HebrewPod101 Full Review

Innovative Language represents a family of websites, mobile applications, downloadable software and audio books that offer innovative, fun and easy way to learn a language. The company was founded in 2005 and it has become one of the largest language education mobile application developers, with over 690 apps.

Introduction

HebrewPod101 is one of the websites form the Innovative Language family oriented at teaching Hebrew. Using various interactive tools, multimedia lessons and exercises, you will be able to learn Hebrew more efficiently.

Lessons focus on pronunciation and listening comprehension. Each lesson has PDF notes and necessary explanations, phrases and grammar points. The course also includes reading comprehension, as well as speaking practice which completes the process of learning, as you refine all four language skills.

The methodology relies on the use of audio and video lessons, together with vocabulary building tools that you can use at your own pace. The program is focused on using technology and learning materials to create completely personalized learning environment where students can learn at their own tempo and using the learning style they are most comfortable with.

How it works?

Innovative language offers four learning levels: absolute beginners, beginners, intermediate and advanced. You can choose the level of Hebrew when you sign up, or you can change it later on from the dashboard. There are different products for learning languages, such as e-books, audio books, mobile apps, tools and online courses to help you acquire the language quickly and in an engaging way.

Courses

Innovative Language offers 30 language courses on the website. Every course contains free lessons and learning materials. Some parts of the lessons are free, but if you want to get full access to a course you need to pay for a monthly membership.

Let’s start by creating an account at HebrewPod101, which is free. Choose your language level and provide an email address. You will receive the log-in data which you can use to access the site.

After you log in, you will be redirected to your dashboard. The dashboard provides an overview of your learning process in a well-designed format. The left part of the dashboard displays the data about your subscription and level. The dashboard also has useful links to help you navigate through the course, as well as helpful tutorials and links to help you use the website more easily.

The central part of the dashboard displays the courses you are working on and it helps you track your progress. You can see the number of lessons you have completed, and the percentage of the course completion. In order to continue with a certain course, click on the button “Study” next to the course’s title. You will also be able to find the lessons recommendation list on the dashboard, based on the level of Hebrew you have chosen and based on the lessons you have completed.

Browse Lessons

There are two types of lessons, audio and video. Using your free account, you will have access to both audio and video materials for the lessons that have been published recently. The lessons include additional lesson materials, review part, as well as the possibility to download the lesson, but they are only available if you sign up for one of the subscription plans.

Each lesson has PDF notes, containing the materials used in the lessons, which can be downloaded by clicking on “Download” button above the title. Once you complete a lesson, click on the button “Mark Lesson Complete” in order to add it to the list of completed lessons.

Hebrew Resources

This segment includes an abundance of resources that will help you with learning Hebrew. Some of the resources include written tutorials on grammar, pronunciation and alphabet. There are short audio and video clips, as well as interactive tools such as Hebrew Dictionary, Word of the day widget, and Hebrew Mobile Application. Most of the resources are free.

Study Tools

There are five study tools for vocabulary building and reviewing what you have learned. You can easily keep track of your progress and get back to the lessons you find more challenging. These tools include:

• Word Bank – As you learn Hebrew, you can save words from any exercise in your Word Bank in order to review vocabulary later. It is possible to export the data and use Word Bank offline.
• Flashcards – This tool helps you focus on learning vocabulary using images. You can create flashcard decks from any lesson on the website by using the “Flashcards” option on your dashboard. You can also practice with randomly selected flashcards compiled of the terms from the lessons you have completed. Simply use “Pick a Deck” option to choose the deck of flashcards you wish to study and click “Start Session”.
  
• Favorite lesson – Bookmark your favorite lessons so that you can access them from your dashboard. This option allows you to create your custom syllabus as you will select certain lessons and focus on studying them.
• My Feed – This option enables you to personalize your learning experience on the website. You can select the types of lessons you want to receive as well as the related file types you want to receive. Only subscribers can access this feature.
• Notes – Take notes while you go through the lesson in order to highlight the most important aspects of the lesson. You can access your notes from your dashboard and use them to review the lessons you have completed.

Free resources

HebrewPod101 offers an extensive list of free resources that can be of great assistance when learning Hebrew. Most of the free resources are limited, as you need to pay for the membership in order to get access to the full lessons. For example, Hebrew Core 100 Word List is a comprehensive table for learning some of the most important words in Hebrew. The table contains the words in Hebrew and in English, the words’ gender and class, as well as the sample sentences and phrases. The table contains 100 free words, but if you sign up for one of the subscriptions plans, you will get access to 2000 words.

