trusted-test winner Babbel has long been known as a language app for private individuals and offers a decent number of languages (currently 14). What makes Babbel so interesting for business purposes, however, is the English course, with which you can learn English up to the second-highest language level C1; and that in all facets. You can choose from many different "skills" or courses. For example, Babbel teaches you how to communicate in English on the phone or by e-mail, how to break the ice in casual small talk, how to shine in meetings, negotiations and presentations, what you should bear in mind on a business trip, and much more. You learn effectively and flexibly in short, self-contained lessons in which you have to correctly match words or fill in gaps, for example.

Babbel also offers special courses for different industries. These provide the necessary vocabulary for professional fields such as the car industry, journalism, gastronomy, sales and marketing, HR and more. In addition to the specific vocabulary, these courses sometimes also outline important skills for the respective jobs. In the journalism language course, for example, you learn how to recognise and write different types of newspaper articles, or how to prepare and conduct interviews in English. Babbel is thus not only an online language course, but almost a professional development measure.

Babbel does not offer intensive courses in any other important business language, so you won't find business Spanish, French or even Chinese here. However, with its very in-depth introduction to English, the world's most common business language, Babbel can still secure a top place as a business language school.

With the "Babbel for Business" offer, the provider reinforces this good impression. Specially tailored courses for the hectic everyday working life and a good overview for admins and supervisors ensure here that your entire team can learn the new language and acquire new soft skills. On request, Babbel even offers guided group and individual sessions for your employees with certified tutors and language teachers via video chat.

Conclusion: Babbel is currently one of the best language learning apps when it comes to business English and related soft skills. Hardly any other online language course covers English skills up to language level C1 and offers a similar selection and wealth of specialised courses. At the same time, the provider remains fairly priced: the subscription costs between 7 and 14 euros per month (without live lessons). Test Babbel's English course on your mobile device now for up to 7 days free of charge.

Rosetta Stone offers a very unique approach to learning with the so-called "Dynamic Immersion Method". Here, the learners are supposed to learn the language like a child learns its mother tongue. By listening, observing and imitating. Rosetta Stone therefore does not use translations at all, but links new vocabulary only with pictures and sound. This learning method is designed for a long-term learning process and is suitable for beginners and advanced learners. Otherwise, the language learning app is very similar to the Babbel concept; in short lessons, you complete tasks that deal with the new vocabulary and grammar, and thus progress through several levels or stages.

Rosetta Stone has a special offer for business customers: any number of employee accounts can be linked to a business account, each of which can learn flexibly and independently with Rosetta Stone at their own pace and on their own device. Up to 24 languages are available. As an admin, you have an overview of the progress of all employee accounts and the company's learning goals at all times. This makes Rosetta Stone ideal for in-house training or refresher courses.

However, Rosetta Stone has one problem: the individual language courses only go up to a maximum of CEFR level B2, which certifies advanced knowledge. Many special courses, such as the English course from Babbel, EF English Live or ABA English, support you up to level C1 or even C2. In addition, Rosetta Stone does not award language certificates after a completed level.

Conclusion: To refresh your employees' language skills or even to learn a completely new language such as French, Italian, Spanish, etc. from scratch, Rosetta Stone is well suited and logistically ideal due to the clear admin console and the personal employee accounts. However, to develop or consolidate specific business skills - for example, through high-level business English courses - other providers are more interesting.

Similar to Rosetta Stone, EF English Live combines the charm and flexibility of a classic learning app with professional live lessons by certified teachers. Unlike Rosetta Stone, you only learn English here - as the name suggests - but if you wish, you can learn up to the highest CEFR level C2. The entire English course at EF is based on the CEFR. Basic level courses take you up to level A2, intermediate level courses up to level B1, and so on. The strong orientation to the recognised CEFR standard means that your acquired skills can be accurately tracked. Upon completion of each level, you will also receive a corresponding language certificate from EF.

This does not replace an official or certified certificate such as TOEFL or TOEIC. However, if you need one for your job or your next job application, EF English Live has you covered with special preparation courses for both exams; these special courses are included in every EF English account and come at no extra cost.

Learning on EF English Live is relatively easy. Similar to Babbel or Rosetta Stone, you learn new vocabulary and the necessary grammar in the online language course in individual completed lessons on specific topics. You answer questions about pictures or videos, assign words and sentences to the correct translation, fill in gaps, etc.

Depending on the subscription you choose, self-study is regularly complemented by group or individual sessions with EF's certified language teachers. Here, you'll exchange ideas with other learners in group sessions - great preparation for meetings, negotiations and everyday conversations with colleagues - or go deeper into specific skills and subject areas in individual sessions with your chosen tutor. Group sessions take place regularly and around the clock, so you can simply join in flexibly. For individual sessions, on the other hand, you make an appointment with your respective tutor.

Conclusion: EF English Live is one of the best and most comprehensive online English courses you can find today. The high level of learning and the enhancement of the learning app through live lessons are ideal for business purposes; in addition, there are 'soft' certificates to prove your language skills, as well as preparation for the official and globally recognised language tests. The whole thing is available for between 30 and 80 euros per month (depending on how many live lessons you want to book).

Preply is not a language learning app like Babbel and Co., but a platform where you can network with language teachers and tutors all over the world. Not only are there language courses in every language imaginable on the programme here; there are also courses in programming, subjects and areas of interest such as mathematics and literature, and indeed some business courses available. The range of courses on offer at Preply is therefore very broad, but of course always depends on which private teachers and tutors are currently offering the relevant courses.

What makes Preply interesting as a private continuing education for everyday business is primarily not the special courses such as business and management courses, but above all the learning level. Unlike most language learning apps, which take you up to the CEFR levels B2 or C1 at most, Preply also has certified tutors with whom you can learn English and many other languages up to the highest level C2. In private video lessons, you can deepen exactly those aspects of the language that particularly interest you with your tutor. A positive side effect of the personal exchange with your teacher is that you not only learn theoretically, but also put your knowledge to practical use in every lesson. In this way, you also practise speaking freely, as you might need to do, for example, in small talk with colleagues and customers, in meetings or during presentations.

If you are looking for a course on Preply, you can also decide for yourself how much you want to pay per hour. But what's really good is the calendar function. If you choose a tutor or language teacher, you can see directly at which times the respective teacher still has capacities available, and thus plan your course ideally around your everyday working life. In a first trial lesson, you can quickly find out whether the chemistry between you and your teacher is right.

Conclusion: Preply is an excellent and clear placement platform for tutors and tutoring teachers in all possible languages and at all possible levels. Of course, the quality of the courses depends on the teacher in question; accordingly, training with Preply can also be a real gamble. On the other hand, the possibility to define in the search engine exactly what kind of course you are looking for and how much time you have makes the platform ideal for stressful everyday life. Do you want to test Preply? Book a trial lesson now and find your teacher.