areas covered in the course: this seemed like a pointless exercise in gathering extra metadata, with no clear benefit to students, as these learning areas were already laid out in the main course content screen. 

In addition to the above, there were some fairly inelegant graphics and interactive elements included in the lessons. Some of these interactives - which were available both in HTML5 and Adobe Flash formats for wider accessibility - involved matching two columns of written or spoken words with their visual representation by selecting a letter from a drop-down menu or using a mouse or fingertip to draw lines between them. This functionality could be a bit clunky. The choice of stock images wasn’t always particularly helpful either, with some clipart files stretched out of proportion to fit into standard-sized boxes. You can see an example, below.

Most study units features a teaching video, which is a little over a minute long - and in general we found that these were straightforward to follow. The videos all have subtitles, and if you speed up or slow down the playback rate, this change handily carries through to future videos. Highlighted transcripts of each video are available if you scroll down the screen, and videos can also be displayed in a pop-out window.

Coursera review: Content and teaching format

The course we studied had rigorously academic explanations of how the learning would be delivered - supporting our memorisation of new words through repetition, seeing images of the concepts, and reading the written words and the English translations. There were three main modules to go through, which concluded with a 45-minute graded quiz.

These modules covered frequently used conversational topics: family and friends; physical sensations, numbers and illness; places and weather. There’s also a really useful Perspectives section in each module, which features videos of native speakers with different accents from around the Spanish-speaking world. This isn’t something we’ve seen in other Spanish-learning courses, and it’s a thoughtful add-on for people who are trying to refine their accents and ability to parse conversations.

We did find that the unit order was sometimes unhelpful: a guide to typing Spanish accents and punctuation was only introduced at the end of the first unit, after we’d already been asked to type words with accented letters into interactives. For instance, typing in “education” or “educacion” were both marked as incorrect: it would only accept “educación”. 

Learners were invited to write a couple of sentences in Spanish introducing their own family and describing their last illnesses, then pasting them into a Comments section with the hopeful injunction “Engage and discuss with other learners below!” 

However, no engagement or discussion was visible, and minimal interaction was visible on the course forum: the nature of studying a course like this remotely means that individual learners simply seem to want to fulfil the requirements and move on, rather than attempt to chat with fellow learners any more than is necessary.

It’s hard for an online platform to replace the conversational speaking and listening practice of a real-world language lesson, and unusually, the final assessment in the course was a peer reviewed video activity. Students were required to write 200 words introducing themselves in Spanish, record a video of themselves reading this aloud, then submit the video file online and ask other learners to review it - while also reviewing other learners’ videos, in order to receive the final certificate. 

Of course, it’s difficult to manage assessments on a vast scale in a massive online open course (MOOC) so it’s unreasonable to expect the professor who created the course content to review these videos himself. However, leaving this final assessment to other students who by definition are not fluent in the language means that the quality of the learners’ writing and speaking may not be well assessed. If you’re looking to get direct feedback, you may be better off turning to one of the best online tutoring services instead.

Coursera review: User reviews

All Coursera courses have a very simple reviews system, which lets you know how users found a particular course. Reviews contain a rating out of five stars and are often accompanied by student comments, explaining what's good and bad about a course.

There's a good deal of transparency here, as Coursera doesn't try to hide low reviews from the ratings page. As such, this is a useful way of gauging whether or not a particular course is worth your time.

Coursera review: Cost

At the moment, you can get a 7 day free trial on the platform, after which the cost of your course will automatically be deducted from your account on a monthly basis. There are also some completely-free course offerings available.

Outside of this, there’s a huge variety in pricing structure. Some programs are available for a one-off fee, but you’re expected to complete these within 180 days. There are also ‘Specialization’ packages available, which are actually groups of courses that feed into one another - for example, you could subscribe to a Specialization package that covers popular coding languages. There’s no time limit on this latter option, as it’s billed as a monthly fee.

Individual courses can cost anywhere between $30 and $100, while Specialization subscriptions tend to cost around $40 - $90 per month. Full blown degrees will set you back $1000s and there's also something called 'Coursera Plus'. This latter option costs either $59 a month or $399 for the year and it grants you access to over 90% of on-site educational content, including those previously mentioned Specializations.

Overall, the platform could definitely benefit from making its pricing structure a lot clearer, but to its credit it does clearly highlight which courses can be taken for free.

Is Coursera worth it?

The Spanish course we tested is a decent quality product, and would work well for someone who has basic familiarity with the language, and wants the opportunity to refresh their knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of grammar. If you’re an absolute beginner looking for more conversational Spanish, or find that your attention is better engaged through a playful interface, this Coursera course may seem somewhat dry. We'd recommend you turn to the best online Spanish courses, instead.

This course is aimed at adults, rather than younger students: you’ll need a good grasp of grammatical structures in English, as terms such as first, second and third person, telegram and cognates are used without further explanation. 

The formality of the course structure means that learners need to be self-motivated to achieve success, while the need to upload your own video content for peer assessment in order to pass the course may deter some learners. 

If you’re looking to study creative subjects, you’ll find more relevant options on a platform such as Skillshare - but if you value the academic credibility of technical courses from recognised universities, Coursera’s study options are worth checking out. 

As graduation day looms you’ll be preparing to close one chapter of your life and start the next. Graduation is a milestone that you’ll remember forever – and you’re going to want to capture your time in a cap and gown to the fullest effect with brilliant photographs. 

Not only do graduation pictures help to capture the excitement of the day alongside the pride of your course mates and family members who’ve watched you grow over the years – but you can be sure that at least one of these photos will soon take pride of place on your mom's mantelpiece! 

Get your friends to take your photos or hire a professional photographer to do the job – just make sure there’s someone there to click away. If you're in the market for a new camera and don't know which model to pick, we have an excellent guide on the best cameras for beginners. And if you find that your graduation images don't come out quite as you hoped, we also have advice on the best photo editing software to use, so you can tweak them to your liking. 

Here are some tried-and-tested tips from the pros for making sure your graduation photos are first class…

1. Take along some props

First and foremost, remember to take your graduation gown and cap!

Merissa De Falcis, a Dallas based photographer and founder of Merissa De Falcis Photography, has been photographing graduates for almost 10 years. To add a special touch to high school photographs, she recommends bringing something related to a sport or art you were involved with, as well as your college flag, college t-shirt, graduation cap and gown, and of course, confetti! For a college grad photoshoot, bring all of the above, plus stoles, champagne and balloons to jazz things up.

If you have made a sign at home double check it includes all the details: your graduation year, degree and major. Your diploma certificate is nice to show off in photos too.

Some people like to use glitter or confetti cannons – just make sure it’s environmentally friendly and you’re allowed to let it off it in the chosen photoshoot location.

De Falcis encourages her clients to be creative, and bring along as many props as they want. “I love when grads want to bring unique props such as feather boas or smoke bombs. Another way to make it unique is to wear a really on-trend outfit that isn't the typical ‘grad’ look. 

The most popular shot, she adds, is the classic cap and gown one. “Everyone loves a good photo in their cap and gown for their grad announcement."

2. Pick the best backdrop and time of day

For high school photos, a mix of nature and urban landscapes in your hometown is perfect – think fields, parks, downtown or a skyline rooftop. 

“For highschoolers, choosing a unique location such as your private property, or making a trip out to a state or national park or beach for a different look is always a fun idea!” advises De Falcis.

For college photos, get in front of all the iconic spots on your college campus. The best graduation backdrops for photos on campus include stone arches, pillars, stairs, fountains and nature, says Sara Noei, a photographer based in Brisbane, Australia, who has been doing graduation photography for 5 years. 

Early morning and late afternoon – as the sun rises and as it sets – offer the most flattering light, but it’s not uncommon to have your shoot outside of these times. Try to avoid having photos taken around midday when the sun is at its peak as it can cast harsh shadows. 

3. Plan your outfit(s)

Take at least 2 or 3 outfits, ranging from casual to more fancy. “Stick to neutral colours for cap and gown shots. For other snaps you can have a pop of colour but avoid any busy patterns. Above all, always wear something you feel comfortable in and that feels ‘you’” says De Falcis.

If you’re about to enter the world of work, maybe have one smart outfit on hand so you can get a professional looking photo that will make your LinkedIn profile pop. Or use this as a chance to get some content for your social channels!

For ladies wearing high heels, bring along an extra pair of flats so you can walk comfortably between photo locations, and keep some tissues, powder or blotting paper handy to keep sweat or shine at bay.

4. Perfect your graduation pose

If you’ve hired a photographer, speak openly with them about what sort of style you’d like, and they’ll be able to guide your body language to achieve it.

Of course, make the most of your graduation cap – throw it in the air, hold it, and get close-ups of the cap/tassel – the options are endless. Noei explains that the most popular shots involve hat tossing and standing while holding certificates. “Make sure you jump high while throwing your hat for even better photos!” she says.

In terms of poses and movement, mix it up: do some sitting, standing, skipping, and using props – things like walking, laughing or jumping keep it natural and create candid moments that let your personality shine through. Remember, movement adds drama and beauty to photos, so don’t stand still for long!

De Falcis adds: “If you are a college grad, throw your hand signal in some shots!”

If you’re stuck for ideas, check out graduation and senior photos on Pinterest to get some inspiration.

5. Bring along friends or family

“It's always nice to have one friend or family member come along, even if they are only there to help carry things rather than be in the actual photos. Just make sure you bring someone who lifts you up in a positive way to feel confident – not someone who will point out insecurities,” advises De Falcis.

If your friends and family are present, why not include them in the session – perhaps you’d like your BFFs or your course mates who supported you along the way, or even just a lovely family photo to remember the day. Nothing beats the classic shot of you and your classmates lined up throwing your hats in the air. It’s also a good idea to document your parents beaming proudly over your achievement. If you need further convincing, Noei adds: “A graduation photo shoot is definitely more fun with family and friends!”

6. Think about how to display graduation photos

Once you've got all of those graduation photos snapped and saved, you'll need to print them. If you're very particular about print quality, you may want to go with one of the top-rated photo printing services – but you could also print them yourself using a good quality home printer. You can then put them in frames, stick them to walls, or display them (as below) by pinning them to pieces of twine.

Another great option is to collate them and put them in high quality, printed photobooks, which means you'll have a lovely memento to remember the day. And if you want to share them with friends and family, it's a great idea to turn your graduation snaps into photo cards that can be sent by post to your loved ones.

One thing the global pandemic has taught us is that pretty much anything is achievable online. Hosting a children's birthday party? No problem. Attending a live concert? You bet. Conducting a work presentation? Easy-peasy (and you don't even have to change out of your pyjamas). Perhaps the most exciting thing you can achieve online, though, is the mastering of new skills.  

Online learning is not a new phenomenon, but it's definitely growing in popularity as confidence in more traditional methods of education wavers. In a recent survey carried out by Pearson, 67% of Americans said that colleges and universities are becoming out of reach for the average person, while 64% believed that those institutions aren't teaching the right skills for today's job market. In contrast, online learning platforms tend to be affordable (or even free), and offer a wide range of vocational and non-vocational courses.

In this review, we'll be focusing on one of the more recently launched online learning platforms. Founded in 2013, Shaw Academy provides access to over 100 free online courses, ranging from data analytics to digital marketing, photography to fashion. Despite being relatively new to the game, we still think its one of the best online learning platforms currently available.

In 2020, Shaw Academy announced that its diplomas had gained triple-accreditation status, meaning that they are now recognised around the world. It was also claimed that the number of students using the Shaw Academy platform had increased tenfold since the start of the pandemic, with more than 520,000 enrolled. This is despite the fact that the platform has a relatively low number of classes compared to other learning sites – but this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as we'll discuss below. 

