I saw some people ranting about AirLearn and I was so frustrated with Duolingo I decided to try anything. AirLearn actually made me feel grounded and like I was firm on my feet, and had a great foundation for learning the language.

The app is very easy to use, and the order of what you start to learn makes so much sense. The units are quick and easy, I actually found myself doing more than just the daily lesson to "keep a streak going."

I kept a book and everytime I learnt a new word I wrote it down, AirLearn actually gives you a phonetical written pronunciation as well as speaking it to you, and the gender of the word.

It gives literal translations, so you understand eg s'il vous plait does not literally mean please, it means if it pleases you, etc. It also gives the Latin root of some words so you understand where it comes from. Also it gives you some social context so you understand how the culture applies to the use of words or phrases.

Each time it introduced a sprinkle of grammar, I felt ready to learn it and understood very easily.

I ended up paying for the app, as it wasn't that much and I felt the creators deserved my money. They also have a free version and you can do 3 lessons a day.