FAQs About Fabulingua

How to play FabuLingua's mobile game

Are you open to feedback? +

Always! We always want to hear back from you 👂👂👂, be it positive or negative feedback. Please emails us with comments (good or bad!) at support@fabulingua.com

Why use a mobile game to teach a language? +

Mobile Games are Compelling
Mobile Games are Entertaining
Mobile Games are Fun!
…imagine if you could feel all that in a language class! 🤯

Not only would you have a great time …you would learn so much more!

FabuLingua is what is known as a 'serious mobile game' - a game designed to be educational... and yet it feels anything BUT serious! Extensive game design and gamification is built into our story-based app to entertain and reward your child into the most fun language learning journey of exploration and adventure!

However, FabuLingua has been designed to be more than just a 'serious mobile game'. It is the first technology platform based on modern language learning science, on what is known as the 'comprehensible input' hypothesis. Read here to understand more about the patented method and scientific underpinnings of FabuLingua.

How many profiles can I have on one account?+

There are 6 profiles included with each account, which means you can have up to six children using an account at anytime, and FabuLingua will keep track of their progress and rewards separately.

Where is the Parent Portal and what's in it?+

There is a Parent Portal in the app. To get to it, tap the Parent Portal icon - it is on top right of the screen and has the outline of a parent and child side by side.

In the Parent Portal there are four tabs that run along the bottom:
-The 'Account' tab allows you to add a 4 digit parent pin so that you kids cannot access the Parent Portal without your knowledge (Highly recommended!) And you can edit your email address.
-The 'Explorers' tab allows you to add and delete new profiles (you can have up to 6 profiles).
-The 'FAQ' tab leads to the FAQ page.
-The 'Logout'tab allows you to log out of the app.

How can I can add new profiles for my other kids? How do I edit and delete their profiles?+

When you go through the FabuLingua onboarding you will be prompted to make ONE player profile. If you want to add additional profiles you add them in the Parent Portal in the app. Open the Parent Portal and tap the 'Explorers' tab, and tap 'Add Explorer' to add new profiles. Select a profile avatar and give them a name. Then a button will appear that says 'Create' - tap it to create that new profile. To edit a profile tap the profile and then the field you'd like to edit. Note: If a player wants to change their profile avatar, it cannot be done in the Parent Portal, the explorer can do it by tapping their profile in the app and following the prompts.

You delete player profiles in the same Explorers Tab. Once deleted, all progress made in that profile will be lost and cannot be retrieved. Note: You cannot delete the 'Active Profile'. If you want to delete the 'Active profile' go back out of the Parent Portal, tap the profile on the top left and choose another profile to be your 'Active profile'. Go back into the Parent Portal and you are now you can delete that other profile that is no longer the 'Active profile'

How do my kids select their profile in the app so they don't work on their sibling's profile?

On the top left of the screen is the profile avatar and name of the 'Active profile'. That is the profile that is currently playing the game. To change which profile is the 'Active profile', tap the avatar or name on the top left of the screen and tap 'Switch Explorer' to select another profile.

Note: If a child accidentally works on another child's profile, all the progress metrics and rewards (gold and diamond keys, stickers and playing cards) will go to that other child. We cannot ‘re-set’ the progress stored in that profile or move stickers between profiles. So tell your children to double check they are playing on their own profile before the start of each session.

How do my kids edit their profile avatar or name?

Kids can edit their profile avatar themselves in the game as often as they like! They first need to select their own profile so it's the 'Active Profile' (see FAQ above). Then they tap their profile avatar on the top left of the screen and tap the image of their avatar. It will pull up the other avatars they can select instead.

To edit their name, however, the parent needs to open the Parent Portal (see FAQ above), and tap 'Explorers' and select the profile to edit.

What is the ‘Spanish Only’ toggle in the Settings area?

In the Settings area (gear icon at top right of the screen), you will find a 'Spanish Only' toggle. When you toggle it 'on' you will no longer hear the Magical Translation® when you go through the first mode of any story. This is recommended for children who already have an advanced level of Spanish and already understand the stories.

