Language Transfer Review: Efficient Audio Course Yet Lacks Visuals or Real-world Content

Established by Mihalis Eleftheriou, Language Transfer is an audio-centric program founded on the linguistic idea of the same name—that your first language influences how you learn a new one.

I tested the program for a fortnight, concentrating on Italian, a language I only have fundamental knowledge of. My discovery was that this complimentary program is both efficient and enjoyable, though it doesn't provide opportunities to practice writing or conversational skills.

Main Characteristics of Language Transfer

Language Transfer states at the beginning of every course that this educational experience will be quite different from other language learning you've encountered. They describe it as a groundbreaking method because it teaches language in a way that aligns with how your brain naturally learns—through cognition.

No additional tools are necessary besides your own mind, and there's no need for memorization. They claim that only part of the program is about teaching you a language—the other, possibly more crucial part, is instructing you on how to improve your overall learning skills.

The course essentially consists of a sequence of dialogues or instructional sessions between Eleftheriou and volunteer learners. He guides them to comprehend the language in a manner similar to how a friend might clarify a complicated topic. You are expected to pause the audio and repeat what he tells you to say. He advises against taking notes and encourages you to remain focused. If your attention drifts, which happened to me occasionally, he suggests pausing, taking a short break, and then resuming the lesson.

I believe, however, that you couldn't master a language solely with Language Transfer, so it would be best combined with a more visual tool such as Lingflix or Duolingo.

Language Transfer platform

The Language Transfer platform is just as minimal and efficient as their online program. It presents the same audio lessons found on the website in a very clear and easy-to-navigate format.

After you pick a language to learn, you see a sequential list of the different audio lessons.

I have used the platform frequently, as you can listen to the lessons practically anywhere. I listen to them on the tram into the city center, and occasionally at the gym or while preparing dinner.

I discover that replaying each class multiple times significantly aids my retention.

Complimentary audio courses

The same material available on the Language Transfer platform is also accessible on the website. It's a very straightforward site that begins with a language list, an About section, and the free language courses.

They are provided as SoundCloud files, but you can also download them or find them on YouTube.

Advantages of Language Transfer

Even though this program is very basic and contradicts much advice from language learning specialists (like using all language skills, incorporating authentic content, utilizing visuals and video, etc.), I found it to be both pleasurable and productive for my needs.

Here are my main advantages for Language Transfer after a two-week trial:

It's completely free

This is obvious, correct? Why pay for a language learning program when you can access one at no cost? Even if you are a visual learner and prefer to study your language differently, adding Language Transfer to your routine certainly can't hurt.

Superior audio lessons

I can't pinpoint exactly why I enjoy these audio lessons so much, but I often find myself eager to sit down (or move about) listening to them more than with most other language learning systems.

Essentially, as mentioned before, each audio lesson features the Language Transfer founder Mihalis Eleftheriou in conversation with a volunteer student. Each session lasts approximately five minutes.

Eleftheriou begins each lesson with an explanation about the specific language and its relationship to English, if applicable. He typically starts by discussing the language's common sounds and any potential pronunciation challenges for English speakers.

He selects some cognates and asks the student to pronounce them as they think they would sound in Italian, in my instance. Then he corrects the student's pronunciation. Before you hear the student, he suggests you briefly pause the audio and say the word yourself.

Then he provides cognates between the target language and English. For Spanish, for example, he mentions that you can transfer around 3,000 English words into Spanish.

Then he subtly steers the conversation to teach the volunteer student highly practical words and phrases such as "is," "I am..." and "I want..."

He always offers a clear explanation of pronunciation, accent, and grammar, so if you're the kind of learner who appreciates such details, you'll enjoy this. I certainly did.

Original teaching technique

Not many other language learning programs adopt this same method, with Pimsleur being a significant exception.

The course is structured around the idea of "language transfer," which refers to aspects of your native language that you carry over when learning a new one. This includes positive transfers, like recognizing vocabulary through cognates, and negative transfers, such as pronouncing the Spanish word 'passión' (passion) the English way, which sounds like "pashun."