If you're looking for more advice on improving your career opportunities, read our guides to the most useful coding languages to learn in 2021 and the best typing software 2021.   

• See the latest courses on Shaw Academy

Shaw Academy review: How does it work?

The main slogan on Shaw Academy's home page – “Build your business, hobby or career” – gives you an idea of this learning platform's proposition. The objective here is to help anyone develop their skill set, whether they're looking to become the next Jeff Bezos, gain a promotion at work or simply master a new subject, such as meditation or make-up. 

And it's not just a new set of skills that you'll gain from a Shaw Academy course. Upon completion (courses normally span four modules of eight to ten classes each), you'll be rewarded with a diploma that's certified by Austin Peay State University (APSU) in Clarksville, Tennessee, and, as of 2020, accredited by three international certification bodies: Continuing Professional Development (CPD), the International Accreditation Organization (IAO) and the International Council of Specialized Online Certifications (ICSOC).  

It's not the only platform to offer some kind of certification – LinkedIn Learning does the same. But whereas LinkedIn Learning certificates are only really recognized on the networking platform, Shaw Academy's accreditations are at least acknowledged by the above bodies.

Another soundbite that appears on the Shaw Academy website is “education without limitations”, and this refers to the flexibility with which you can navigate your learning journey. Once you've enrolled with the platform and picked your course or courses (we'll explain how to do that and how much it'll cost in a moment), you'll get the chance to build your own lesson schedule. 

With the pre-recorded classes or webinars streamed every hour on the hour from 6am till 10pm, you can choose to take them at a time that suits you. Shaw Academy is compatible with any desktop, laptop or mobile device with a working internet connection, meaning you could 'attend' your classes while at work, on the sofa or even travelling on the bus. You're encouraged to stick to your allotted time – partly because it'll help you to stay focused on your course – but if you do miss a class for whatever reason, it will be added to your members' area shortly after the class finishes, enabling you to catch up.

As part of your course, you'll be invited to complete an assignment after each second class. Coming in the form of multiple choice questions, these do not have to be completed in order to obtain a Shaw Academy diploma. However, assignments are also allocated at the end of each module, and these will need to be completed before you can receive your qualification.

Shaw Academy review: Navigation

When you land on the Shaw Academy home page, you're presented with a clear and spacious layout that doesn't confuse with reams of information. Scrolling down the page, you'll find the list of available courses (these can also be accessed via a menu option at the top of the page). 

Laid out as graphic thumbnails, they are colourful and attractive, instantly giving the impression that taking the courses will be fun and engaging. Each thumbnail also includes the (high) number of people who have graduated from that particular course, giving you confidence that you, too, could complete it. (In case you were wondering, Photography is the most popular Shaw Academy course, with more than 1.5 million graduates). There's no search bar, meaning you have to scroll through the courses to find the one you're looking for – but with only 100+ in the database, it's not a major issue.  

Though there's a clear push towards getting people to sign up for a free trial, the home page makes no secret of the fact that you'll need to start paying once your trial period is up, providing full transparency. The platform is also available in six languages, making it a truly international affair.

We did have a few small issues with the navigation. Firstly, in Shaw Academy's FAQ, it states that webinars are delivered twice weekly, yet, when you come to set your learning schedule, you can choose to take your classes between one and three times a week. Also, immediately after we set our chosen days (Wednesday and Thursday), we were asked if we wanted to take our first class straightaway (this was a Tuesday). Perhaps we were doing something wrong, but it seemed a little confusing. Another minor gripe was that the site kept logging us out. Perhaps this is a security thing, but it did get a little irksome after a while.       

Shaw Academy review: Course quality

As previously mentioned, completion of a Shaw Academy course will result in you receiving a globally recognized diploma. When we say 'globally recognized', that means accredited by the organizations we mentioned above. Exactly how much clout one of these diplomas will give you when you come to apply for a job, we don't know. At the very least, taking one of these courses will enhance your knowledge and stand you in better stead of progressing in your chosen field.

To put Shaw Academy's online tuition to the test, we enrolled on a couple of its courses. There are significantly fewer options than you'll find on, say, Udemy (which offers more than 32,000 courses), but this might not be a bad thing if you find too much choice overwhelming. We opted to take the hugely popular Photography course, along with Coding & Technology.  

Each of these courses began with the basics and then proceeded to cover a number of key areas in its particular field. So, for example, with the Coding & Technology course, you'll learn about cloud computing in one lesson, the Internet of Things (IoT) in another, artificial intelligence (AI) in another, and so on. Led by qualified experts, the classes themselves last around 30-40 minutes, and are both clearly presented and engaging. While viewing the content, you can click on a dropdown menu that'll enable you to ask questions and check to see if you have any outstanding assignments.

One thing we didn't like about the classes was that you can't pause or rewind them while viewing them in real time – this option is only available if you are watching on 'catch-up'. It's not ideal because if you need to use the loo or someone knocks on the door, you end up missing valuable content. 

In general, though, we found the content to be fun and well-presented. This is in contrast to something like Skillshare, which has a much wider range of courses available – but a few of these are in desperate need of updating.

Shaw Academy review: Cost

When you start on your journey with Shaw Academy, you'll be invited to sign up for a free, 'no commitment' four-week trial, after which you'll be charged $69.99 per month unless you cancel your membership (note that you'll need to enter your payment details at the start of your trial). 

While this might sound like a lot, once you've signed up you'll be given unlimited access to Shaw Academy's courses, meaning you can take as many as you have time for. 

If you're only interested in taking one course, you could head over to Udemy, which offers individual courses at around $18-$25, or indeed YouTube, which has thousands for free. However, neither of those platforms will award you a globally recognized diploma upon completion of your endeavours. 

Shaw Academy: Cancellation fees controversy

In 2020, Shaw Academy came under fire from some users, who claimed that they had incurred fees despite trying to cancel their subscription. These experiences resulted in a slew of bad user reviews on TrustPilot - and Shaw Academy were then accused by that platform of trying to interfere with and remove these reviews. As a result, Trustpilot placed a customer warning on Shaw Academy’s Trustpilot page.

Here’s our experience: We didn’t have any problems cancelling our subscription and we didn't face any problems with pop-ups (in fact, we actually found there were fewer pop-ups on here than on other sites). However, Shaw Academy did attempt to call us after we cancelled and also sent a couple of texts asking why we dropped out, which seemed a bit excessive. 

We reached out to both TrustPilot and Shaw Academy for comment on the negative reviews and the consumer warning banner, which remains in place still. Here’s what TrustPilot had to say: "Consumer Warnings are part of a series of actions we take to ensure the integrity of the platform and act as a public warning system to consumers about misbehaviour on our platform. Once placed, we also automatically prevent any information about the businesses star ratings or reviews from being shared with search engines. The Consumer Warning on [Shaw Academy's] Trustpilot page will remain until we consider its removal appropriate."

Shaw Academy had a lot more to say about this, but it’s worth pointing out that the company has also put in place measures to address the previous issues, including hiring more customer representatives and removing purchase options that caused the above problems.

In the statement to Top Ten Reviews, the company outlined how ratings and customer feedback has massively improved over the last year across a broad range of review sites and consumer platforms, including TrustPilot. 

The representative of the company also cast doubt on the authenticity of the negative reviews appearing more recently on TrustPilot, claiming: “The vast majority of these reviews stemmed from a well organised Facebook group intent on inflicting as much damage as possible on Shaw Academy. In total since June 2020 1,381 reviews were removed by Trustpilot and 393 reviews were changed to remove violating content...On the 21st of May 2021 Facebook, after conducting its own internal investigation, forcibly shut down this group after multiple breaches of privacy, hate speech and calls to action were documented.”

Shaw Academy review: Is it worth it?

If you want to improve your career prospects or master a subject that you're passionate about – but don't have the money, time or inclination to enroll at a college or university – then online learning platforms could be the way to go. 

Shaw Academy is a particularly enticing option for people looking to progress in their chosen profession, since it offers a globally recognized diploma upon completion of its courses. However, if receiving a qualification is less important to you, you can find a broader range of courses on other learning platforms, and even YouTube.   

From Netflix's hit Spanish crime drama La Casa de Papel, aka Money Heist, to French crime thriller Lupin and Oscar-winning Korean film Parasite, foreign language television shows and movies are becoming more mainstream. But can they actually help you learn a new language?

A 2019 study suggests that they can. This study followed 44 citizens of the Republic of Kosovo over 2 years to examine whether they could learn Turkish by watching a series. Initially the participants activated subtitles in their native language, but within a year, over half of the participants no longer needed subtitles. On average, at the end of the study the biggest language skills gained were in listening, followed by speaking, reading, then writing – writing being the most difficult to learn through television. 

So foreign language TV can no doubt be a great tool to help you better understand and speak another language, especially if you pair it with some good quality lessons from platforms like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone.

James Edwards is a UK-based language teacher who has been teaching French, Spanish and German for 10 years. He says that approximately 10% of the students at his school are learning English as an additional language and come to the UK with “little to no confidence in speaking English”. But after a short period of time living and studying in the country, they become strong language users and often cite watching TV programmes in English as one of their main sources of learning, which clearly demonstrates the benefits. 

How to learn languages by watching TV: Quick Tips

• Start by watching with subtitles in your native language, then switch the subtitles to the show’s language when you’re comfortable.
• Watch specific types of TV shows, like cooking shows, to improve your vocabulary in a particular area.
• Search for a summary of the show after watching it, to check that you’ve accurately understood what you’ve seen. 
• Listen to short extracts from the show and write down what you hear. 

Where to start with foreign language shows

1. Play around with subtitles
As outlined above, it’s a good idea to start off by watching a TV series with subtitles in your native language. Once you feel you have the basics in hand, you can switch to subtitles in the native language of the show “to get a better understanding of how it’s written”, says Daniela Osorio, a Spanish tutor and founder of Hola Spanish UK.  

2. Make sure you pick an episode length that suits you
If you’re a beginner, find a series with episodes of 20-30 minutes so you can start small and not lose motivation. For intermediate and advanced levels, a series with episodes of 40-60 minutes is better, or even a movie.

3. Try different types of TV shows
Watching a wider variety of shows could help you adopt a staggered approach to language learning. “Begin by watching specific types of TV shows, with vocabulary for specific purposes (such as cooking shows, the weather, etc), before building up to programmes with a broader range of vocabulary (such as the news),” says Edwards

4. Repeat shows and test yourself
You could watch an episode more than once so you can catch more information each time you watch it, or search for a summary of the episode after it’s finished to test your comprehension skills.

5. Write down what you hear
Another strategy to learn a language in this way is to listen to short extracts and attempt to write down exactly what you hear. “This is a great way of distinguishing between how words sound and how they are written. Be sure to look up any new words,” adds Edwards.  

If you're struggling to find shows, check our guide to the best TV streaming services. These platforms often have a range of foreign language shows available, along with plenty of subtitle options to help your learning process.

Advantages and disadvantages

Learning through TV will improve your listening and speaking skills, as you’ll be able to pick up the accent and get to grips with colloquial phrases and words. It’s also a much more authentic way of learning. 

That said, the exposure to multiple regional dialects/accents at once may be confusing, particularly in the early days. The other downside of learning in this way is that you won’t get corrected on pronunciation, adds Osorio, who has been teaching English and Spanish for more than 10 years.

Is learning a language through TV a good substitute for classroom teaching? When comparing data from the Kosovan study, learning through TV is less effective than a systematic learning environment, so you may want to top up your learning with some top-rated Spanish lessons or good quality French classes.