However, if a child comes across a word they don't understand, they can still touch the word to hear its syllabic breakdown in Spanish and its translation into English.

I have just arrived at FabuLingua island, now what? +

Once you have arrived at the island of FabuLingua (that is, you can see an image of the island), the next step is to go into one of the locations to find characters that want to tell you their story (characters that are ready to tell you their story have a speech bubble above them).

Initially, the only location that is unlocked is Location 0, or “Tutorial Beach”.
*Tap that location to be taken to the beach, and then tap the fox to open the tutorial story.
*Complete the story, you will see a rewards screen at the end.
*Tap the keys to collect them (first time you complete the Tutorial story you will earn a gold key and a diamond key).
*Then go to the Fabled Shop (tap the treasure chest icon at the bottom of the screen) and use the diamond key you just earned to open a Discovery Chest. Tap the chest to open it. To collect the rewards in the chest, tap each one as it comes out. You will have collected one Magical Compass, which is all you need to now go back to the island (tap the map icon on the bottom of the screen).
*You will see Location 1 is now unlocked. Tap it, and the Magical Compass you just earned will slide into its slot and Location 1 will open up!

If you have subscribed, you’ll find a number of characters waiting to tell you their stories. If you have not yet subscribed, one of the characters will tell you their story for free. Tap a character and you’ll see the Learning Path for that story.

Initially, only the first step of the Learning Path is available. Complete that step, earn keys for it, and it will open the next step. There is a lot going on at each step of the Learning Path, make sure to read about it, and there are increasingly valuable rewards to be earned for each increasingly challenging step on the Learning Path.

We encourage completing each step many times to earn more rewards (and benefit from repetition)! As you progress through the stories in one location, you’ll eventually collect enough diamond keys to be able to unlock enough Discovery Chests to collect enough Magical Compasses to unlock the next location!

I tapped a character and it opened a Learning Path, but only one of the steps is available. Why are the rest grayed out? How do I unlock the other steps? +

We suggest that you read about the Learning Path to understand all the steps in it. You must complete one step in the Learning Path and collect your rewards for completing that step before the next step gets unlocked. Each step becomes progressively more challenging and will earn you more rewards. Each story has a Learning Path.

What happens at each step of the Learning Path, what does it teach and what rewards do I earn for completing each step? +

The best place to get a good understanding of the Learning Path for each story, and have a detailed understanding of each step is in the Learning Path tab of our website (it has pictures and a picture is worth a thousand words!). Similarly, the best place to understand the rewards that you get for completing each step is the Mobile Game tab of our website. But if you want to get your answer right here in the FAQ, in words with no pictures, here goes:

The Learning Path for each story consists of 8 steps: 4 modes that run along the top, and 4 mini-games that run along the bottom. We'll describe the modes first, in the order in which they unlock, then the mini-games in that same order.

4 MODES:
Magical Translations™ Mode (earns you 2 gold keys)
In this mode your child listens to the story and its Magical Translation®. Once the narrator is done speaking, the page will become alive with interactions. Encourage them to explore and discover by tapping around.

Some of the interactions will allow them to hear the Spanish word for an object or the sounds an animal makes, others will invite them to count objects, and on a few pages there are mini-games to be discovered. Let your child know that the new words that they discover by tapping different parts of the page will help them get a better score in the mini-games when they open up!

CopyCat Mode (earns you 3 gold keys)
This is the mode where your child gets to be a copy cat and practice and improve their pronunciation (and giggle at the sound of your own voices!)

Listen to the narrator read a phrase. When the narrator pauses, a red ‘record’ button will pop up. Ask your child to press and hold it while they mimick /repeat the phrase the narrator just read. When they lift their finger off the record button, it stops recording. The narrator will go on to read the next phrase, and the child once again presses and holds the button while they immitate the narrator.

When they get to the end of the page, they will automatically hear the narrator’s playback followed by your child’s version. Their ears will instantly hear where they can get closer to the narrator's version. If they’re satisfied, they press on the check mark. If not, they choose whether you want to hear it again (triangle) or re-do it (circular arrow).

