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What are the alternatives to Novakid? Before answering this question, let's discuss the importance of digital platforms like Novakid. As we know, in today's digital age, online education platforms are rapidly gaining popularity. English education platforms designed especially for children remind us once again how important it is to learn a foreign language in a globalized world. Novakid, one of these platforms, stands out with its interactive lessons and personalized learning methods. However, every child and their family have different needs, opportunities, and preferences. So, what kind of experience do Novakid and similar platforms offer? What are Novakid's strengths and weaknesses? Which platforms can be considered alternatives without the shortcomings of Novakid?
To learn the answers directly from a parent's perspective, we at bestlanguagelearningapps.com conducted an in-depth interview with Alice, whose daughter is a Novakid user. She shared her sincere opinions about the platform's pros, cons, and alternatives. Let's get to know her!
The parent we interviewed, Alice, is a mother of two. Her older child, Ethan, is 11 years old and in 5th grade. Her younger daughter, Clara, is 5 years old and has just started kindergarten. Alice believes in the importance of children receiving foreign language education at an early age, so she started Ethan's online English education at age 10. For Clara, they are currently trying to learn basic words with English storybooks at home.
Emphasizing the importance her family places on foreign language education, Alice believes that linguistic knowledge is crucial for her children to compete in a global world. Before starting with online platforms, she had many questions: Which platform is better? Is it suitable for her child? Are the teachers adequate? And, of course, what will the cost be?
Alice remembers the day Ethan had his first online English lesson, sharing that she was both excited and a little anxious. We continue our interview to learn more about Alice's journey, thoughts, and recommendations.
Interviewer: Alice, what can you tell us about Ethan's experience with Novakid?
Alice: Ethan was really excited when he started with Novakid. Initially, he was always glued to the screen and enjoyed the lessons. Unfortunately, we have faced some technical issues in recent months. Connection problems, repeated materials, and teacher changes became challenges. Ethan got along well with the teacher he started with, but frequent teacher changes on the platform made his adaptation process difficult. Such constant changes negatively impacted Ethan's motivation and desire to learn. It was a good experience initially, but I think it's time to look for better alternatives now.
Interviewer: What were the advantages and disadvantages of the platform over time?
Alice: Initially, Novakid's colorful and child-friendly interface, combined with its fun, game-based learning method, was a significant advantage for Ethan. He truly enjoyed participating in the lessons. However, over time, the technical issues we faced, lack of communication with our teacher, connection errors, and repetition of some lesson materials negatively affected Ethan's motivation. Honestly, we were quite satisfied with the platform initially, but these problems led us to seek alternatives.
Interviewer: How has Ethan's progress been in English?
Alice: We noticed significant improvements in Ethan's English in the early months. He began forming simple sentences in daily language and started using new words. However, we realized his progress slowed down due to the platform's repetitive materials and the lack of diversity in lesson content. Of course, not everything is bad, and he's still improving in some areas, but overall, we're not seeing the progress we expected.
Interviewer: Lastly, do you have any recommendations for parents?
Alice: Of course, when choosing online education platforms, it's beneficial not to decide based solely on first impressions. Initially, everything may seem very appealing, but it's essential to assess whether the platform will maintain your child's interest in the long run and not encounter technical issues. My suggestion is to make good use of trial periods and compare various platforms before making a choice. And remember, whether your child truly enjoys it will be the best measure.
To sum up, according to Alice, the shortcomings of Novakid are:
While Novakid is quite popular among platforms offering foreign language education for children, Mrs. Alice’s experiences show that other platforms also need to be evaluated. Here's the ranking of popular websites offering English education for children as alternatives to Novakid:
Flalingo Kids offers colorful and interactive lesson materials specifically designed for children. This platform, which offers uniqueness and personalization for students, is quickly becoming the top choice among parents due to its rising popularity. The instructors are also experts in child education.
| Flalingo Kids Pros | Flalingo Kids Cons |
|---|---|
| Modular Course System Where You Can Track Your Child's Development. | Customer service contacting without obtaining KVKK permission. |
| Professional English teacher options for beginners with Turkish as their native language. | Some users experiencing technical problems. |
| 24/7 accessible solution-oriented customer contact center. | |
| Live online English lessons from teachers all certified for kids. | |
| Unlimited 24/7 access to Oxford University Press Materials exclusively for children. | |
| Teachers specialized in teaching English to children. |
In this special version prepared for children by Cambly, interactive lessons are offered through live video sessions with native English-speaking teachers. The focus is mainly on improving speaking skills, and it's quite successful in student-teacher interaction.