Eleftheriou states that the course creation process is the most challenging aspect of developing Language Transfer courses. He frequently uses mind maps during the design phase.

If you'd like to understand more about this method, check out this discussion with the Language Transfer founder.

Disadvantages of Language Transfer

Although I appreciate this program, I don't believe it's sufficient by itself for mastering a language completely. Here are my primary disadvantages for Language Transfer:

Absence of video and visuals

The Language Transfer program is solely an auditory experience. There are no learning materials to read, no videos to view, no pictures or graphics to observe.

This is intentional, but if you are a strongly visual learner, you might find this frustrating. For me, also a visual learner, this wasn't an issue with this program because I liked the audio lessons so much.

No practice for speaking and writing

Even though Language Transfer advises pausing the audio to repeat the words and phrases yourself, since you are likely alone while listening, no one is there to provide corrections.

You are advised not to write anything down or take notes, so you also miss out on writing practice.

This program is more suitable for those aiming to become conversational rapidly, but not for those who might need to complete a form in Italian, for instance.

Language Transfer Compared to Other Language Learning Programs

Language Transfer vs. Pimsleur

I'm beginning with a comparison to Pimsleur because it's the only other major language learning program that uses a similar audio-only approach like Language Transfer.

In this comparison, Pimsleur seems more dated, formal, and conventional. It's also, in my view, somewhat duller and progresses at a much slower rate.

I would select Language Transfer by a wide margin in this case, particularly because it's entirely free.

Here's our comprehensive Pimsleur review.

Language Transfer vs. Lingflix

Since one of the features I missed most while using Language Transfer was video, I wanted to begin this comparison section with Lingflix, which places video at the core of its program.

I've lost count of how many non-native English speakers have told me they learned English by watching films (and TV series, and various online videos, etc.). I've heard it so often that I'm completely convinced.

Lingflix is very effective for me because I'm someone who already enjoys watching movies, TV, music videos, news, and vlogs on YouTube. So it feels like a very maintainable and enjoyable method to learn and review a language, and it has worked very well for me.

I often spend hours on Lingflix, remaining fully engaged, whereas 30 minutes on Pimsleur sometimes felt lengthy due to its less dynamic teaching style.

Overall, I would choose Lingflix here, but I genuinely think Lingflix and Language Transfer would work well together, and the total expense would remain quite low.

Language Transfer vs. Duolingo

I mentioned Duolingo in this review because one of the elements I missed most with Language Transfer was the vibrant colors and other visual aspects like the illustrations that Duolingo offers.

I think Duolingo is more entertaining and more game-like, and that friendly bird is always motivating you (some might say nagging you), but for more analytical or serious learners, Language Transfer could be a better match.

Here's our full Duolingo review.

Language Transfer vs. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone features those striking photographs that significantly enhance the experience for me.

While Rosetta Stone teaches vocabulary and phrases in context, similar to how a native speaker learns their first language, Language Transfer uses more English and provides clear explanations of grammar and translations.

This, in my opinion, makes Language Transfer feel more like a program for "adult" learners. You can immerse yourself in the target language, but you also receive explanations for linguistic rules. I appreciate that, since I am not actually a child.

Here's our full Rosetta Stone review.

What is the Cost of Language Transfer?

It's completely free!

However, if you wish to contribute, Language Transfer welcomes donations through PayPal and on Patreon.

Final Conclusion: Is Language Transfer a Good Choice?

I can confidently state that Language Transfer is a valuable choice, particularly since it is free.

I progressed from knowing roughly 2-3 sentences in Italian to being able to express quite complex ideas about my feelings, needs, desires, and preferences in a very brief time. And because the program consistently focuses on accent and pronunciation, I felt I improved in those areas as well.

You can listen to the audio files at home or while traveling, making it a simple and enjoyable supplement to my language learning process.

However, I am uncertain how proficient I could become in Italian using only Language Transfer. That's why I suggest using it alongside whatever other program you are currently using.