But watching TV does significantly contribute to language skills. What’s more, the timetabled nature of TV schedules ensures regular time is dedicated to the learning process – and by watching programmes such as series, the importance of understanding what has happened before in the story may add an extra dimension. 

Active versus passive listening

If you are actively listening you are likely to progress at a faster rate than someone who isn’t. “The speed at which people speak, and the accents, mean that learners could struggle if they aren’t paying proper attention. By actively listening, you are training your ear to understand better every time,” says Osario.

But by having the TV on in the background, and listening passively, you could still acquire skills in pronunciation, intonation and developing an authentic accent, which are all important aspects of learning a language. “Vocabulary can still enter a learner's brain, although the specific meaning of certain words may require research,” notes Edwards.

Improving speech, spelling and grammar

Foreign language television shows will mainly help to improve your speech and vocabulary, as hearing authentic pronunciation, intonation, accent and dialect on a regular basis will allow you to mimic, and develop these skills yourself. 

“It will give you an insight into the grammar without thinking too much about the rules,” says Osorio. But, Edwards warns: “As grammar rules may not be as explicit, grammatical knowledge over time may not be as secure as knowledge of vocabulary.

“Watching foreign shows can improve spelling too, if some work is done on distinguishing between how words sound and how they are actually spelt on subtitles,” he says. 

Are some TV shows better than others?

If you are looking to learn a language for a specific topic, like sport, TV is great as you can really tailor what you watch. If you want to develop vocabulary in more general terms, programs such as the news or chat shows are ideal in that they would expose the learner to a broader range of vocabulary and offer a more varied experience. Soap operas may also be useful, as storylines often link to real life situations.

“Programs with lots of visual input and gestures can support a language learner well – so cookery shows, for example, may be beneficial” says Edwards.

How can you supplement this learning?

To fully immerse yourself in the target language you can change the language on your smartphone and social media to the one which is being learned. 

Participants in the Kosovan study used Google Translate, search engines, YouTube and online dictionaries to better the language, plus note-taking. “Taking notes contributes to grammar learning” and helps to memorise a word or sentence, the researchers stated. 

“Online dictionaries can give you synonyms, which can help increase your vocabulary,” adds Osorio.

Another way to support language learning is to communicate and interact with people who know and use the target language, or listen to music in the target language.

If you're already an advanced speaker, you may benefit from one-on-one tuition from a dedicated online tutor.

There’s a huge shortage of talent in the coding industry at the moment, despite the fact that as a career path it can offer a great salary and a wide variety of challenges. However, the idea of switching jobs when you already have an established career is fairly daunting, especially with something like coding which feels alien to a lot of people.

So is it a viable option for people looking to change their jobs? Software developer and popular coding tutor Kathryn Hodge thinks so and is encouraging people to get to grips with this new skillset.

“There are so many resources available online today for software development that I think it's one of the easier careers to switch to - if you want to make a career switch,” says Kathryn.

Below, we grill Kathryn on how to get started with coding. Need further guidance? Check out our round-up of the best coding courses online.

How long does it take to learn to code? 

If you’re thinking of making the leap into a coding career, you probably want to know how long it will take before you can confidently put yourself forward for a job in your chosen field. And while learning to code won’t happen overnight, you might be surprised by how long it normally takes to master a language.

“Something like C++ is going to take a lot longer to learn because you have to worry about things like memory management and pointers,” advises Kathryn. “But other coding languages handle these tasks for you so while it might be nice to learn those concepts, it’s not necessary for an entry level position. Overall, I would say it would take at least three months to really get comfortable with programming in a given language.” 

This time frame would be affected by how much time you’re able to dedicate to learning the new language. Kathryn also points out that there are usually additional skills you’d be expected to learn for certain technical career paths: “There's data structures, algorithms, and even other tools such as Git and the command line that are a part of the job.”

What careers use coding? 

There’s a broad range of jobs available once you’ve learned to code. People go on to be mobile app developers, software engineers, data analysts and much more. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to these jobs with your newfound coding skills. In fact, learning to code is a useful skill to master even if you’re not going to use it directly.

“There's so many jobs in the tech industry that aren't even about coding,” says Kathryn. “You could be a product owner, a UI/UX designer, or even marketing a software product.”

Learning to code can make it easier to land a broad range of jobs too, where knowledge of the industry comes in useful but isn’t core to your day-to-day function.

Product managers in tech companies, who liaise between different core departments, could find the skill useful if they’re working with engineers. Technical writers could find it helpful to master coding vocabulary too, and even bloggers could benefit from learning basic HTML knowledge to help with webpage layouts. 

LinkedIn Learning revealed some interesting trends last year. Professionals who were using the learning platform, and who later went on to land new jobs, tended to have looked at certain classes prior to being hired. A lot of these classes were coding based, including introductions to Python, SQL and other programming basics.

Where can I learn to code? 

You can learn to code on all of the best online learning platforms, choosing between light introductory classes or more comprehensive courses.

“No matter how you like to learn, you can find something that works for you whether it's a boot camp, online courses, or even going back to school for a master's degree in computer science,” says Kathryn. 

Taking on a master’s degree is probably beyond the budget of most people, but the sudden boom in online courses does mean that it’s now relatively easy to pick up some coding basics. 

Kathryn herself hosts a coding YouTube series and has multiple in-depth LinkedIn Learning courses available, like Getting Started With Technology: Think Like an Engineer. You can also try out other learning platforms, like Skillshare, or look for completely free resources if you’re just trying to get to grips with the basics.

You don’t need a whole lot of equipment to start learning either, just a laptop or home computer. 

Is coding a good career? 

Coding jobs pay quite well. According to Indeed, software engineers earned an average of around $110,371 last year and programmer analysts earned $80,934. This is based on information submitted by individual users, so may not be completely accurate, but can be taken as a rough estimate.

Several coding careers have high satisfaction rates, too. A 2018 report from CareerCast put several engineering and programming jobs in its top 25 list. Similarly, reports from Glassdoor also indicate high satisfaction rates among software developers and data scientists.

If you're keen to try out a coding career, it’s important to figure out which are the most useful coding languages to learn in 2021. But Kathryn advises that beginners needn't worry too much about picking one language over another, as a lot of them are fairly similar so you can transfer what you've learned across different types.

“I don't think there's a gap in the industry for a particular language,” says Kathryn. “But I do believe there are not enough software engineers to fill all the technical jobs that are available right now.”

The comprehensive Rosetta Stone courses can help beginners master new languages. With the latest discount, learners only have to pay $95.88 to access the famous classes, which works out at roughly $7.99 per month – that’s less than a Netflix subscription. You don’t have to limit yourself to one language with this deal either, as the package allows you to access 24 different languages available on Rosetta Stone for a full year.

As well as offering popular courses in French, Spanish and Italian, the platform also gives you the chance to learn languages like Russian, Chinese, Irish, Japanese and Korean. You can access lessons either via the online portal, or by using the handy smartphone app. 

When we reviewed the platform, it came out top in our lists of the best learn French online and best learn Spanish online methods. In particular, we were big fans of the progress tracking tools, which lets you see the areas where you most need to improve, such as grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. 

• See all language learning deals from Rosetta Stone

Classes are delivered via a mix of flashcard style tutorials and longer lessons that are based around real-life scenarios. In addition to this, you’ll also be given tests throughout the course and pronunciation feedback, courtesy of the TruAccent speech recognition technology.

Rosetta Stone operates on a learning-by-immersion philosophy. That means that all English is stripped away from the interface as you’re learning, so that you’re thoroughly immersed in the new language. While some of the more difficult languages with non-Western alphabets might have a few buttons in English to help you navigate, you should find that most of the time you have to operate in a different tongue.

You can also get virtual face-to-face lessons with a tutor, but be warned this isn’t part of the standard package. You’ll have to pay a little extra if you want this, but it could be well worth the cost if you’re serious about mastering your accent.

Typically, a 12-month Unlimited Languages package would set you back at $179, so the drop down to $95.88 offers a huge 45% discount. Unfortunately, there’s no option to pay in monthly installments, but paying in one big chunk works out cheaper than the alternative offering of three month’s worth of lessons for $35.97.

For more offers on language software (and everything else) do take a look at our guide to the best Amazon Prime Day deals USA for 2021.

More great language learning deals

There’s been a huge boom in at-home crafting over the last year, as people turn to nostalgic creative pursuits to ward off pandemic boredom. In an effort to help those who are learning these new art skills remotely, Michaels is now offering free digital crafting classes across April and May.

Most of these online classes are an hour long, making them easy to slot into your afternoon. They also give you the rare opportunity to follow along with live lessons delivered by an expert tutor, so you get to replicate the feeling of an in-person class. And as lessons are being conducted via Zoom, you should be able to fire out questions if you get stuck.

There’s a big mix of topics available, with tutors covering everything from paint pouring techniques to jewelry-crafting skills and modern crochet methods. Bear in mind that most of the classes do require you to have some equipment to hand, though – for example, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got your best die-cutting machine primed and ready before you start that Cricut class. 

Lessons are divided between those that are aimed at adults and a few that have been created with children in mind. The latter focus on fun and easy crafts, like building a bouquet out of Lego, making a terrarium or crafting with pompoms. The adult lessons are mostly focused on hobbies that have seen a return to popularity, according to Michaels, with plenty of knitting, painting, beading and tie-dyeing classes available.

Arts, crafts and digital learning: A rising trend

The last year has seen a big rise in the number of people taking up new skills and hobbies, along with a pivot to digital learning. 

As schools turned into online spaces, people began searching for the best online tutoring services to help their children’s education. However, crafting classes and gentler pastimes weren’t as easy to find online, so these digital sessions provide a different type of experience.

It’s not just kids who have taken up online classes, either, as there’s been an increase in adults searching for digital lessons over the past year. Language-learning in particular rocketed in popularity, according to Duolingo, with people searching for things like the best learn Spanish online courses to help them brush up on forgotten linguistic skills.

Available classes

There are a broad range of free crafting classes available at Michaels, but here are a few of our favorites...

• National Online Class: Five Fabulous Paint Pour Techniques (April 9, 3pm CT)
• National Online Class: Cricut 101: Getting Started (Various dates)
• National Online Class: Create Ocean Jewelry with Resin (April 15, 3pm CT)
• National Online Class: Introduction to Crochet Lace (May 24, 3pm CT)

Coding skills are in demand, as tech companies report a huge shortage of talent in areas like cybersecurity and advanced analytics. But if you’re considering a career in this area, you may be a little stumped on how to get started with coding in general.

The first step is deciding which language you want to learn. If you’re thinking practically, you may want to know which languages are most in-demand or which ones are the easiest to learn. Alternatively, you may have a particular project that you’re working on and want to figure out whether Python or Java is better suited to your needs.

Below, we’ve broken down some of the most popular languages and outlined their pros and cons. And if you're looking for guidance on where to learn these languages, check out our guide to the best online learning platforms and the best coding courses online. 

JavaScript: Most commonly used language 

According to Stack Overflow’s 2020 developer survey, JavaScript was the programming language most frequently used by developers over the past year. This doesn’t mean that it’s the best-loved option, but it does indicate that a large number of companies rely on it in some form. As such, it could be a good option for anyone who wants to make a career out of coding.

The text-based language is relatively easy to learn and is used for a lot of front-end web development, where it creates interactive on-page elements (such as log-in buttons and the ability to zoom in and out on images). It’s also commonly used in app development, but if you’re completely new to coding there are other languages which may be easier to learn.

HTML/ CSS: An essential part of web development 

JavaScript might be the brains behind interactive elements on your website, but HTML and CSS are the languages used to create the content and layout of the page. According to the above survey, these languages are actually the second most commonly used by professional developers – and they are easy to master, too.