As in all modes, once the "work" is completed on that page (in this case the recording has been made and marked as accepted), the page magically comes to life and all the interactions become available. Have your child explore some more, they often discover new interactions on this second read through.

Note: This is a practice level, no recordings will be stored in this level.

Spanish Only Mode (earns you 4 gold keys)
In this level your child can listen to the story narrated only in Spanish. Given that this level will only be available once they've played the story in previous modes, they should have a general understanding of what the story is about. If you think they don’t understand it at all, encourage them to do the first mode with the Magical Translation a few times before moving onto Spanish only.

Note: If your child is feeling a bit lost in this mode, they can also touch any of the words to hear them sounded out in syllables and translated to English! (This feature is available in all modes)

As in all modes, all the same interactions become available after each page’s narration. Have your child explore some more, they often discover new interactions on this third read through.

Read by Myself Mode (earns you 5 gold keys)
This is FabuLingua’s most challenging and rewarding mode, where your child becomes the narrator of the story and has 'mastered' the story. In this level there is no narrator to immitate, but your child understands the story and they have read it so many times, and practiced their pronunciation so much that they will be ready to read it! (If they feel they're not ready for it, they should re-do the previous modes until they feel confident they're ready).

A red button appears on the page. Your child should press the red record button and hold it while they read the text aloud, and release their finger to end the recording.

The recording of your child’s voice will play back at the end of the page. They can choose to play it back again (triangle), re-record it (circular arrow) or save it (check mark). The approved recording for each page will be stored locally on your device.

At the very end of the story, your child will be rewarded with the full story on a single page of text with the sound of their voice reading that text out loud in Spanish! Soon we'll enable this file to stored locally on your device, and then we'll have sharing capabilities to share these audio recordings with teachers or grandmothers!

Note: This is an advanced mode that is too challenging for pre-readers, so it's a 'bonus' mode, designated as such by its yellow color.

4 MINI-GAMES
There are 4 mini-games in each Learning Path, one between each mode, and they are designed to reinforce the vocabulary learned in that story.

Matching Game
Match the image to its Spanish word. Drag the image of the character/object into the correct bubble (with the Spanish word for that image). If you can’t remember the English word for a character/object, touch it to hear the word for that image in English.

If your child is a pre-reader and cannot read the Spanish in the destination bubbles, she can touch those bubbles to hear them read out loud in Spanish.

Each time you play you’ll have a new random selection of words to play in the matching game, so play often!

Scrambled Syllables Game
Oh no! The syllables for one of the words from the story got all scrambled! Your job is to re-assemble them in the correct order. You have two clues as to what the word is. Your first clue is the image at the top. Can't remember the word? No problem, tap the image and it will tell you the word in Spanish along with its Magical Translation. Now drag the syllables around with your finger. You'll hear the pronunciation of the syllable. Tap the image again to hear the word, and try and assemble the syllables so that they sound out the word. If you get it wrong, don't worry, you'll be shown the correct answer and you'll have learned the syllables for that word.

Note: Syllables are really important in Spanish - understanding how a word breaks down into syllables really helps develop perfect pronunciation! Play this game over and over again to learn the syllabic breakdown of the key words in this story!

El/La Game
In this game nouns from the story fall from the top of the screen, and the player has to assign the noun to an article ('el' or 'la') before the word falls on the floor. Swipe the noun left for 'el' and swipe right for 'la'. If you don't get them all right don't worry, you learn more each time you play, so try again!

Note: All the nouns featured are from the text of the story or from interactions found when you tap the illustrations of the story. In every interaction you will hear the correct article for that noun. So to be good at this game you need to have tapped (a lot!) around each and every page so you will have heard the correct article (a lot!). Then, you can go with your gut, with what you feel you've heard in the story as you played around.

Scrambled Letters Game
Oh no! The letters for one of the words from the story got all scrambled! Your job is to re-assemble them in the correct order. You have two clues as to what the word is. Your first clue is the image at the top. Can't remember the word? No problem, tap the image and it will tell you the word in Spanish along with its Magical Translation. Now drag the letters around with your finger. You'll hear the name of the letter. Tap the image again to hear the word, and try and assemble the letters so that they sound out the word. If you get it wrong, don't worry, you'll be shown the correct answer and you'll have learned the spelling for that word.

