Runa is a spoken English coach for adults who speak Spanish. She says something, you answer out loud in English, and then you hear her say it.
Hey Runa is coming to the iPhone App Store.
A sitting is about twenty minutes of talking. Runa sets up a moment in Spanish and asks you to say something in English. A short chime means it's your turn: you say it out loud, and after a moment she says it, so you hear the English right after you've tried it yourself. Here's a turn from the first unit:
Tu amiga Sara, de Chicago, te pregunta si tu receta es complicada. Dile: Es simple.
It's simple.
It's simple.
You don't need to look at the screen to follow along, so a sitting fits a walk, a kitchen, or a commute with earbuds in.
The units are built around small scenes with Ana and Luis, and from the second track, Pablo. A line of theirs plays and you answer in your own role. The transcript you see on the screen is there if you want it. The audio is complete on its own.
You start at Unit 1, "Words you already know", which is built on the English that's already in your Spanish: ideal, terrible, taxi, hotel.
On Pause, Slower replays the turn at four fifths speed, and you can tap a word for its meaning and hear it on its own. After a unit, See what you can say shows the cards Runa has taught you so far, and the Sounds tab keeps the sound cards you've unlocked. None of it is required by a spoken turn.
No multiple choice, no flashcards, no streaks, no score. What Runa teaches comes back as cards you can read, and as sentences she brings up again later in conversation.
General American English, for real conversation. The first track starts from nothing and gets you to saying what you have, want, need, and like, making plans for tomorrow, saying where people and things are, and asking your first questions. The second track opens with who you are: your name, where you're from, and what you do.
An iPhone and an internet connection. The app never turns on the microphone: you say your answer out loud for yourself, and Runa never hears it. You sign in with Sign in with Apple or with a code we email you. The whole course is free.
Write to support@heyruna.ai. For anything about your own data, including having it deleted, see the Privacy Policy.