Used to input text, structure paragraphs and alter layout, HTML and CSS are integral to web development. In some ways, they’re not the most exciting languages to learn, but they can help you form an early understanding of how coding works.

If you’re currently redesigning your personal website, learning these languages could help you figure out how to achieve a better aesthetic. We also recommend you take a look through our list of the best graphic design software, which can help you personalize your brand. 

Python: Perfect for beginners

Clear and easy to understand, Python is a beginner-friendly language that is also used by a large number of professional developers. It’s a general-use programming language, so it can be used to do all sorts of things, like back-end web development and data parsing. 

It has a lot of great libraries available too, which means that instead of having to write your code from scratch you can access pre-built functions to speed things up. These libraries are particularly useful in scientific fields, so it’s a great choice for anyone who needs to analyse data and build visual representations.

It's a popular option for beginners, as it's easy to learn and can also be used across various platforms.

SQL: The go-to language for data handling 

Pronounced ‘sequel’, SQL is a query language that allows you to pull information from databases. It has a narrower function range than some of the other languages listed here, but according to that expansive developer survey it was actually the third most commonly used coding language in 2020 – which shows the importance of data in the modern tech industry. 

SQL is commonly used in conjunction with a relational database, which usually looks like a large and messy spreadsheet. But by deploying SQL, you can pull data sets and analyse your numbers. Mastering SQL is a crucial skill for anyone who wants to enter the field of data analysis, but it’s also very useful for marketing professionals. A quick search on any job database shows that it’s hugely in demand.

The difficulty with SQL isn’t learning the language itself, as it has a relatively smaller set of rules to learn. The bigger problem is understanding how best to deploy it in relation to your data.

Java: Widely used in android apps

Java is everywhere. It’s commonly used to build android mobiles apps but it’s also found in gaming development and data handling projects. Because it has a wide range of uses, it’s certainly a very practical language to learn. It’s also one of the older programming languages, having been established about 25 years ago. 

It’s a little trickier to learn Java than Python, but the good news is that getting a grasp on this language should make it easier to learn other simple programming languages.

C++/C#: Commonly used in game development 

If you’re focused on game development, you’ll probably want to stick with a C-derived language like C++ or C#. These are the most commonly used languages in game development, with the former being deployed on the Unreal engine and the latter on Unity.

Both of these game engines are now free to use for individuals, so which language you choose really depends on which of these popular engines you want to try (if you want to use either of them, at all.)

These languages aren’t as intuitive to learn as Python or Java, but they’re ideal for building games. Arguably, C++ gives you a little more control over your code, but C# is adequate for most budding game designers.

Need a powerful machine to build your game on? Read through our list of the best home computers to find your ideal set-up. 

If you're a Mac user and a keen photographer, you've always been denied access to CyberLink's PhotoDirector subscriptions... until now. After several years of asking, the subscription version of PhotoDirector 365 is now available for Apple devices, and it has brought a few fresh features with it, which are available on both the new Mac version, and the existing PC version.

PhotoDirector 12 sits high among our picks of the best photo editing software for good reason - it's powerful, easy to use, and comes with a raft of features that allow beginners to add sparkle to their photos with very little effort. It's available as a single download, or as part of the popular 365 packages that are subscription-based, and grant you access to cloud storage and Shutterstock royalty free assets for design projects. You can either choose the PhotoDirector 365 service, or bundle in PowerDirector (CyberLink's video editing software) with the Director Suite 365.

Speaking on the Mac launch of PhotoDirector 365 suite for Mac, Cyberlink CEO, Dr. Jau Huang, says: "Today’s release highlights our mission to deliver creative software that is intuitive to users of all skill levels, from occasional enthusiasts to professional creators, with a rich and constantly improving set of features, tools and add-ons optimized to fully support their creative potential." We use PhotoDirector 12 along with rival app Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC, and can attest to how easy it is to use.

Also new to this version of PhotoDirector are several features sure to please the Instagram crowd. Auto Color Enhancement will make it easier to balance your color mix if you don't want to spend time tweaking individual aspects of the mix - ideal if you're editing on an iOS device. There's also a new option to add Bokeh Effect to your images, which will increase the depth of field in a photograph, and significantly blur a background. Very handy for portraits and action shots. You also get salient object segmentation, which is handy for design projects and removing unwanted objects from your images.

If you sign up for PhotoDirector 365 you'll get access to the iOS app as part of the package, which means you'll be able to edit photos on your smartphone (handy for Nikon Snapbridge users, for example) for speed, and post direct to services like Instagram. It's also useful for sharing edits across devices, as all the images you import to PhotoDirector (along with their edits) will be stored in the cloud, and can be accessed on any device you're logged into. You get 50GB of storage on the regular PhotoDirector 365 subscription.

How much does PhotoDirector 365 cost?

The remote learning boom has meant that most university courses have moved online, but student surveys show that even the best online tutoring services can’t replicate every aspect of the college experience.

Last month, Harvard unveiled the results of its 2020 summer student survey, which garnered nearly 2,000 responses and revealed some hard truths about the effects of digital learning. In particular, it shone a light on what students really need to succeed at digital learning: secure finances, physical space and a sense of community. 

Recent statements given to Harvard’s university newspaper, The Crimson, suggest that students at the university are still struggling with the emotional toil of distance learning. After having classes pushed online for a full year, graduate learners report that issues such as poor personal internet connections, muddled online boundaries and a lack of cross-department, in-person interaction have degraded their experience.  

A problem across the US

These student struggles aren't limited to Harvard. When MIT conducted a similar survey last year, nearly a quarter of the respondents reported that they didn’t feel like they were part of the MIT community. A similar proportion of respondents said that they didn’t have access to a suitable learning space and that financial stresses have made it difficult for them to learn.

Wider research conducted by the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium also backs this up. Conducting a study across five public research universities, the consortium found that the vast majority of students have experienced some form of obstacle when engaging in online learning. While the most commonly cited example was lack of motivation, other barriers include not having access to appropriate study spaces and a lack of interaction with other students.

Further SERU research also found that financial problems abounded for students, with 27% of graduate and professional students experiencing unexpected increases in living expenses and 24% experiencing a sudden reduction in incoming from other family members.

The surveys also suggest that these problems are more likely to affect students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color.

And while the best student loans companies can alleviate some of the financial pressures, there are still severe barriers in place for students stuck at home.

The benefits of digital learning

There are, however, some students who have noticed the benefits of digital learning. Speaking to The Crimson, one Harvard student explained how the new approach to learning had allowed him to become more efficient, stating: “I can book things back-to-back-to-back about five minutes apart, and attend everything in the comfort of my own home.”

While an improved timetable and the ability to connect with international professors is a definite boon of remote learning, it’s arguably not enough to outweigh the negative toll that the switch has had on this generation of students. If institutions want to preserve the best aspects of digital learning, they might need to also address the financial, emotional and physical needs of their students.

You may have seen language (and other) apps making bold claims about how you can use them while you sleep. So naturally our question is, can you learn languages in your sleep, or is this simply untrue? Surprisingly, there’s no clear-cut answer. While there are currently no proven methods for learning languages while you’re asleep, recent research suggests that maybe, actually, it is possible to learn languages in your sleep… up to a point. As it's Sleep Awareness Week 2021, we thought we'd take a closer look at this tantalizing question. 

A study by German scientists published in the journal Current Biology argues that there is evidence to support the theory that we can learn to pair words during our sleep. What does this mean? Essentially, while we’re asleep we can hear one word spoken in one language, then the same word spoken in another language, and make the association between them when we’re awake… As long as we’ve been exposed to that pairing previously. Our brain makes the connection (or at the least strengthens it) during slow wave sleep. This is interesting, as slow wave sleep is the deepest level of normal human sleep, a state already linked with strengthening memory.

According to the study: “When the presentation of the second word of a pair (e.g., “Haus” of “tofer-house”) coincided with an ongoing slow-wave peak, the chances increased that a new semantic association between the pair had been formed and retained.” The chances of recalling a word in a foreign language, then, had increased.

How do you learn languages in your sleep?

The first step, then, is to sign up to a language app. We have lists of the best learn Spanish software and best learn French software - most of which have apps that will play on your phone and tablet (and may even broadcast via a Smart speaker). Downloading one of these is your first step, as you need to get a basic grounding in the language before you begin. While slow wave sleep has been proven to help with matching word pairs, and therefore increasing your vocabulary knowledge with a new language, it won’t help you with the technicalities of that language, like grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Again, the report in Current Biology suggests that: “Sleep-formed associations translated into awake ones, where they guided forced choices on an implicit memory test.” This is about learning words and making associations between then - pure vocabulary.

Next up, work out how you’re going to get the information to play while you’re asleep, and assess the optimum time to play it. This site has a handy guide on the various stages of sleep, and how long they last, but a summary is that we sleep in cycles of about 90 minutes each. The first half of this is usually phase one and two sleep (non-REM and REM), which is then followed by slow wave sleep - the one we need for language learning. Cycles are more effective during the first half of the night, so if you’re looking to play language software vocab lessons, we recommend it for the first half of the night, and perhaps for a couple of hours each night. If you can delay the start of the app, do so for about 30 minutes after you settle down to sleep. 

It’s worth adding that this method appears to be largely limited to reinforcing the words, rather than learning them afresh. According to a Dutch report published in 2015 at PubMed, there was only improvement in learning among people who were re-exposed to language vocabularies, rather than words people had no previous knowledge of. In other words, sleep helps you to remember and recall words you’ve already seen, and can’t implant knowledge in your brain. There has been no conclusive research that suggests you can perform brand new learning in your sleep, when it comes to languages.

Can better sleep help you learn more?

This will all depend on how well you generally sleep, and people have slightly different sleep patterns, so there are no guarantees or specifics. The advice above should give you a rough guide on when to play your language app, and how effective you think it’ll be for you. Some people may never be able to learn languages in their sleep, or gain the benefits of slow wave sleep for reinforcing vocabulary, but many will. If you feel you need to improve your sleep, we recommend first checking your mattress to make sure it’s right for your needs, and it’s not older than 7 years (the recommended age of replacement). If you need a new one, we have a guide to the best mattresses online, to help you make a decision. 

Sadly, we are having poorer sleep during the coronavirus pandemic, and this impacts exactly how long we are in that all-important slow wave state. So anything you can do to improve your sleep should take priority over learning, at least to begin with. Not only will better sleep give you more time during slow wave sleep to absorb language vocabulary, but it will improve your health and memory overall, which will make you more able to learn when you’re awake. As the report in Current Biology notes: “It is well known that learning new information acquired while awake depends upon consolidation during sleep”. Better sleep is just a good thing generally, regardless of what you do during waking hours.

Looking for more sleep or relaxation features? We have a guide to the best meditation apps to help you calm your mind during the day. And if you’re looking to save money on new bedding, then the best purple mattress deals could help you out.

Many spent the majority of last year cooped up inside (and 2021 is looking much the same thus far), but that didn’t stop people from playing the piano. In its 2020 review Playground Sessions, our top pick of the best online piano lessons, revealed the songs that people turned to the most. These are the top three: 

1. Imagine - John Lennon
2. Attention - Charlie Puth
3. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Both “Imagine” and “Hallelujah” are accessible tunes for Rookie level pianists, and given how uplifting these tunes can be, it’s no surprise that they were a 2020 favorite. The (in)famous “Imagine” video that circulated in early 2020, packed with celebrities each singing a line of the tune, may have had something to do with the success of the John Lennon classic, but the real curve-ball here is Charlie Puth’s “Attention”. First released in 2018, the catchy tune may have been a next-step choice for those entering the “Advanced” levels of Playground Sessions. 