Note: This is an advanced mini-game that is too challenging for pre-readers, so it's a 'bonus' game, designated as such by its yellow color. Play this game over and over again to learn how to spell these words.

How do I earn gold and diamond keys? +

The best place to get a good understanding of the rewards and progression system is in the Mobile Game tab of our website (scroll down for a detailed description).

You earn gold keys every single time you complete a mode on the Learning Path. You earn more gold keys for the harder modes. Repeat modes often to earn more gold keys!

-Magical Translation Mode - earns you 2 gold keys
-CopyCat Mode - earns you 3 gold keys
-Spanish Only Mode - earns you 4 gold keys
-Read by Myself Mode - earns you 5 gold keys

You earn diamond keys each time you complete a NEW mode.

Your wallet, with all your gold and diamond keys, is visible at the top left of the screen.

What do I do with my gold and diamond keys that I've earned? Where do I spend them?+

Keys open treasure chests which can be found in the Fabled Store. (To get to the Fabled Store, tap the treasure chest icon on the bottom of the screen.)

The Fabled Store has many different kinds of treasure chests, with different amounts of rewards in them, and each treasure chest has a different cost.

Your wallet, with all your gold and diamond keys you have earned, is visible at the top left of the screen. Which treasure chest can you afford to ‘buy’? Will you complete more modes and save up your keys to be able to open a more valuable chest with more rewards?

Gold keys open wooden, bronze, silver, gold and magical chests. The rewards in these chests consist of different amounts of stickers and playing cards.

Diamond keys open Discovery Chests. They are the only chests that contain Magical Compasses (these are required to unlock new locations in FabuLingua Island).

After you have ‘purchased’ a chest it will jiggle. Tap it and a reward will appear. Tap to collect it, and the next reward will appear.

Check out the Mobile Game tab of our website to get more details.

Where do my rewards that I have collected (my stickers, playing cards and Magical Compasses) go to? +

Most of your collectibles (stickers and playing cards) will automatically go into your backpack.

To look inside your backpack, tap the backpack icon at the bottom of the screen.
You will see two collections – your sticker collection and your playing card collection.

Very soon you will be able to play with your stickers in a sticker book (which will also be located in your backpack). And soon after you’ll be able to use your playing cards in a card battler. Until then, collect as many as possible of each!

Magical Compasses that you have collected from opening Discovery Chests will go straight into the relevant ‘compass slots’ for the next location that you are trying to open. They will stay in their slots until you’ve collected enough Magical Compasses to unlock that next location.

Most of the locations in the island are locked - how do I unlock them? +

To discover new locations on the island of FabuLingua you must acquire the necessary amount of Magical Compasses.

Location 0 (Tutorial Beach) is always open, you don’t need a Magical Compass to get there. Location 1 is relatively easy to get to, you only need one Magical Compass to unlock it. All the other locations require 3 Magical Compasses to be unlocked.

You acquire Magical Compasses in the Fabled Shop when you ‘purchase’ Discovery Chests. (To get to the Fabled Shop, tap the treasure chest icon on the bottom of the screen.) Discovery Chests can only be ‘purchased’ with diamond keys, and diamond keys are only earned when you complete a NEW mode in the Learning Path of a story.

If you want to see how many Magical Compasses you are still missing to open your next location, tap on that next location. You’ll see three compass ‘slots’ indicating you need to acquire three compasses to unlock the next location. Immediately after these slots will fill with the compasses you have collected. If you only have one compass, only one slot will fill in, and two slots will remain empty.

Note: The price of a Discovery Chest becomes more expensive as you go deeper into FabuLingua island and you’ve explored more locations. A Discovery Chest in Location 1 costs 1 diamond key, in location 2 it costs 2 diamond keys, in location 3 it costs 3 diamond keys etc.

