Learning Japanese with LingoDeer - My honest review (2025)

Overview

Deciding to learn languages is tough and comes with possible challenges. For Japanese, its writing systems, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, can feel intimidating, especially for students entirely new to the language. Thus, choosing the right Japanese language learning platform is crucial in your journey toward Japanese fluency. Among these platforms, LingoDeer is one of the apps that stood out to me because of its reputation. After learning more about what this app offers, I decided to give it a try to learn Japanese. So, if you want to know more about my experience with LingoDeer, keep reading!

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What is LingoDeer?

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‍LingoDeer is a language-learning app that caters to students who want to learn Asian languages, such as Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and others. Also, it now provides lessons in several European languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, and others. What I like about this app is that, unlike other apps, it offers a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening. So, if you want to learn Japanese comprehensively and be able to construct sentences that do not confuse native speakers, check out LingoDeer!

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How LingoDeer helped me

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Vocabulary

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I already know some basic Japanese vocabulary but I still appreciate how LingoDeer’s lessons gradually introduce words that are grouped by topic which makes it easier for students to grasp and familiarize with new words. I also enjoyed the immediate practice sessions that included matching and filling in the blanks after each new set of words. As I progressed with the lessons, these exercises eventually made it easier for me to recognize and naturally remember new words.

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Grammar

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Learning Japanese grammar is one of the challenges I encountered during my journey. However, LingoDeer came to the rescue as it broke down grammar points into easy-to-grasp explanations and examples during the lessons. Additionally, what I like about this app is that it has a dedicated “Grammar” section within the “REVIEW” tab that allows me to practice my skills through a fresh set of exercises.

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Reading and listening

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If you’ve just started to learn Japanese, it can be challenging to read anything in Japanese. However, LingoDeer's Japanese lessons, which first covered Hiragana and Katana in detail before going on to simple sentences, made the process easier for me. The reading tasks increased in length and difficulty as I advanced, which continued to challenge my skills without becoming too much for me.

Another weakness of mine was listening to native speakers who talk fast. Again, the app helped me through this with their audio recordings. What I like about these recordings is that they are recorded by Japanese native speakers and not robots! Thus, I was urged to pay close attention and repeat the recordings. There are sections specifically for listening practice. I had to slow down the audio at first, but after a few months, I noticed that I was picking up more words at regular speed. It was satisfying!

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Features I loved

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• Structured Lessons - I love how everything in the lessons is organized logically. I began with the fundamentals before moving on to more complicated topics which never allowed me to feel overwhelmed or lost.
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• Offline Option - As someone who travels a lot, being able to download lessons was really convenient, especially during my commutes and vacations when I didn’t have a stable internet connection. Big plus!
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• Progress Tracking - This app motivates me by tracking my progress. The "Progress" section shows me how far I've come, and the day streak feature motivates me to keep learning Japanese every day. Just seeing the progress bar fill up gives me motivation because I know I've accomplished something each day.

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Challenges I faced

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• Limited Speaking Practice - LingoDeer is not a conversation app, so I still needed to pair it with other language resources such as other Japademy’s online lessons with native speakers so I could practice my real-life conversation skills.
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• Slower Progress After a Certain Point - Upon reaching an upper-beginner or lower-intermediate level (about JLPT N4), I observed that my progress slowed. I wanted more difficult material to keep getting better because the lessons at this level felt simpler. So, I had to use additional resources in addition to LingoDeer to continue making progress.
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• No Real-Time Interaction - In this app, there are no opportunities for real-time interactions with native speakers. Thus, I was unable to practice having real conversations like in social settings. As a result, I felt less equipped to communicate in Japanese in real life.

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Who I recommend LingoDeer for

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• Beginners (Yes) - If you’re completely new to learning Japanese, LingoDeer can help you through its structured, gradual learning approach.
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• ‍Lower-Intermediate Learners (Still Yes) - This app can still help you with your language learning journey but you might need to pair it with other learning resources and materials to keep your progress running.
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• Advanced Learners (Probably Not) - This app might not be for you as I believe that you will find it too basic. However, it can still be handy if you just want to review or improve weak spots.

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Verdict about learning Japanese with LingoDeer

‍LingoDeer has served as a very beneficial tool in my language-learning journey. I do not regret starting my journey to learn Japanese with this app as it made my journey manageable and fun! My learning routine still includes LingoDeer, but I now use it in addition to other resources like my weekly Japanese online lessons with native Japanese teachers offered by Japademy. I am grateful for finding out and trying to learn Japanese with LingoDeer as it helped build my foundation in Japanese.

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You can get the LingoDeer App by visiting their website or by downloading their App directly from the Android and Apple stores with the links below:

• iOS:  Download LingoDeer for iOS
• Android: Download LingoDeer for Android
• Website: https://www.lingodeer.com

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So, if you want to learn languages such as Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and others, why not give LingoDeer a try? Happy learning!