These are a list of my Top 15 Apps that I have used with iPads in my Spanish 1 class. I have divided them into 4 sections. Language Apps allows the students to practice the language or see the language in real use. Production Apps allow the students to create a product, but by using the target language. Culture Apps allow students to explore culture and learn more about the places where the target language is spoken. Lastly, Management Apps are a way for the teacher to manage the class including turning in of assignments and posting information for the students. And best of all, all 15 of these Apps are FREE!

Language: 

1. Wordreference: My favorite app for an online dictionary. Teach students how to use this app properly and to steer away from google translate.
2. Duolingo: Rated Top Educational App of 2013, my students love playing this “game” where they learn new vocabulary and are tested in various modes of translation.
3. Univision: Have students read current news or look up stories of interest.
4. Que Rica Vida: A recipe app that is perfect for your cooking or food unit. We have a post that explains more.

Production:

5. Tellagami: Students record a 30 second speech with an avatar.
6. Snapguide: Students can create a how-to tutorial on any subject by incorporating pictures and text.
7. Doodle Buddy: Have students describe a picture to another student and students can draw it out using this app.
8. PuppetPals2: Students can create a miniature skit by narrating the voices of puppets and moving them around on screen.
9. Pic Collage: Create a vocabulary list using pictures and adding text.
10. Educreations: Create a video where students narrate and can use pictures or draw on the screen. Here’s how we used it.

Culture:

11. Currency: Have students look up exchange rates for currency. Especially useful in the shopping unit; students can start to understand how much something really costs in a foreign country. I use this app when I travel!
12. LFP: What would a Spanish classroom be without the culture of fútbol. Learn how to incorporate Spain’s La Liga into your class.
13. Weather+: Have students track the weather in different countries. Can get them accustomed to seeing temperatures in Celsius.

Management:

14. Edmodo: Create a class on this educational social media website and students can write comments, view links, answer surveys, or take quizzes.
15. GoogleDrive: Students use their school’s gmail account and can share completed assignments with teachers and teachers can share documents with students on this online drive.

For further resources for using iPads in your Spanish class, check out our iPad page.