Where To Learn Basque: The Best Courses, Classes, And Apps

Where To Learn Basque: The Best Courses, Classes, And Apps

Congratulations on deciding to learn Europe’s oldest language! You’re in good company.

So, now what? Where do you even start learning a language like Basque? Due to the fact that it’s spoken by only 750,000 people, most of whom live in a small region of Spain and France, and despite the language’s age, there just aren’t that many resources out there for language learners.

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Things are better than they were before the advent of the Internet, however. Today, you’ll be able to find several courses, classes, or apps that aim to teach you the basics of the Basque language in their own, unique way.

Not all of these resources are created equal, though. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of what we believe to be the best, most affordable Basque programs for language learners. These are the ones that we think will give you the best chance at success in learning this fascinating language.

Basque courses and classes

Language Life School

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Language Life School’s Basque course is a great way to learn the language from native speakers who are also professional teachers. No matter what your level is, you can find a course that suits your needs. There’s even an option to have a course tailor-made specifically for you, which is a great option for those who want to focus on specific areas of the Basque language.

Language Life School offers courses that focus on conversation, exam preparation, and general Basque, and even provides courses for kids and tourists.

You can choose to work with a private tutor or in a group setting, and there are options for 30, 60, or 90-minute lessons. Prices for private lessons start at $16.50 per hour, while group lessons start at $6.50 per hour.

All lessons are via Skype or Zoom, so you can learn from anywhere in the world, in the comfort of your home. Payment is via PayPal.

Basque online language programs

Aisa by HABE

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AISA is a free, internet-based course that provides learners with an introduction to the Basque language. The course is divided into 20 units, each containing 5 tasks and 5 exercises. The last task in each unit is an evaluation of the vocabulary and grammar covered in that unit.

The course takes approximately 60-80 hours to complete and covers a range of topics including daily life situations, such as going to the doctor or restaurant.

The exercises offered to test your knowledge are varied, such as filling in the gaps, making pairs, multiple choice questions, and linking pictures and text. There are also supplementary resources available to help you, including a dictionary and grammar section designed to break down the language’s rules.

This interactive course aims to take absolute beginners to a comfortable A2 level in Basque, in an entertaining way, using animated videos and games. You’ll need to sign up to enroll, but it’s a small price to pay for such a comprehensive course. Text is available in English, Spanish, and Italian.

Basque language learning apps

uTalk Basque

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Basque is among the 150 languages offered on uTalk, a language learning app that aims to make learning a new language as easy and fun as possible.

With uTalk, you’ll get access to over 2,000 Basque words and phrases, all of which are organized into topics such as “Greetings”, “Food”, “Family”, etc. There’s also a handy phrasebook so you can easily reference Basque while you’re on the go.

In addition to that, the app features interactive games to help with vocabulary retention and pronunciation.

uTalk is available for both iOS and Android devices, and you can choose between a monthly or yearly subscription.

For a detailed look at how the uTalk app works, along with pictures of the app in action, check out our uTalk review, where you can also get 20% off any of their courses.

Cudoo Basque

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You can learn Basque with Cudoo’s affordable bundle course, which is composed of 4 different courses that cover a wide range of topics.

You’ll learn how to pronounce words properly, expand your vocabulary, speak about time, days, and months, talk about food and drinks, and even learn key phrases for business travel.

The course is suited for anyone wanting to learn the language, with no previous knowledge or experience required. The estimated duration of the course is about 100 hours, and you’ll receive a personalized certificate upon completion.

Included with your purchase are quizzes and digital flashcards, making it a comprehensive way to learn Basque online. The price for the bundle is $24.99. You can buy each course separately if you prefer, though the bundle offers a discount.

Udemy: Basque minicourse for very beginners

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The Basque minicourse for beginners is designed to help people who are starting from scratch with learning the language. The course is broken into modules, and the first module covers basics such as introducing and talking about yourself, answering common questions, basic vocabulary, and grammar concepts.

You’ll get an impressive 3.5 hours of on-demand video content, plus full lifetime access to the course and its materials. You can access it on almost any device, and once you complete the course you’ll receive a certificate of completion.

At only $29.99, this course is a great deal for anyone interested in learning the Basque language and culture.

Udemy: Basic Basque course

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The Basic Basque course is the second on our list that’s available on Udemy. This course consists of 7 in-depth lessons, which cover the following topics: greetings, numbers, the time, the date, introducing yourself, interrogative pronouns, and demonstratives. You’ll also learn a bit about the grammar used in each of these topics.

The course is made up of 1.5 hours of on-demand video, and also comes with a practice test to help you check your understanding. Once you’ve completed the course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.

As with all Udemy courses, you get lifetime access and the ability to use the course on mobile, desktop, or even TV. At just $19.99, you can’t really go wrong!

Memrise: Basque me!

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Basque me! is an introductory course to the Standard Basque language, aka Euskara Batua. It covers the 100 most essential words in the language, with accompanying audio.

There are 17 levels/lessons in the course, which cover topics like pronouns, verbs, numbers, adjectives, and more. The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and is free to use on mobile and desktop devices.

At the time of writing this, over 1,700 learners are taking the course – making it the most popular Basque course on Memrise. If you’re looking for a free introduction to this fascinating language, look no further!

Memrise: Big Basque Basics

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The Big Basque Basics course offered for free on Memrise is designed to introduce beginners to all the important Basque vocabulary and phrases they need to get started speaking the language.

The course consists of 33 levels, each covering different topics such as greetings, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, articles, and more.

There’s a total of 18 hours worth of content, though it can be completed at your own pace. While there is no audio, we still believe you’ll get a lot out of it. Basque isn’t especially difficult to pronounce (check out our post on the Basque alphabet and how to pronounce the language), so following along shouldn’t be a problem.

The course can be accessed on both mobile and desktop, making it convenient to learn no matter where you are.

Bluebird Languages Basque course

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The Basque course from Bluebird Languages is a simple and effective way to learn to speak and understand Basque.

The course is based on the proven spaced repetition technique, which makes it easy to retain what you learn without a great deal of effort. Videos are between 15-45 minutes long, though the daily lessons on the free course are shorter and more manageable for the busy learner.

The course is audio-focused, giving you a whopping 2,000 pre-recorded lessons, which cover a wide range of topics. Plus there are plenty of ways to test your knowledge with quizzes, and you can keep track of your progress with detailed statistics.

There’s even an option to create a personalized course that covers the things you’re most interested in; or if you’re learning for work, you can create a course specifically tailored for one of 60 occupations.

Bluebird Languages is one of the more expensive apps on our list, though their prices are still very reasonable for what you get. The full course (including access to all 160+ languages) costs $13.99 per month, $99.99 per year, or $199.99 for lifetime access.

Available on iOS and Android.


Can you learn Basque on Duolingo, Pimsleur, or Rosetta Stone?

Duolingo, Pimsleur, and Rosetta Stone are among the most popular language-learning platforms in the world, but sadly, they don’t offer courses in Basque.

This is likely because Basque is a minority language with a relatively small number of speakers, and there simply isn’t enough interest in it to justify developing a course.

The good news is that Duolingo in particular is always expanding its language selection, and it listens to its users, so there’s a chance the team may eventually offer a Basque course.

In the meantime, as we hope we’ve demonstrated with this list, there are plenty of awesome alternatives for learning Basque. For a similar, gamification-based experience to Duolingo, uTalk comes the closest.


Get a head start on learning Basque and check out our Greetings and Salutations in Basque article, or head on over to How To Learn Basque: The Best Methods to get some tips on how best to approach learning the language.