I chose to learn Polish using busuu on the Android platform. With regards to developing macroskills and subskills, busuu appears to address all areas to varying degrees:
• Listening – can slow down playback for clearer pronunciation
• Reading – word selection games
• Speaking – can record your speech
• Writing – conversation completion activities and conversations with native-speakers (written)
• Grammar – conversational grammar mostly (formal written grammar not explicitly taught as far as I could tell)
• Vocabulary – conversationally directed
Being an application and if the student is starting with absolutely no knowledge of the target language (not a classroom with a teacher), there should be a balanced amount of the student’s native language permitted so that comprehension can be eased.
Students begin reading and writing at the start of the first lesson and if the students wish to start producing they can do so using the voice recording features – there are options to converse with native speakers (albeit available only by paid subscription from lesson two onwards).
The app’s first and second lessons are all communicative straight off the bat. Instead of learning individual words in their word classes the app launches into short pragmatic utterances (such as “good morning”, “good evening”, “nice to meet you” and “goodbye, see you soon”) that seem appropriate given that the student is likely to meet new people who are either learning or are native/fluent speakers of the target language either by using the paid features of the app or by their own volition – perhaps enrolling in language classes at a private school or university.
I found using the app easy and intuitive as well as fun enough that I wanted to keep going, I particularly liked that I could slow down the recorded samples to practice my pronunciation for clearer production, encouraged participation in the busuu community (specific to the language being learned) where native/fluent speakers will correct any mistakes made by students (paid subscription feature after lesson one), and the word games/activities.
My personal opinion of language teaching applications is that they are a cost-effective, accessible way for anyone to test their curiosity in other languages without too much initial commitment or expectation. If users find the language interesting they might be more motivated to seek out real-life tuition.