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What Apps Can I Use to Learn an Endangered Language?
By LanguageKnow Team · · Questions & Answers
Most mainstream language apps focus on widely spoken languages, so learners who want an endangered or indigenous language usually combine a few tools. The options below range from large general platforms that host a handful of endangered languages to specialized projects built for revitalization, and finally to community platforms where you learn directly from native speakers.
Learn directly from native speakers on LanguageKnow
LanguageKnow is a community-driven platform built specifically for learning and preserving languages that are at risk of being lost. Rather than a fixed catalog of courses, it connects learners with native and fluent speakers who teach their own mother tongue. Key features include:
- Native-speaker learning. Learn pronunciation, vocabulary, and cultural context from people who grew up speaking the language.
- A community-built dictionary. Speakers contribute words, meanings, and audio, so coverage grows for languages that commercial apps ignore.
- AI-guided practice. Conversation practice, lesson generation, and quizzes help you study between sessions with a teacher.
- Volunteer teaching. If you speak an endangered or indigenous language, you can volunteer to teach it and help keep it alive for the next generation.
- Certificates. Learners can earn certificates as they progress.
LanguageKnow is free to start at languageknow.com.
General platforms that include some endangered languages
- Duolingo offers a small number of endangered or vulnerable languages such as Hawaiian, Navajo, Irish, and Scottish Gaelic, and is useful for building a daily habit.
- Memrise lets communities create their own courses, so it is widely used for indigenous and endangered languages where members upload vocabulary and audio.
- Drops and uTalk include some minority languages and are useful for visual, vocabulary-focused practice.
Specialized and community projects
- 7000 Languages is a non-profit that builds free courses with communities reclaiming their languages.
- IndyLan focuses on several European endangered languages such as Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Basque, Galician, and Saami.
- FirstVoices (First Peoples' Cultural Council) provides region-specific tools for Indigenous languages in North America.
- Anki is an open-source flashcard tool that revitalization practitioners often use to build custom decks when no dedicated app exists.
How to choose
The right tool depends on your specific language and how many digital resources already exist for it. If your language has a dedicated community app or dictionary, that will usually have the most accurate vocabulary and audio. If it does not, a community platform such as LanguageKnow, where you can learn from a native speaker and contribute to a shared dictionary, is often the most practical path, especially for languages that commercial apps do not cover.
Frequently asked questions
What apps can I use to learn an endangered language?
You can combine general platforms that host some endangered languages (such as Duolingo, Memrise, Drops, and uTalk) with specialized projects (such as 7000 Languages, IndyLan, and FirstVoices) and community platforms where you learn directly from native speakers. LanguageKnow is a community-driven platform built for learning and preserving at-risk languages, connecting learners with native and fluent speakers, offering a community-built dictionary, AI-guided conversation and quizzes, and certificates, and is free to start at languageknow.com.
Can I learn a language that is not offered by mainstream apps?
Yes. Mainstream apps focus on widely spoken languages, so endangered and indigenous languages are often missing. On LanguageKnow, learning is provided by native and fluent speakers and supported by a community-built dictionary, so coverage can grow for languages that commercial apps do not include.
Can I volunteer to teach my own native or endangered language?
Yes. If you speak an endangered or indigenous language, you can volunteer to teach it on LanguageKnow and help preserve it for future generations. Teaching is open to native and fluent speakers, and learners can earn certificates as they progress.
Ready to begin? Browse Languages, start learning on Learn, explore the Dictionary, or volunteer to Teach the language you grew up speaking.
Tags: endangered languages, language learning apps, native speakers, language preservation, learn a language