What is the Comprehensible Input Hypothesis? +

Our patented Magical Translations® method aligns with the model of comprehensible input by Dr. Stephen Krashen, the preeminent academic in second language acquisition. His research shows that new languages are most efficiently acquired not by memorizing grammar rules or vocabulary lists but when the learner is exposed to ‘maximum comprehensible input’.

Read this blog to learn more about the Comprehensible Input Hypothesis and how it differs from traditional language instruction.

What is ‘comprehensible input’ and how is it related to FabuLingua? +

It is new-language input into the brain which is ‘comprehensible’, which means that you more or less understand it even if you don’t understand it perfectly.

When interacting with FabuLingua, your child will see only the Spanish text, but hear the narrator’s rhythmic alternation between Spanish and its English translation. This Magical Translation®, is what makes the new-language input (or the story) ‘comprehensible’. Basically, it will enable your child to understand and follow the story in a relaxed and engaged way, which is the ideal state for language acquisition.

The more stories your child is exposed to in this way, and the more often they're exposed to them, the more ‘comprehensible input’ they're exposed to. When you have your child regularly use FabuLingua, you are creating a program of ongoing ‘maximum comprehensible input’ for him. And this creates the perfect conditions for acquiring a new language.

Read this to learn more about Comprehensible Input, the science of second language acquisition and how FabuLingua is based on all these key insights.

Technical Help

I keep on getting a black screen every time I open the app. What can I do? +

This requires deleting the app entirely and downloading the new updated version. These are the steps you would need to take to resolve things fully:

1) Delete the old version of the FabuLingua app from ALL your devices

iOS: view this video on how to delete apps properly… these steps won’t work if you don’t delete the app properly.

Android: if you are on Android please note that very occasionally it is not enough to delete the app on your device, and that your device may need manual clearing of data AND caches. If this step is necessary, you will need to delete and clear the data AND caches first, BEFORE deleting FabuLingua from the device. (This document spells out the step-by-step instructions on how to manually clear the cache on your Android device.)

2) Go to the App Store/ Google Play Store and download the newest version of FabuLingua onto ONE of your devices

3) Log into FabuLingua with the original credentials that you used to create your account.

4) Keep your WiFi on the whole time that you are doing the above

5) AFTER you have successfully re-installed and accessed your account on one device, THEN you can log onto your account from another device. (Do not try to log into your account from two devices at the same time.)

I have an Android phone and even when I follow the steps above I still have a black screen +

In a very small minority of cases, Android phones will need to manually clear their cache for the FabuLingua app. This document details the step-by-step instructions for manually clearing your storage and cache on your Android device.

I updated the FabuLingua app and turned off my WiFi and I got a black screen, help!+

When you download an updated version of FabuLingua, please make sure you have WiFi turned ON while you log in. After installation, the app needs to get your data from the database at the initial start of the app. After that, you can turn WiFi off. But please note that the app will need to be online the first time you enter a story since it needs to download that story. After the first time you enter the story you then will not be required to be online.

Do I need to be online to download a story?+

The app will need to be online the first time you enter a story since it needs to download that story. After the first time you enter the story you then will not be required to be online.

I can't hear any sound.+

Check that your device is not on 'silent mode' as it will silence the app. On iPhones, the silent switch is located on the left side of the phone. On iPads, there is a "soft" silent button that can be accessed in the screen pull-down settings menu.

Also, check that you are not connected to another bluetooth speaker elsewhere in your home.

My phone's alarm went off while I was on the app and now I can't hear. I dismissed the alarm but the sound didn't come back! +

Try minimizing the app briefly. If that doesn't work, restart the app.

I can't get the sound through my earphones when I use my iPad.+

If you unplug and re-plug your earphones, they should work.

I can't hear the recording of my child's voice.+

In the CopyCat level, you will need to use the device's microphone. The first time that you play this level, you will get a pop up from your phone asking if FabuLingua may access your microphone. Sometimes, if that happens when a parent is not present, a child will close out of that pop up and the required access will not be granted. The pop up only comes up once. To manually grant access to your phone's microphone, please go to the Settings of your phone -> Privacy -> Microphone -> Fabulingua and toggle the microphone access to on.