The goal of HebrewPod101 is to provide you with the learning materials, but the learning process and style is completely up to you. You can choose the lessons you want to practice more, by marking them as favorites. You can skip some parts of the lessons if you think they are not important to you.

Another thing Innovative Language is well-known for is the great number of apps for learning languages. When it comes to learning Hebrew, there are two apps, with versions for iPhone, iPad and Android.

• Gengo WordPower – This application enables you to see and hear the words, and then to record your pronunciation. The app includes 2000 Hebrew words. There is Gengo WordPower Lite version, which is free and it includes 200 most common Hebrew words.
• My Words – Build your vocabulary by learning 10 new words each day. This app helps you learn quickly and easily. Being focused on daily learning, this app is good for developing a language learning routine.

How to choose the right plan/level? How do I know if this service can be helpful for me?

The courses are suitable for teenagers and adult learners, as you need to use the program online to study and practice. There are no playful characters or games that would be interesting to younger learners.

There are plenty of free resources to try out the courses and the methodology in order to see if it is suitable for your learning style. There is no test you could take to assess the level of Hebrew, but free resources are enough to help you determine the level on your own, as you can try out the lessons from each level. Free account gives you access to ten most recent audio lessons, as well as the first three lessons from any difficulty level.

Creating an account on Innovative Language is free and you will get access to some basic features. If you want to really dive into learning, you should consider choosing one of three paid subscription plans.

• Basic access – You get access to complete lesson archive, PDF notes, Lesson Checklist and Hebrew Core Words and Phrases.
• Premium access – This package includes the basic level of access and you also get interactive lesson quizzes, pronunciation and accent review, dialogue only tracks, Word Bank, Vocabulary Slideshow, etc.
• Premium + access – You get access to all of the premium features, plus you get access to Grammar Bank. Other additional features include professional assessment, personalized syllabus and instructions from a Hebrew teacher via email.
• New! Premium PLUS – With the Premium PLUS plan, not only do you get everything inside the Premium Plan but also 1-on-1 access to your very own teacher and a personalized learning program. So you get the best of both worlds – access to a teacher and the ability to learn at your pace with fast, fun and easy lessons.
  This plan currently with a 20% OFF limited discount!
  

Pros

• Lots of interesting and high-quality videos for learning Hebrew.
• Both audio and video instructions are very illustrative and with perfect sound quality.
• Interactive and well-designed dashboard helps you get an overview of the lessons.
• Study tools are extremely helpful for personalizing your learning process and creating custom syllabus. These tools make the learning process more diverse and therefore more interesting as they combine different learning techniques.
• Additional features such as e-books, audio books and apps provide extremely useful supplements for learning. You can use all of these features on your mobile device, so you can study regardless where you are.

Cons

• Each lesson has only one or a few review exercises, which may not be enough for reviewing in details.
• Only Premium Plus membership includes feedback from the teacher via email. Otherwise, there is no feedback or the ability to assess your progress.
• You cannot schedule private tutoring sessions with the teachers.
• There is no interaction on the site between the students.

FAQs

•  How do I get an account?

Sign up for a free account at HebrewPod101. In addition, you will get 7-day free trial of a premium access to test all of the features on the website.

•  What is the dashboard?

The dashboard is the first thing you see after you log in. It contains your courses, as well as the recommended lessons. It is easy to navigate through the lessons and to track your learning progress, since dashboard records the information about your activity and your progress.

•  How do I download the lessons?

In order to download the lesson you can use option “Save as” next to the lesson. This refers to both audio and video files, as well as to PDF notes. You can also subscribe to free public feeds using iTunes and Google, which enables you to download audio and video files.

Final Say

Innovative Language combines different learning styles and interactive interface to present learning the language in a simplified and interesting way. The online dashboard is very easy to use. Courses are more focused on listening and reading, than on writing or speaking. Furthermore, there are much more materials for studying than for reviewing. While personalized learning experience allows you to learn more efficiently as you are able to adjust the course according to your tempo and learning style, you are on your own with the lessons. There is no possibility to interact with the teachers or with other learners. However, Premium Plus membership enables you to get instructions via email. Interactive study tools for online learning and applications for learning and practicing vocabulary via mobile devices provide the additional value to this learning program. With lots of resources and interactive learning tools, HebrewPod101 is a great way to for learning Hebrew, regardless if you are a beginner or advanced student.

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Hebrew Letters

The Hebrew Alphabet consists of 22 letters (From right to left). Click on the letter you wish to practice:

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