Smigin is a conversation-based language learning platform available

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

and as a

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...

lication for

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

and Android. As of March 2016, Smigin has two products: Smigin, a language-learning website and Smigin Travel, a mobile translation app. Smigin's language learning site offers 4 different destination languages across 3 source languages, with several languages in development. Smigin Travel, exclusively designed for the mobile interface, is available on iOS and Android in 11 languages with users in over 175 countries.

History

Smigin was founded by Irish entrepreneur Susan O’Brien as an alternative to traditional language learning products and methods that focus on rigid grammar structures rather than conversational language. After moving to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and having to learn Portuguese as a complete beginner, O’Brien – a

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

graduate who speaks six languages – decided to develop a

language learning Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language. In other words, it is how human beings gain the ability to be aware of language, to understand it, and to produce and use words and ...

solution that puts the user in control of their learning and focuses on what users wants to learn, with primary emphasis on conversational language. Smigin Travel, the company's first product, launched on the

App Store An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...

on February 17, 2014. Smigin Travel is a multilingual, multi-directional “phrasebuilder” tool that enables travelers to speak a foreign language. Its

user interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...

enables users to build and translate phrases across location-based sections such as Café, Restaurant, Hotel etc. The app also features phonetic spelling and audio recorded by native language speakers to help users pronounce their phrase. With the support of

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

in New York City, Smigin began to optimize Smigin Travel for Android in mid-2015 and in August 2015 released the Android version on the

Google Play Store Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...

. Smigin Travel is free to download, and users have the ability to unlock additional content through

in-app purchases Microtransaction (mtx) refers to a business model where users can purchase in-game virtual goods with micropayments. Microtransactions are often used in free-to-play games to provide a revenue source for the developers. While microtransactions ...

. Initial support for the Smigin Travel app grew quickly and the company amassed users in 175 countries. The app is available in English,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, French,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, Portuguese,

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

, Swedish and

Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; , ; , ), or simply Creole (), is a French-based creole languages, French-based creole language spoken by 10 to 12million people worldwide, and is one of the two official languages of Haiti (the other being French), where it ...

. On September 29, 2015, Smigin launched a month-long

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

campaign with a funding goal of $20,000 for its second product named after the company. On October 27, 2015, Smigin successfully passed its funding goal and on October 29, 2015, Smigin acquired upwards of $20,000 to invest in further product development for its second product. In March 2016, the company released its eponymous second product, Smigin – a browser-based language learning solution for beginners with an emphasis on conversational skills. Smigin launched in

, Portuguese and

English as a Second Language English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

. Additional languages will be added throughout 2016, including

Asian languages Asia is home to hundreds of languages comprising several families and some unrelated isolates. The most spoken language families on the continent include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Japonic, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turkic, ...

. Smigin is listed b
Digital NYC
as a Made in NY startup.

Methodology

Smigin's patent-pending methodology employs a three-step approach to speaking a foreign language: Curated content: All Smigin content has been curated for location-based or situational scenarios to reflect useful language for real life application. Users pick sections to access relevant words and phrases they need to say at any given time.
Built-in grammar: Smigin's “built-in

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

" uses the infinitive form of verbs so users can create a wide variety of sentences without conjugations.
Real-life language: By gaining instant access to relevant words and phrases, Smigin empowers users to “break down language barriers” and become confident travelers by engaging in conversation. Users are encouraged to travel and apply their new skills to interactions with foreign locals.

Products

Smigin

Smigin's language courses focus on conversation as the center of the user's learning. Each course is segmented into context-based sections such as Meet & Greet, Café, and Hotel. Most sections are based on situations in which language beginners may find themselves abroad, and are divided into three levels: Words, Phrases, and Chat. Instead of forcing users into a fixed learning structure that involves

rote memorization Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition (rhetorical device), repetition. The method rests on the premise that the recollection, recall of repeated material becomes faster the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to ...

and grammar drills, Smigin allows users to freely navigate the platform. Users can also access reference sessions that provide additional vocabulary words, as well as detailed explanations of the language's grammar rules.

Chat

Chat allows users to

simulate A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used interchangeably with model. Sometimes a clear distinction between the two terms is made, in ...

short conversations with a virtual “local” to prepare for real-life conversations with locals abroad. During Chat, users enhance their conversational skills by responding to questions and prompts. Chat's text-input interface demonstrates the variety of conversations a user can have in another language without an in-depth knowledge of verb conjugations and varied grammatical structures.

Words and Phrases

Users are encouraged to start a section by learning relevant words and phrases related to that section. Phrases use the Smigin Method of enabling the user to create simple sentences without worrying about grammar; to add visual context, all videos were shot on-location in countries where the language is spoken (e.g.

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

). Users can listen to

native speaker Native Speaker may refer to: * ''Native Speaker'' (novel), a 1995 novel by Chang-Rae Lee * ''Native Speaker'' (album), a 2011 album by Canadian band Braids * Native speaker, a person using their first language or mother tongue * Native spea ...

audio, view the phonetic pronunciation of each word or phrase, and translate to and from their native language throughout these levels.

Smigin Travel

Smigin Travel is a mobile application for iOS and Android that enables users to build and translate phrases in multiple languages while abroad. Smigin Travel allows users to create phrases and ask questions based on various situations in which they will find themselves on their travels. As of March 2016, the sections consisted of: Café, Bar, Restaurant, Hotel, Shopping, Emergency, Getting Around, Transport, Business, and Destinations. Each section features sentence starters, pre-conjugated verbs, and sentence objects that together form phrases and questions based on the respective section. Users have the ability to hear their phrases spoken by

native speakers A first language (L1), native language, native tongue, or mother tongue is the first language a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongue'' refers ...

, read simplified

phonetic Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds or, in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians ...

spelling to learn how best to pronounce them using their native syllables, and save phrases for later use. Additionally, users have the ability to create their own personal phrasebook that suits the needs of their travel experiences. As of March 2016, Smigin Travel amassed users in over 175 countries.Clancy, Elaine
"Travel without learning languages? Now you can."
IrishCentral. 20 August 2015. Retrieved on 9 March 2016.

References

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External links

Official Website
American educational websites Internet properties established in 2014 Language learning software