We reported in August that the online piano service had offered free lessons to Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” for new subscribers. This lead to the world’s largest online piano recital, with over 7,000 users taking part. It’s unsurprising that “You Raise Me Up” was another one of the most popular songs to learn on piano in 2020.

When we spoke to David Sides, Playground Sessions Co-Founder, in August, he told us that “it was the perfect song to teach the world as it's one of hope and inspiration, things that many around the world were longing for.”

Learning online is here to stay

With plenty seeking new hobbies, or looking for ways to continue to learn the piano virtually, people increasingly turned to music as a way of self-improvement in 2020. Playground Sessions recorded a substantial 328,678 hours spent on its smartphone app alone, meaning that all the time people sunk into their screentime in 2020 may not have been entirely unproductive. Of its vast song library, the Playground Sessions also recorded that 95% of its available songs were played last year, and a total of 1.5 billion notes were played correctly by users.  

David Sides told us “In general, there are many benefits to taking up an instrument - including health benefits and emotional benefits. Learning to play an instrument is especially valuable in times like these because it's great for relieving stress, great for bringing joy, and great at delivering a sense of achievement and productivity - all of which are things that help keep people positive during challenging times.” 

If you are tempted to take up the piano in 2021, check out our guide on how to learn piano online for some expert advice. You could also consider the best learn French software and apps to continue to learn online this year.  

With the novel coronavirus keeping millions of people at home, indoors, and with ever-shortening list of hobbies to keep themselves busy, many parents are wondering how to keep kids both entertained and learning. With schools having moved to an online format, there's not telling how a child, regardless of age, is coping with the change. That means keeping track of their mental well-being, their physical health, and their ability to learn from home - all without being able to spend much time outside or with other people. 

Thankfully, a number of companies have been trying to do their part to keep people of all ages busy by offering discounts and extended trial offers for their services. ABCmouse, a popular learning program for kids between the ages of 2 and 8, has previously offered up its software for free for 30 days.  Now, the company has announced that it has taken its popular book series 'Search and Explore' and has turned it into a show. 

How to watch ABCmouse's new show

ABCmouse's new show, 'Search and Explore,' takes its name from the popular book series of the same name, also from ABCmouse. Each episode is 12 minutes and is free to stream on Tubi (which is free to use and sign up for, too). 

The series will touch on everything from math to literacy to even engineering. You can watch for the first 8 episodes on Tubi Kids now and follow the globe-trotting adventures of ABC Mouse and his best friends, 1•2•3 and Do-Re-Mi. 

Parents, need something to keep yourselves occupied while the kids are busy watching and learning with ABCmouse? Check out the best Spanish learning software and apps or the best piano apps for some great deals and savings. Not only will they help you pass the time in a productive way, but they can also boost your mental health by helping you discover a new hobby. 

Even if you are someone who is lucky enough to be able to retain a paycheck and work from home, there is no doubt that doing so for a long period of time can come with its struggles.

If you are a parent, especially the parent of a young child who needs to be looked after, there is a whole other set of worries and struggles: between tantrums, pleas for attention, the struggle to focus on school work, and so much more, most parents will find themselves torn between caring for their kids during all hours of the day and working hard to keep an income. In these unprecedented times, there is no playbook on how to balance parenting and working from home - but there are ways you can keep your kids focused while you get some work done. The key is to keep both their hands and their minds busy, and regardless of how much screen time you're allowing, there's a wealth of options to choose from. 

If you aren't lucky enough to be working, we've already prepared a guide to claiming the $1200 stimulus check from the US government.

1. Online tutoring

With the coronavirus pandemic keeping millions of children out of the classroom and at home, parents are worried about how this period will affected their child's learning. Experts are equally concerned, even positing that it will affect students in the years to come, especially if they are in their key learning years and especially if online learning proves to be not as effective as having a teacher in the room. 

Parents will be looking for ways to supplement their child's education, especially through the spring and summer months before they move on to the next grade in the fall. Falling behind can be prevented if you invest in some of the best online tutoring services like Chegg Tutors and Skooli. 

2. Online classes and supplemental learning

If your child's schoolwork isn't enough and you want to keep them engaged and busy, especially during the day, try programs that will expand their minds. We can recommend the best typing software for kids,for example, or even the best online piano lessons - but there's so much more out there. Right now too, there are a ton of deals and free trials on programs for your kids, so leave it up to the experts behind the software to keep your student at home focused on learning, even if it means learning outside the classroom. We love ABC Mouse and the newly launched app, Duolingo ABC. 

3. Streaming services

During the day, if they're not in class, it's okay to give your child a break and plop them in front of a screen. The best TV streaming services have great family programming, including a ton of shows that will entertain your kids regardless of age. Opting for Netflix, Hulu, and especially Disney Plus will buy you at least an hour of peace as you try to be productive at home. Such a low monthly price will surely justify these moments of peace. 

4. Fitness and PE classes

The best home gyms and the best exercise bikes may help you stay fit and healthy while you spend more time at home, but your kids may not feel motivated by your gear. Get them up and moving with the help of personal trainers and fitness experts who are creating free video fitness programs for kids and adults alike. Take a break yourself and help your little one stretch, run in place, and jump around. And who knows - maybe all that activity will tire them out and you'll be able to work during nap time. Remember: moving around, even inside, can help balance both the mind and the body.  

5. Go old school

There's nothing more powerful than the imagination of a child, and if you feel uncomfortable allowing so much screen time while you work from home, turn to old school games that will stimulate their mind. Invest in toys like LEGOs, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and coloring books. Time will pass faster, and you'll get some time to take care of work tasks while your student focuses on something other than a screen. 

Duolingo has announced that it is launching a new iOS app today (Thursday, March 26) that is designed to help young children learn how to read English. The new app is called Duolingo ABC and is designed for children aged three to six years old, offering kids a fun way to learn how to read and write English.

Duolingo is one the world’s biggest education app providers, offering great ways for people of all ages to learn new languages. We ranked Duolingo Spanish among our best learn Spanish software and apps thanks to its game-style learning system that makes learning a new language fun.

Duolingo ABC is aimed at a younger crowd than the standard apps, and as a result it has activities specifically tailored towards young children’s minds (and attention spans!). There are interactive games like letter tracing and interactive stories for the kids to follow through, which should keep them nice and attentive.

A safe learning environment

Most importantly, Duolingo has confirmed that there are no ads or in-app purchases in the Duolingo ABC app, so you can feel safe letting your child use the app on your phone. The app works on both iPhone and iPad, which are some of the most popular smartphones and tablets in the world today. So far there has been no word on an Android release, but we have to imagine that it's coming. The only other downside is that Duolingo currently only supports English at this time, but this may be due to the app's early release.

In a statement on the app store, Duolingo says that “In light of the recent school closures around the world, we’re making Duolingo ABC available early, to help provide more educational resources for kids and parents at home.” 

With millions of people stuck at home self-isolating due to the coronavirus, the Duolingo ABC app could be a lifeline for busy parents who have to work from home and keep their kids entertained. At the same time, the app will be a great collaboration tool to help parents teach their children valuable lessons in reading and writing while schools and daycare centers are closed.

Living Language is a language learning method that was developed to help US State Department employees attain fluency in multiple languages. The online application and companion mobile app have a variety of reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar exercises - much like most of the other apps we've reviewed. This is a good option if you’re on a time crunch, thanks to the subscription-based fee that you can cancel at any time. It isn't as unique or thorough as many other courses of its type, so doesn't make it onto our list of the best learn French software right now.

A subscription to the comprehensive online service gives you access to the mobile app and the entire catalog of beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. We did notice the intermediate and advanced lessons don’t increase much in difficulty, but you start to learn more useful topics, like how to order food and shopping for clothes at the mall.

The mobile app has the same lesson content, looks similar to the online application, but is currently only available for iPad and iPhone. If you prefer to learn on the go, we suggest considering a program like Duolingo or Rosetta Stone because they are available for Android devices too. And they're better.

Most of the learning content is visual, including our favorite exercise in the curriculum, the sentence builder. It asks you to translate an English sentence by choosing from a selection of French words and putting them in the proper order. This exercise teaches you a good combination of reading and vocabulary skills while forcing you to learn the differences in sentence structure between the two languages. Unfortunately, there aren’t any timed exercises in the Living Language curriculum, which help force your brain to react quickly during conversation and comprehension lessons.

There are flash card vocabulary exercises in each lesson that associate an image with a French word (we tested the French version of this software), and when you tap on the flash card it flips over to reveal the English translation. Flash cards are a good resource for people who prefer visual aids to audio-based learning, but we found these exercises were boring after the first few lessons due to the number of terms you’re expected to memorize. Some vocabulary exercises have more than 40 terms, so we found ourselves constantly referring back to them while trying to complete the grammar and conversation exercises that follow.

You find most of the audio material in the conversation exercises. These exercises ask you to listen to a short conversation in French, but don’t include any interactive elements besides clicking on the phrases to reveal the English translation. The grammar exercises also include short bits of audio material in the form of a native speaker reading short phrases. Neither of those exercises are interactive nor do they let you record your voice like the grammar and conversation exercises in Rosetta Stone. The lessons are also available on audio CD with an accompanying textbook if you don’t have internet access, or need more time to study and don’t want to pay for a subscription.

Should you try Living Languages?

Living Language is a good language course for those who prefer learning with visual content. It’s missing some of the better learning tools, like timed exercises and a speech recognition system, but the subscription-based fee can be an affordable way to learn French quickly, because you can cancel at any time without penalty.

Michel Thomas Total French is an audio-based course with supplementary software. The technology it's served on is very dated now, but the lessons remain good. Unlike the best learn French software for desktops and apps, Michel Thomas TF has few interactive features and opens in your web browser once you've got the CD-ROM. The visual components in this program are scarce, but only because it’s such an audio-heavy course, and it appears on a dated format. It's ancient next to the likes of Rosetta Stone and Rocket Languages, and there is a newer version of Michel Thomas that comes with an app. You can access it here.

Linguist Michel Thomas encourages learning through relaxed, active listening. We tested the Total course that includes nine audio lessons and one software installation disc. During the audio lessons, you join Thomas and two other students learning French. Thomas’ instructions throughout the course are simple: Relax, don’t take notes, repeat phrases and answer in the pauses provided. You can pause the audio, and Thomas encourages you to do so throughout the course.

This course is best for those who enjoy low-pressure audio-based learning, but there are some visual and interactive components in the desktop and newer mobile app. The desktop program installs quickly and easily, and opens in your default web browser. The lessons in the software pair well with the French audio course, and contain a video narrated by Thomas. He walks you through each course and highlights French vocabulary words as he goes through the lesson. The video isn’t particularly engaging, but it is helpful to see the proper spellings of the French words.

Listening to the other students in the course is helpful. They often make mistakes and mispronounce tricky French words, but any mistakes they make are quickly remedied by Thomas. This creates a low-pressure learning environment, and makes you feel like you are learning in a traditional classroom.

Although each lesson builds on the one you just finished, the application cannot track your progress, so you will have to keep track of which lesson you completed last. Thomas relies on cognates, or words that sound similar in French and English to help you grow accustomed to French pronunciation and mechanics. This software doesn’t offer deep explanations but rather focuses on repetition and proper pronunciation. If you need to learn travel-specific vocabulary, though, we recommend you consider Fluenz because it has a wide variety of situational conversation topics. It isn’t as audio-heavy as the Michel Thomas method, but it has more travel-specific content.

The activities section for each lesson is short, containing two or three activities. These exercises look more like classroom worksheets than games seen in other  French software packages we reviewed. They are mostly matching and fill-in-the-blank activities, and you check to make sure your answers are correct once you’ve finished.