I can't exit out of the app.+

You quit the FabuLingua app the same way you quit all apps on your phone: by going to the home screen of your device. The method for going to the home screen is different on different phones. If there is a physical ‘home button’ just press that. If there is no physical button:

Apple: Access to the home screen is always by swiping up from the bottom of your screen, regardless of the orientation (portrait or landscape). FabuLingua is always in "landscape", so place your finger at the bottom of the landscape screen and swipe up quickly from the bottom - that takes you to your device's home screen and you’ve exited FabuLingua.

Android: On Android phones, access to the home screen ONLY happens from one FIXED location - it is at the base of the phone (just above the charging port). Since the FabuLingua app is always in "landscape", the home button on Android phones will NOT be at the bottom of the screen (like it would be in "portrait") but you will find it at the base of the phone (just above the charging port). Swipe inward and the icons normally at the base of your phone will appear.

How do I download FabuLingua? +

You can download FabuLingua for FREE from your device on the App Store or Google Play store by clicking here.

Is FabuLingua available on the web?+

Right now, we're available on the App Store and Google play store, but we are also developing a version that will be available online in the not too distant future.

Is FabuLingua available on a Chromebook?

FabuLingua operates as an app. It’s not available online. But most Chromebooks can run apps from Google Play Store, and can therefore run FabuLingua. For optimal performance of FabuLingua on Chromebooks, these should have microprocessors (CPUs) manufactured by major quality manufacturers Intel, AMD and Qualcomm (Snapdragon). These are the minimum technical specifications:

• 2 GHz CPU
• 2GB RAM
• Running Android OS 10 or higher

Is FabuLingua available on Kindles?

No, FabuLingua is not currently available on Kindles.

I have Apple's “Family Sharing” activated, and it seems I can't buy a subscription from my child's device. +

You are correct. Apple does not allow in-app purchases to be made through “Family Sharing”. So our suggested solution to the problem:

1. Download FabuLingua onto the parent Apple device. Once inside FabuLingua go to ‘Get Started’ and then go to ‘Sign in’ and create a Fabu account in-app. Press the 'Subscribe' button and follow prompts to purchase a subscription.

2. Download FabuLingua onto your child’s device, and press ‘Log In’ (or ‘Sign in’ if they are already in the overworld), and sign into that same Fabu account you just created on the parent device (by using the same credentials you just used to purchase the app).

What are the minimum system requirements for using FabuLingua? +

Apple devices:
* Apple A10-based device or better (iPhone 7 or iPads based on A10chips and above)
* Running iOS 12 or higher

Android devices:
* 2 GHz CPU
* 2GB RAM
* Running Android OS 10 or higher

Chromebooks: Most Chromebooks are able to run apps from Google Play, and those Chromebooks will therefore be able to run FabuLingua. For optimal performance of FabuLingua on Chromebooks, these should have microprocessors (CPUs) manufactured by major manufacturers Intel, AMD and Qualcomm (Snapdragon).

Recordings are not saving? +

Recordings in the second mode in a story (called CopyCat) are not saved. Soon, the recordings in the final mode (called Read by Myself) will be saved on the device.

CopyCat mode is a practice mode, where children get to practice mimicking the narrator but the recording is not stored. The idea is that they automatically hear how accurately they copied the narrator immediately after they complete their imitation, and can even hear it again by pressing the play button again, but once they’ve turned the page that recording vanishes. This makes their recordings feel like a ‘low stakes’ endeavor, not an item that can be graded/ judged by parents or teachers. The important thing is that by not keeping a recording we lower the anxiety associated with these practice sessions (thus encouraging more practice). You can visit this page to understand how important it is to ‘lower the affective filter’ of a learner.

By the time they reach the fourth and most difficult mode, (called Read by Myself) then we WILL store the recordings on their device. And these will all be stored on a single sound file that can be shared with teachers/ family. By then they’ve had ample ‘low stakes practice’ and feel pretty confident about their pronunciation on that story so the fact that it’s recorded feels less daunting and produces less anxiety.

