A review of the WordBit app — An excellent innovation that needs some more work
WordBit is an app that shows you a word in the language you are learning, every time you unlock your phone.
This is a truly excellent idea! But, I found there was a lot of room for improvement.
True innovation
I downloaded this app directly from a YouTube ad. I rarely download the language apps I’m advertised because I feel they’re all generally doing the same old thing. However, WordBit seemed genuinely new and innovative so I downloaded it straight away.
I love discovering language learning products that take a new piece of technology or a new trend and innovate around it. This is exactly what Go Correct did.
Forming habits
I believe it’s well known in the world of psychology that the best way to motivate yourself to do something is to attach it to an existing habit and WordBit it is a wonderful example of that.
It’s so true we waste/kill so much time on our phones, therefore, using that time more productively to learn new language is very worthwhile.
Having said all that, I found the app had some issues which I hope the makers can address.
Areas for improvement
1. I realised that more than 50% of the time when I’m unlocking my phone, it’s to do something quick and ‘urgent’. For example, to check directions on Google Maps while walking around a city, to quickly send a text to say I’m running late. In these situations the word pop-up is just annoying.
However, for someone who mainly uses their phone for wasting time on social media, I think this app would be more more useful and less annoying. In fact, the ideal way for it to work would be that you specify a few apps that you know you waste time browsing on (eg. Instagram) and for every one minute you spend looking at that app, a word pops up on screen. Then you could be sure you’re only seeing words in your down time.
2. The vast majority of the Spanish words I was shown were ‘cognates’ (ie. words that are the same in English and Spanish). These are not words I need to learn so it felt like a waste of time seeing them. I think the vocabulary list needed some ‘curation’ to make it useful but it was clear the makers hadn’t done that.
Most useful would be if I could add my own words — words I know are especially useful for me because I’ve used them in my life or in my past Spanish interactions. (Maybe this is already a feature, but I couldn’t find it).
3. I found that the app kept activating in my pocket. My pocket accidentally turned on loads of additional word categories and levels and turned on the pronunciation feature. This resulted in Spanish words being spoken from my pocket at random moments!
Please pursue this great idea
I deleted the app after fewer than three days using it. That was a shame because it’s such a good idea.
I noticed on the Play store that the latest update allowed you to “click words you can check their syllabic division and stress marks”. I think the makers need to focus on solving some of the basic issues I mentioned above rather than adding new features.
Who are the makers of WordBit? I couldn’t find any information on this but I’d love to know.
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