Should you try Michel Thomas Total French?

If you enjoy audio-based learning at your home computer, the Michel Thomas Method is worth considering. While the visual and interactive components to this older program don’t compare to the best we tested, the core lessons are informative and create a low-pressure learning environment to help you memorize important words and phrases quickly. Don't forget that this is for the CD version - Total French - and there is a more recent app available via Michel Thomas' website.

Over the past few years, Serif has been creating its own versions of software that rival Adobe’s Creative Suite. That means that along with Affinity Designer, there's also Affinity Photo, a photo editing program akin to Photoshop, and Affinity Publisher, a desktop publishing software like InDesign.

Pricing

Affinity differentiates itself from Adobe in a variety of ways, perhaps the foremost being affordability. Whereas most of Adobe’s programs require costly monthly or annual subscriptions, Affinity keeps all of its programs as one-time payments, with the highest software price being only about $50. Affinity Designer sells for $49.99, which is very inexpensive for a quality graphic design program. If you want to try it out before you buy, Serif offers a free 10-day trial of its desktop apps, accessible via Serif website.

Illustration Tools

Affinity Designer is one of the best graphic design programs for illustration tools. It offers a pen tool, a library of brushes, and the ability to create custom brushes and adjust stroke options to give your lines and vectors your desired look and feel. When we connected a Wacom tablet to a computer, we were happy to find that the brushstrokes responded well to pressure sensitivity. We found the gradient and opacity features easy to use, and we could add custom guides to a brochure to keep in mind where the folds would be.

The one illustration tool we wish this software had was image tracing, which automatically turns a raster image into an editable vector. You can still hand-trace an image using the pen tool and create your own vector, but that takes more time. Based on info from Affinity’s user forum, it appears that Serif hopes to add an image-trace feature to the software in the future.

Photo & Image Tools

Similarly to Illustrator, this software was designed more around vector tools than pixel tools. But Affinity Designer has something Illustrator lacks: Pixel Persona, a separate tab that allows you to work with pixel brushes and a few other pixel tools within this vector-based software. Pretty neat, right? That means you can do a little digital painting and limited photo touch-up from within this vector program without needing to switch to photo editing software.

There are only six photo filters. Although that’s more than what Illustrator offers, it’s a much smaller selection than the other programs we tested offer. Additionally, there are only 17 basic pre-made templates, whereas some other programs offer hundreds of templates.

This software includes content-aware scaling, masking tools and perspective-based editing, but if you want in-depth photo editing tools, you’ll need to use Serif’s photo editing software, Affinity Photo. 

Printing

When you’re ready to print your creations, the printing setup will help you make sure your designs come out correctly. The program warns you when something might print poorly, and you can even add printer’s marks to make it easier to cut out your printed project. The one thing we weren’t thrilled about was that it was a little tricky to find bleed setup options, as it's tucked away under the Document Setup tab. 

Help & Support

Affinity Designer’s user forum is very active and regularly features responses from Affinity employees. You can ask questions and get answers from either fellow users or Affinity reps. You can also contact the company via email or phone. For additional aid, look up one of the many video tutorials to learn tips and tricks.

File Compatibility

Affinity Designer works with many popular file types, including JPEG, PSD, PNG, GIF, TIFF, AI, BMP and RAW. However, this software doesn’t work with TXT, DOCX, SWF or XLS files. While it’s not likely that you’d use those last five file types, it’s nice to have the option. Other programs we tested could handle those file types.

Affinity is available for both Mac and PC, as well as for iPads (in case you like to do your graphic design work on a tablet). Hopefully, it will become available for Android tablets in the near future. 

Affinity Designer is one of the best graphic design programs on the market. It combines professional-level vector features with basic photo editing tools, giving you a lot of creative freedom within one program. We loved how well it worked. It doesn’t offer some of the tools you’d get from Illustrator, like image tracing, but it’s still an impressive, low-priced software that’s a good choice for professionals and beginners alike.

Canvas X is a professional-grade technical illustration program that is best suited for people in the engineering and architectural fields. You’ll find plenty of vector and pixel brush tools in this software, which partly account for the high cost. However, the average graphic designer would get more out of a different program.

Pricing

At $599, Canvas X is, by far, the most expensive program we tested, other than subscription-based services. Fortunately, there is a 30-day free trial.

Illustration Tools

Canvas X has the typical illustration tools as well as some additional ones. The interface is laid out similarly to Illustrator and PaintShop Pro, with a toolbar going down the left side of the screen and various panels on the right side. Two of the panels, Flowchart and Symbol Library, are full of premade graphics. As expected, Flowchart features shapes specific to flowcharts, while the Symbol Library holds line-based images of buildings, electrical symbols, vehicles, power supplies and other graphics to aid in the creation of technical illustrations for the architectural and engineering fields.

In the tool panel, you’ll find a pixel brush, a pen tool, a gradient tool, shape tools and more. The brush tools are pretty basic. We were unhappy to find that you cannot make your own custom brushes in this program. The text tools are much better than average, however. You can create text on a path or create custom tables and add text to them.

Photo & Image Tools

We counted only 50 photo filters in this software. Most other programs provide hundreds of filters. We also counted 52 templates, which is on the low side compared with other software we tested, but still decent. Because this software focuses so much on technical illustrations, it doesn’t offer a lot of photo editing tools. It lacks panorama stitching, lens correction, an HDR image tool, content-aware fill tools and healing brushes. However, we did find tools for masking, color correction, noise removal and animated-GIF creation.

When you’re ready to print your projects, Canvas X allows you to adjust the bleed settings to make sure that no unwanted white strips make it onto your final product. You can also add printer’s marks, which show you exactly where to cut the paper when it’s printed. The program notifies you if it detects a potential print complication.

Help & Support

Canvas X offers a wide range of support options. There’s a user forum where you can ask questions or look up previously answered queries. Within Canvas X, you can access a help page or the Canvas Assistant to better understand the program. There are also video tutorials online to help you learn the software faster. You can contact a customer rep via email and live chat, but there is no phone support.

File Compatibility

Canvas X works with most image file types, including JPEG, PNG, PSD, TIF, GIF, AI, BMP, RAW and SVG. However, it doesn’t work with SWF or XLS files. The program is available for both PC and Mac.

This software is a good choice if you need to do technical drawings. The tools are decent, but they aren’t suited as well for most other graphic design projects, like logo creation or web design. Because Canvas X is also one of the most expensive programs in our comparison, we recommend choosing a different software unless you specifically want to create flowcharts and technical illustrations.

With a relaxed learning environment and captivating animations, Garfield's Typing Pal is quintessential kids typing software. Garfield and his friends lead children through numerous lessons, drills and tests that help them develop proper typing skills. While it lacks extra features, the software's fun and interactive atmosphere earns it a spot on our lineup of the best typing for kids software.

Just like Mickey's Typing Adventure, kids start the program with a classification test to assess their typing skills. This allows beginners to start at square one while more advanced students won't lose interest in easy exercises. Garfield's Typing Pal offers a handful of typing courses that cater to kids of varying typing skill levels. This versatility makes the application ideal for all kids, whether they are truly beginners or have taken some typing courses in school. However, these games do not advance in level or difficulty, so they will have to build skills by repetition instead.

The animated interface and reporting tools are the standout features of this typing tutor for kids, especially compared with other typing programs we reviewed. The animations and graphics are excellent and are more akin to a cartoon than clunky software. Your kids can choose which Garfield character they want as their typing tutor. This tutor guides them through each lesson and provides encouragement along the way. Much like UltraKey 6, the interface is extremely easy to navigate, and children as young as 6 years old can use the software without difficulty.

The reporting tools in Garfield's Typing Pal are comprehensive and essential to helping your children understand how their typing is improving. The software produces detailed reports that summarize their progress, including current typing speed and accuracy. There are also reports that highlight the individual progress of each hand, finger and key. This makes it easy for you to pinpoint areas where your kids may need additional practice. We especially like the graphs, which make it easy for kids to assess their own progress.

Garfield's Typing Pal has a more relaxed atmosphere than other kids typing programs, and this may be the ideal environment for your children to learn the essential skill of touch-typing, although some kids may lose interest when the typing games do not increase in difficulty. This makes Garfield's Typing Pal best for kids who learn by repetition.

UltraKey 6 is unique, success-based kids typing software that helps children develop touch-typing fluency through proper ergonomics instruction, accuracy building and speed training. UltraKey is widely used in schools, libraries and universities across North America. The application is great for kids because it provides unmatched progress reporting, excellent usability and effective typing training for children of all ages.

UltraKey differs from most of the kids typing applications on our lineup. This software is success-based rather than game-based, meaning the software uses encouragement, goal setting and praise instead of games or rewards to motivate new typists. While it may seem like this approach is counterproductive with children, it is just as effective as a game-based system.

As children make their way through UltraKey, the application frequently celebrates typing successes, like achieving a new accuracy percentage. This keeps children engaged and motivated while learning how to type. If your kids really want to play a typing game, UltraKey offers instructions on how to make a typing game out of the application's practice typing form in its help section.

UltraKey includes 14 typing lessons specifically for kids, which is far fewer than the more than 160 lessons offered by Typing Instructor for Kids. While this is not as many lessons as some other kids typing software, it is no less comprehensive. Each lesson focuses on a specific group of keys and includes dozens of typing exercises. The lessons help children build accurate keystroke memory so that they can graduate from conscious, single keystrokes to fluent touch-typing. The software does this by teaching your child to automatically process letter chains and words rather than individual letters.

This application places a strong emphasis on learning proper typing technique and accuracy. This is notable because many typing applications for kids primarily focus on speed. UltraKey emphasizes that once a child masters correct typing posture and attains fluent keystroke memory, typing speed will come naturally and will improve with practice.

The application is adaptive and allows your children to progress at their own pace, much like All the Right Type 4. They take an initial skill assessment when they first start using the application to determine their current typing level. The software recommends lessons and performance goals based on those results.

UltraKey allows up to eight individual logins under a single license. This makes the application ideal for use by families, homeschoolers or small school groups. There is also a network version that is useful for larger groups, such as school districts.

While UltraKey is designed for beginner typists of all ages, the application boasts a number of features that make it especially fitting for children who are learning how to touch-type. To start, the software has sounds for both correct and incorrect keystrokes. These can help your kids develop keystroke memory and improve their typing accuracy. This software also has adjustable challenge levels, auto-save and guide hands that hover over a virtual keyboard. When your child makes a mistake during an exercise, the guide hands come to life and show them the proper finger movement for that particular key or set of keystrokes.

You get several options to customize this children's typing application. UltraKey understands that children can vary greatly in terms of intelligence, maturity and learning styles. Because of this, the software offers a wide range of personalization options so that you can tailor the application for a particular child's needs.

For example, UltraKey offers 12 different interface themes, which include some designed for special-needs kids. You can also input specific performance goals for your child to work toward and customize the font and size of the text used in the application. If you have a child who needs to work on specific typing skills, you can create your own custom lessons and typing tests.

Although UltraKey is not exclusively typing software for kids, it is remarkably easy to use and navigate; even young children will have no problem using the software. In fact, the manufacturer states that children as young as 6 years old can effectively use this application. The intuitive layout makes for straightforward navigation, and the bright colors and virtual, animated typing tutor will appeal to children. The software displays words of encouragement at the end of each typing exercise, which is an important component in the application's success-based methodology.

UltraKey offers excellent progress reporting. In fact, the depth and extensiveness of its progress tracking outshines most of the comparable applications we reviewed. At the end of each typing exercise, the software highlights your kids’ typing errors. Not only does the application display the total number of errors, but it also lists the number of wrong keys, missed keys and incorrectly inserted keys.