| Cambly Kids Pros | Cambly Kids Cons |
|---|---|
| Options for 15 and 30-minute lessons, in addition to taking lessons 2, 3, and 5 days a week. | Despite the large number of teachers in the Cambly Kids system, the inability to regularly take lessons from a preferred teacher. |
| One-on-one online lessons with video from instructors. | Lessons being taught by individuals whose professional occupation isn't teaching. |
| Opportunity to access Cambly Kids English teaching content outside of lessons. | Recording of credit card details and renewing the subscription without notice, and difficulties in obtaining refunds. |
With a vast teacher pool worldwide, Preply offers a unique language learning experience for children. Students have the opportunity to get to know different cultures while learning the language from teachers from these cultures.
| Preply Kids Pros | Preply Kids Cons |
|---|---|
| Ability to purchase packages of 6, 12, 20, or 40 lessons from a designated teacher. | Lessons being taught by teachers without a Kids certificate. |
| Preply system compatible with desktops, iOS, Android, and Mac computers. | Lack of content specifically prepared for children. |
| One-on-one online lessons with video from instructors. | After purchasing a package, you cannot switch from an unsatisfactory teacher to another. |
Offering a learning process supported by live lessons, interactive games, and animations, English Ninjas Kids also encourages creativity. However, it's known to face criticisms due to frequent teacher changes.
| English Ninjas Kids Pros | English Ninjas Kids Cons |
|---|---|
| Virtual demo tours for the platform introduction before making a purchase at English Ninjas Kids. | Renewing the subscription without notification by storing credit card details. |
| Live English lessons every half hour on English Ninjas Kids. | Despite upfront payment for a year, only a 14-day penalty-free refund period. |
| A library of English materials with rich content. | Hard-to-reach customer service after sales. |
| Inability to take lessons with the same teacher and not being able to choose the teacher. |
Besides live lessons, Livexp supports language learning with fun games and projects, offering students the opportunity to practice with real-life scenarios. However, there can be issues with its technical infrastructure.
| Livexp Kids Artıları | Livexp Kids Eksileri |
|---|---|
| Masaüstü, iOS, Android ve Mac bilgisayarlarla uyumlu Livexp sistemi. | Kredi kart bilgilerinin kaydedilerek haber verilmeden abonelik yenilemesi yapılması. |
| Birebir online öğretmenlerden videolu özel dersler. | Ders takip sistemi yok. |
| Esnek program belirleme imkanı. | Profesyonel mesleği öğretmenlik olmayan kişilerin ders veriyor olması. |
Focuses on developing basic language grammar and vocabulary for children. It's a platform that offers language education with fun animations, songs, and games. It stands out with activities designed for children to have fun while learning a language.
| Lingo Kids Pros | Lingo Kids Cons |
|---|---|
| Lingoda system compatible with Desktop, iOS, Android, and Mac computers. | Subscription renewal without notification by storing credit card details. |
| Flexibility to set your own schedule. | Inaccessible customer service. |
| Private lessons on Zoom either with small groups or 1-on-1. | People whose professional occupation isn't teaching are giving lessons. |
Each of these platforms can offer different advantages depending on your child's needs and interests. What's important is to choose the most suitable platform for your child to continue their language learning process in an enjoyable and effective way.
In this article, we closely examined the experiences of Mrs. Alice and her son Ethan with Novakid. Mrs. Alice mentioned that Ethan was initially very interested in Novakid, but over time, technical issues on the platform, teacher changes, and repetitive materials led to decreased interest. Looking at Ethan's progress in language education, we see that significant progress was made initially, but this progress stagnated due to the aforementioned problems.
Regarding the future education plans of Mrs. Alice and Ethan; Mrs. Alice plans to turn to alternative platforms that can offer a more stable, high-quality, and continuous education experience for Ethan. Flalingo Kids, being at the top, could also be a consideration for Mrs. Alice . Ethan has expressed interest in gamified educational materials, and therefore he wants to continue his education on a platform that offers fun and interactive lesson content.
This interview and platform comparisons can help parents get an idea of what to consider when choosing the most suitable online English education platform for their children. Every child and family has different needs, so it's essential to do detailed research to find the best option.