The software makes it easy for kids to see which types of errors they made by using a different color to highlight each type. This reporting feature is notable because it is unique to UltraKey and can help you better diagnose their trouble spots.

UltraKey also provides cumulative progress reports. The report details your kids’ performance by key, as well adjusted words-per-minute (WPM) rate and accuracy percentage. The reports are not in a very easy-to-read format, so you may need to help your youngsters understand the results.

UltraKey comes with an abundance of support resources. Perhaps most notable is the application's built-in video tutorials. These cover important keyboarding essentials and add a fun, interactive element to your kids’ learning. There is also a user manual and a built-in help section where you can learn more about the different functions in the application. The application even includes a manager's guide for parents, teachers and school administrators.

Some people may mistakenly write off this typing software for kids simply because it does not have the breadth of typing games found in similar applications, but this is much to their own detriment. UltraKey delivers effective yet engaging instruction that adapts to children's typing levels and learning styles.

The Reader’s Edge has much of the same functionality as other speed reading software, though it’s somewhat outdated and requires a little more input from the user than other programs. Also, its interface isn’t intuitive – programs like 7 Speed Reading have cleaner designs as well as more features.  The Reader’s Edge also claims people ages five and up can use it, but in our testing, we didn’t find anything to keep a five-year-old entertained and engaged.

The Reader’s Edge has both a downloadable version and one hosted on the cloud. With the latter, you can access your profile on more than one device.  If you opt for the downloadable version, you can only install it on one computer. However, three people can create accounts in the downloaded program. 

This software makes reasonable claims about how much you can improve your reading speed and comprehension. According to the company, with regular use, the software can help you read two to five times faster. Reasonable claims like this were important to us as we determined which speed reading applications to evaluate, test, and ultimately share. 

The program suggests you take an initial assessment before you start using its tools. From the menu, you can access comprehension tests and keep track of your progress with a series of reports. The lesson plan overview has modules you can read and scroll through. After you complete a section of reading, you check it off. There are 18 lessons total. 

The software’s activities aren’t found inside the lessons. Instead, you use the sidebar to navigate to warmup exercises and activities that increase your eye span so you absorb words faster. The Reader’s Edge also has a motility training exercise, which flicks a symbol around the screen to increase your reaction time and speed. You can choose from a few types of images for this activity, including numbers and clip art.  The software also lets you adjust the font and text size, although it doesn’t have many options. 

Unlike many of the best programs, The Reader’s Edge doesn’t automatically adjust the speed setting in its activities based on the results of your initial assessment and comprehension tests. Instead, you must manually adjust the speed. The software recommends you set the speed at 100 words faster than your Effective Average Reading Rate. We preferred programs that manage speed automatically because it helps pace your progress. 

In the Basic version, a few of the tabs, links and activities dead end and ask you to upgrade to the Professional version – we prefer programs that don’t dangle upgraded features in front of you. You can install the Professional edition on two computers, and it allows you to add an unlimited number of users.  It also includes more activities and eTexts than the Basic version and provides access to online-only content. However, the Professional version costs nearly twice as much as the Basic version.

The software company offers a The Reader’s Edge Complete Package, which comes with extras like “Speed Reading for Dummies” and a timer to track your speed. You can also purchase the software for a network of computers or buy an online edition that allows you to create accounts for multiple users. 

There’s a help menu inside the software in case you have questions. Unfortunately, it’s not searchable, so you may end up scouring for the information you need. If the in-program help doesn’t solve your problem or answer your question, you can contact the company using the phone number or email address found under the same tab. 

The Reader’s Edge isn’t as intuitive as other speed reading software we reviewed, like eyeQ. However, there’s a coach option, a button off to the side you can select during drills and exercises to give you additional suggestions.

The Reader’s Edge is accessible for readers ages five and older, with grade-appropriate reading material. However, it doesn’t come with any educational games, which may reduce the appeal for younger users. If you want a program with some games and more engaging learning activities, we recommend 7 Speed Reading, our top pick. 

When you first start using The Reader’s Edge, the software prompts you to take an initial speed-reading assessment to evaluate your current reading pace. The software guides you through detailed lessons with step-by-step instructions. The Reader’s Edge explains lesson objectives up front so you know the purpose of each exercise before you begin. At the end of each lesson, you take either a reading speed or comprehension test.

Built in to the software are 300 eBooks, which you can use to train with or read for personal pleasure. You can also import your favorite texts or connect the software to your browser to have its speed-reading functionality while you read the news or emails online. The software lets you set a words-per-minute goal that you can work toward. While reading, you can manually choose your own reading speed or let the software automatically adjust it as you progress.

The software also gives you the option to customize the text you see displayed, which helps reduce possible eye strain as you train and test. Depending on which exercise or test you’re working on, you also see the text switch in how it is displayed. Sometimes all of the text is displayed on the screen at one time; other times, it only shows a few words or sentences, or it may flash a block of text.

You can download The Reader’s Edge directly from the manufacturer’s website, which takes only a couple minutes and is easy to do. The basic version only allows three user accounts on three different computers. The company also offers a network edition that supports an unlimited number of user accounts and a professional version that supports an unlimited number of users on a maximum of two computers. These versions are ideal for use in schools and learning centers. If you want a program for a large classroom or an enterprise-level account, we recommend AceReader because it has the best administrator reporting tools of all the programs we researched.

Versions allowing for multiple users come with administrative controls, which let you control software settings, test and exercise options, and view user test results. Each user’s account is password-protected, maintaining privacy between users. Each user can also track their words-per-minute rate and see their own test scores.

This speed reading software has a comprehensive and well-organized help menu that lets you browse topics by keyword, and it explains every part of the application thoroughly.

You can contact the manufacturer by email or telephone. As most top speed-reading programs do, The Reader's Edge offers a money-back guarantee. With the purchase of this accelerated reading software, you get free updates for life. The software is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X systems.

The Reader’s Edge 6 is a basic speed reading program with a few activities and simple reporting. Its functional, but because it has an outdated interface and requires you to adjust speed settings yourself, it isn’t the best application we reviewed.

Easy Spanish Platinum is good for learning Spanish quickly and on a budget. There are tons of lessons and activities for all learning levels. The trade-off for its low price, however, is a clunky and hard-to-navigate interface. For this reason, it doesn't make our list of the best learn Spanish software programs.

This was one of the hardest programs to download and install of all the software we tested. We cancelled the download twice because of missing or corrupt files, and when we finally got it installed properly, it crashed more than once mid-lesson. The download problems could be an isolated incident or the result of an inconsistent WiFi signal in our test lab. However, we checked user forums and product reviews on Amazon, and crashing seems to be a common problem.

Easy Spanish Platinum includes a wide variety of content, such as reading, grammar, writing, vocabulary, conversation, pronunciation and cultural lessons. Some of the lessons, like the writing portions, come in small doses, so you can take them during short breaks at work.

This is one of the only products we tested that doesn’t have a companion mobile app. As such, you must use a laptop or desktop computer or download MP3s onto a music player or your phone to learn with this program.

There are plenty of games, such as Go Fish, crossword puzzles and fill-in-the-blank activities, to keep you interested in the lessons. Each game pairs with the lesson content to make reviewing material a bit more fun.

Easy Spanish Platinum has a speech-analysis tool that records you saying a word, then compares you pronunciation to a native speaker to help you perfect your accent. During testing, we purposely mispronounced words and found the tool fairly accurate. It isn’t as accurate as the speech-recognition tools in programs like Rosetta Stone Spanish or Duolingo Spanish, but it is still valuable.

Most of the video content in this program teaches you about the cultural history of Latin America. The videos are short history lessons, narrated in English. There are also diagrams that illustrate the correct movement of the mouth, lips and tongue to help your pronunciation. The videos and diagrams have valuable information, but sadly, they look and sound as antiquated as the rest of the program.

You can purchase a perpetual license for Easy Spanish Platinum for less than $30. If you can look past the outdated interface and robotic-sounding dictation, there’s a good amount of useable lesson material.

Ouino uses a non-linear learning path to deliver the best learn French software lessons (or any other language) through a wonderfully designed desktop and mobile interface. If you are worried about designing a freestyle, non-linear learning path, this program can suggest one for you. At the end of each lesson you rate yourself, on a four-star scale, based on how well you understand the material, so you can revisit confusing topics. Another way to track your progress is with the Ouino calendar. Ouino adds a badge to the calendar each day you take a lesson that signifies the type of lesson you took and it lets you manually add badges if you practice French outside the software.

Ouino Languages review: Method

This software has lesson modules for five important learning categories: pronunciation, vocabulary, verb forms, grammar and conversation. Unlike programs like Rosetta Stone, the pronunciation module doesn’t have a voice-recognition feature. Instead, you record yourself while pronouncing consonants, words and phrases and compare them to a recording of a native speaker. You have to judge for yourself if your accent and pronunciation stack up against the native speaker, rather than using an algorithm. However, you can record and compare your accent as many times as you’d like until you’re satisfied with the results.

The vocabulary module lets you memorize important words that you use in the other modules. Ouino teaches the often-misunderstood principles of vocabulary gender by using audio and visual clues. Masculine words are recorded by a male speaker and appear in red, and feminine nouns are recorded by a female speaker and are written in blue. At the end of the vocabulary module there’s a timed exercise called Fluency Sprint that asks you to write a French word based on an image and its English equivalent.

There are two verb modules in Ouino: key verbs and conjugation verbs. The key verbs module first asks you to listen for verbs and then place the verb in a sentence with its corresponding pronoun. The conjugation module is a bit tougher and includes a matching game and writing exercise. This program places the French verbs side-by-side with their English translation to help you understand all the conjugation possibilities for each verb.

Building Blocks grammar module has three lessons including a multiple-choice exercise, writing exercise and a timed exercise similar to the fluency sprint in the vocabulary module. The multiple-choice exercises have you type the answer rather than just checking the correct box. Most programs we tested that have similar exercises didn’t bother reinforcing the writing portion, which we found helped us retain the concept better.

Once you learn concepts from the first four modules you can put them all together in the conversation module. The non-linear learning path gives you access to this module from the first time you open the program, but it won’t make sense if you don’t apply the foundational principals found in the other modules. The exercises in this module are mostly audio-driven. You listen to native speakers have a conversation about topics found in everyday life and try match the conversation topic with its English equivalent. You can also adjust the settings to slow down the audio playback if you are having a hard time.

Ouino Languages review: Cost

You can buy Ouino Complete Collection for a one-time price or in monthly or annual membership options, and either download it or have a retail box shipped to you that includes an installation disc. There are more than 300 lessons in the Complete Collection and the purchase includes access to the mobile app that you can download on Android and iOS devices. Regardless of where you log in, Ouino uses the same progress tracking features. You even get personal consultations with this plan, and you can revisit the lessons as many times as you’d like. There's also the option of a free demo to try. 

Should you try Ouino Languages? 

Ouino has a good variety of interactive content in all the important learning categories. It is also one of the most affordable programs we reviewed. The desktop and mobile applications are easy to navigate and save your progress through the lesson plan.

PicturesToExe Studio (or PTE Studio) is simple slideshow app that is best for people who don’t want to add extra frills and graphics to their photos. Since this program doesn’t have a wizard, it might not be a good choice for anyone who feels daunted by computer programs. This software only offers basic transition effects and doesn’t include any clip art. The interface is clean and uncluttered so you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for quickly. Most importantly, we found the final image quality to be crisp and true to color. Thankfully, it is one of the few programs that is both Mac and PC compatible, but that doesn't earn it a place among our best photo slideshow software picks.

When using this software, we counted more than 50 transition effects, though many of them are repeats of the same effect just coming from a different angle. While there isn’t a lot of variety in the types of transitions available, they are still professional looking. You can control the length of time to display each slide and add video clips and text captions. We were able to record a narration track and play it, along with multiple music tracks and sound effects, throughout our slideshow, which made it more unique. When we exported our show, we found the picture quality to be one of the best we’d seen. The lines were crisp and the colors had maintained the integrity of the original images.

This slideshow creator does not offer clip art or illustrations, which most other programs do. People who want to make simple, unadorned slideshows will find this program very helpful, but if you want a program that provides more creative features, consider purchasing ProShow Gold. If you make a mistake, you can easily undo your previous action. However, if you want an application that can guide you through the process of making slideshows, PicturesToExe lacks a step-by-step wizard, so it might not be the best choice.

You have the option to share your slideshows online immediately using YouTube, but there is no direct way to post to Facebook or Twitter. You can also create DVDs and interactive CDs, and you can watch the slideshows on certain mobile devices. When creating your DVD, the program helps you create a movie menu, complete with your choice of music and a background image or themed template.

If you have any questions or concerns while using this software, PicturesToExe is quick and detailed in its support. We sent two separate emails and received detailed replies within 24 hours. Support representatives are knowledgeable and respond quickly. However, the lack of telephone support is a drawback.

You can find answers yourself using several tutorials and articles available on the PicturesToExe website. There are also forums available online, and if you have any questions regarding tasks or features, a user guide is available with the software.

PicturesToExe lacks embellishments and clip art, but it's a feature-filled application with many audio tools you don't find in lower-ranked slideshow applications. There is a wide selection of input and output options. PicturesToExe can help you create high-quality slideshows to help share your memories.

Should you buy PicturesToExe Studio?

PicturesToExe Studio lacks embellishments and clip art, but it's a feature-filled application with many audio tools you don't find in lower-ranked slideshow applications. There is a wide selection of input and output options. PicturesToExe can help you create high-quality slideshows to help share your memories.

So, what are the easy ways to learn the Spanish language fast?

• Get a tutor. While there are numerous websites offering Spanish tutorials, having someone to address your questions and ensure you are on the right track works best. Look on Spanish Pod to get the right tutor.
• Have the proper materials. Choose a tool that is simple yet comprehensive and at the same time appropriate to your learning level. Learn the basics before you start the advanced levels. Radio Lingua has some really great materials.
• Keep a dictionary. Get yourself a good Spanish-English dictionary. This will help you learn the vocabulary effectively and enable you to choose the best word for your thoughts and ideas. Remember online dictionaries are free these days. NuLengua has really great vocabulary flashcards.
• Master the basics. This will enable you to understand and use Spanish correctly in everyday conversations. Keep in mind that mastery of the basic concepts prepares you to handle the more complex sentence and grammatical structures; not to mention that knowing the basics would minimize the difficulty you have later on with the more complex grammar. Check out the Spanish exercises on Livemocha.
• Learn syntax and grammar. Know how these differ from your own language and keep those differences in mind. It is very helpful to know the sentence patterns (i.e. verb-object, etc. - Don't forget you can leave out the subject in Spanish). You will be surprised to know that even the more mind-boggling sentences in Spanish are actually constructed by basic sentence patterns.

Remember that even if you didn’t get a chance to learn a language at an early age, it is still doable - it is never too late.

COOL

There are ways to maximize your learning of language and we have summarized them in one word – COOL. These are things that you must know and do to get the most out of your learning.

• Confidence. Always think that you can and don’t worry about your mistakes.
• Objective/s. While we understand you’re interested in learning Spanish, which is probably the main reason you are reading this article, you have to be clear what your objectives and goals are in learning the language. There are many ways by which the Spanish language can be taught and your learning objectives will help you identify which teaching and learning method is the most suitable for you.
• Open your calendar. Create a study schedule and stick to it. Learning a language requires mastery of the concepts as well as skills in usage and these are possible only when you allot time for it. Set up time with a Spanish Pod tutor now.
• Love Spanish. Spansh is an amazing language and a very interesting one. There are many reasons to love it. You can have a lot of fun while learning the language. Honestly.

Remember to use the language whenever you can. There is no better way to enhance your learning and retain what you have learned than by putting everything into practice: practice makes perfect.

Check out our comparative reviews of the best places online to learn Spanish, or some interesting articles on Spanish food:

• Argentinean Spanish - Why It's So Different
• Foods of Central America
• More on Foods of the Caribbean

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it has been discontinued. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

PhotoComplete from Funkypixels software is easy-to-use Mac photo editing software with plenty of manual controls to keep both casual and professional users happy. Though it has many impressive tools and features and an affordable price, it still lacks other ones, such as layers, but the app has enough features to make it a solid choice.

When last we reviewed PhotoComplete, the developers said they’re still selling and supporting it, but have ceased development. This Mac photo editing software app was last updated in 2006.

One of the easier apps to use, PhotoComplete Mac photo editing software doesn't throw a lot of windows at the user, causing potential confusion. But it isn't the absolute easiest app to use; to perform any edit, you must click the menu to add a tool to the tool bar, like "Brightness/Contrast." This gets exhaustive as you add more tools, since the tools aren’t all there by default, which is strange.

Once launched, this Mac photo editing software’s Open window pops up in your Pictures folder. It’s recommended to work on one photo at a time, as opening multiple PhotoComplete windows tends to crash the application. We suggest using iPhoto in conjunction with PhotoComplete to import and organize photos, then use the app as the default editor.

Once you have a photo open, the simple user interface spotlights the information about the photo (dimensions, date, focal length, shutter speed, aperture, ISO and flash) and also brings up a histogram to help with editing. These are two nice features, but they may be pointless to casual users.

To bring up the toolset, either use the menu bar or the “plus/arrow down” symbol next to Actions. These tools include the usual: brightness/contrast, crop, curves (two points of action to manipulate), color temperature and saturation, shadows and highlights, sharpening, borders, rotate, etc. It's a little annoying to have to add a tool every time you want to perform a specific edit, as opposed to opening a toolbar and making edits as needed.

There is no support for layers, no brush tools and it's missing other features that pros and advanced users may use. However, editing is quick, easy and intuitive for both casual users and professionals. It’s a bit slow to show results as tweaks are made, even with a fast Mac running Mac OS X Lion.

One nice feature is the ability to click between Final Image and Read Image modes to compare the edited and original images. This is a major plus, since you can get carried away adding tools to tweak the image

There is an option to share photos on Flickr directly from PhotoComplete. Flickr is among the top websites for sharing photos so we like this feature, but it would be nice to see options for Picasa and other sites. PhotoComplete Mac photo editing software can save photos as JPEG, PNG, TIFF (both 8-bit and 16-bit) and its own PhotoComplete format.

There isn’t a feature for organizing your photos and albums, so, as mentioned earlier, we recommend keeping your files in iPhoto and setting up PhotoComplete as your default photo editor.

PhotoComplete will run on Intel or PowerPC Macs, and though the FunkyPixels website doesn’t directly say OS X Lion is supported, it ran just fine on an Apple computer with the latest operating system.

There is support via email on Funkypixels' website. We contacted the company and they confirmed in 2010 they are still providing support, but aren’t developing a new version.

PhotoComplete is a remarkably strong Mac photo editing software app, easy enough for casual editors, but with enough manual controls for pros to feel happy. Aside from some missing features (layers, brushes, etc.), it’s a nice photo editing app.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available for purchase. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.

Compositor by Artly There serves as an affordable Mac photo editing software. The program has a good selection of basic editing tools, as well as some advanced features.

This picture editor for Mac has a toolbox with a basic set of tools on display, and you can use them to adjust the brightness, contrast, color and size of your images. With a selection of painting, drawing and shape tools, you can also add text, designs and shapes to your pictures. The program’s clean interface makes it easy to find and use these basic editing tools.

If you are just starting out, Compositor has an easy-to-use auto levels option, which allows you to adjust your image and make quick changes. With this feature, the program automatically adjusts the color and brightness of an image to its most ideal level. The program also has makeover and cloning tools. Using these, you can doctor your photos to remove scratches, blemishes and unwanted objects.

This program does not have support for layers, so you need to be careful when manipulating your pictures. Without layers, edits permanently alter your original images. While you can easily remedy this by working on a copy of your original photo, it may become cumbersome if you are editing many at the same time. The software does have batch processing; however, this feature is more complicated to use in Compositor than in other software we reviewed.

This Mac photo editor has 149 creative filters, giving you plenty of options to choose from. You can apply some of the color filters automatically by selecting them from the menu. Other filters add subtle effects or completely transform the colors and textures of your images. You also can use some of the filters on your text to create cool effects.

The software strictly serves as a photo editor. There is not a built-in organizing system for your many photos, which can make it difficult to edit and keep track of them all. Still, Compositor supports several different file formats, including JPG, TIFF, PNG, GIF, PSD and PDF. You can also post your edited photos to social media sites using the program.

Compositor does not have very many support options. The website has a blog that lists updates to the software and some video tutorials for more complicated tasks. In addition, you can access a FAQs section in the program, as well as a software guide. You can also find the software creator’s email address on its website, and we found representatives to be both helpful and prompt in responding to our inquiries. While there is no phone number listed on the Compositor’s website, you can request its phone number by email.

While Compositor has a nice selection of photo editing tools and features, it lacks the advanced capabilities to completely transform your photos. If you are looking for a basic photo editor for Mac, then this software serves as a good option. It is easy to use, affordable and performs quality basic edits.

I love watching Tango. Now, mind you. I watch it only. I just don t know if I can be enough of an actress to dance the Tango. You don t have to be an accomplished dancer to appreciate a great Tango. Now, I m not talking about ballroom Tango. I like the TV show Dancing With The Stars too, but that s a different kind of Tango than what I m talking about.

I mean Argentinean Tango. Every now and then you see a good Tango in a movie. What comes to mind for me is Scent of a Woman with Al Pacino and The Assassination Tango with Robert Duvall. In those movies you can begin to get an appreciation of the dance.

I ve heard people say that the Tango originated as a dance of 'women of ill repute'. (They also say this about the Bachata that is from the Dominican Republic.) When I went out on the Internet to look this up, I couldn t find anything to back this up, although I did find out that in Argentina the men who dance Tango well are called milongueros. The women who dance Tango very well are called milongueras, but this same word can also mean prostitute. Interesting, huh?

The Tango is a dance where the man doesn t do a whole lot, with the exception that the man has to do a good job of leading. The woman, however, does all the work. (Typical; Right ladies?)

The woman has to be incredibly strong, limber, and slender. (That lets me out.) The reason I say the woman has to be slender is that great Tango dancers have to keep their feet incredibly close together while twisting their thighs back and forth, which is harder to do if you ve got some girth.

But the Tango isn t just about moves; it s about attitude. The man is supposed to act abusive and ready to cast the woman off, while the woman has to act as though she s begging him to pay attention to her. This means that those who get into the acting part of the dance are doing it right. The man s face needs to show disdain and the woman s face needs to show desperation.

Tango music is an art in itself. Most of the time the bands who play Tango use two violins, a piano, a double-bass, and several accordions. It can be mesmerizing with its sliding, whining, yet staccato notes played just when you re not expecting it.

You don t have to travel to Argentina to watch or participate in the dance (although if you can, go). Lots of people dance it here in the United States. In fact, you can take Tango lessons almost anywhere. But you ll need to brush up on your Spanish since all of the steps have Spanish names.

Here are some examples:

• Arrastrar   means to drag your partner.
• Barrida   means to treat your partner like a broom (seriously).
• Cruzada   means to cross in front of your partner.

Now you see how much fun you can have learning Spanish.

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