The NEW FabuLingua Merch Store

Do you do returns?+

Our t-shirts are print-on-demand and as such each one is custom printed for you. This means that we don’t do returns unless the item you received is faulty. If the item is in any way faulty please send pictures of the item to support@fabulingua.com.

Why do you do print-on-demand t-shirts? +

We love the print-on-demand model because we truly believe it is is better for the environment. We only print what customers want, and as a result, we don’t get left with the typical leftover merchandising at the end of the season that often ends up in landfills. It also allows us to create many more t-shirt designs for you, because we don’t have to do large print runs for each design. So come back regularly because we intend to add new designs often!

Why does your shipping take so long? Do you have an express shipping option? +

No, sadly we don’t. Print-on-demand involves custom printing each item for you, and this takes time and cannot be rushed. Our provider does not provide express shipping options. So expect our t-shirts to take their time to reach you, and don’t leave shopping to the last minute if you’re buying for specific occasions like birthdays.

How reliable are your delivery windows?+

We work with the world’s best print-on-demand supplier. And while we love their t-shirts and the quality of their printing, we must confess that the shipping is a bit slow. We recommend adding a day or two to their delivery window, just in case.

I have a design idea for one of your t-shirts, do you ever take design suggestions?+

FabuLingua ALWAYS loves hearing from our customers, whether it’s compliments or concerns that pertain to the app, to the teacher dashboard or to our merchandizing. We’re always open to suggestions and will gladly hear your suggestions.

All your t-shirts are white. Do you have any colored t-shirts?+

We’re hard at work exploring color options and ensuring the print quality meets our standards. We hope to have colored t-shirts soon.

Do you have any baby sizes? +

We will have baby sizes shortly.

Pricing & Subscriptions

What is the price? +

FabuLingua works through a subscription-based model.

Our current prices are between $8.99/month or $69.99/ year (equivalent to $5.83/month). See more details here

How can I subscribe?+

Download the app onto your device. Go through the onboarding, create a profile and an account. When you get to the payment page, select a payment plan and follow prompts to check out in the App Store or Google Play store. If you are not read to subscribe, press 'Not ready yet' and you'll be taken to the free version of FabuLingua where you'll have access to one free story. When you're ready to subscribe, press the orange 'Subscribe' button at the top of the screen to subscribe to one of our plans.

Please explain my options when I get to the Subscription page? +

At the end of the onboarding, after you’ve created a new account, you will see the Subscription/ Purchasing screen.

i) If you want to buy a new subscription right away and get a 7 day free trial, then choose your subscription plan and press ‘Start Now’.

Note: the free trial is only available to new users that have never had a subscription to FabuLingua in the past. If you have previously had a subscription the App Store/Google Play will detect your AppleID/Google Play ID and won’t let us offer you a free trial - some people have used their partner’s devices that never held a subscription and got a free trial that way 😉

ii) If you don’t want to subscribe yet, and you want to try the free story, then press ‘Not ready yet?’and you can try our free story which represents about 5 hours of learning. See details below (basically, you will land on FabuLingua Island, tap the Tutorial Beach location, tap the fox, do the tutorial story til the end, tap the keys to collect them in your wallet, tap the folded map icon on the bottom left to get back to FabuLingua Island and then location 1 will unlock, tap it to open up the Peaceful Pond and tap the first story on the left, the frog, to get your free story with the full learning path that includes 4 free modes and four free games).

iii) I want to re-activate my pre-existing subscription to retain my grandfathered pricing. Please read the answers to the above question before proceeding!

I pressed 'Not ready yet' in the subscription page. Does that mean I did not subscribe and I'm using the app for free? What exactly do I get for free if I have not yet subscribed? +

Correct, if you pressed 'Not ready yet' you are using the free version of FabuLingua.

In the free version of FabuLingua you will have access to the island, the Fabled Shop, the backpack, location 0 and you'll be allowed to unlock location 1 after earning a diamond key. You'll be allowed to try the Tutorial Story PLUS one free story in Location 1. You will have access to the entire Learning Path for that free story and be able to play through all 4 modes and 4 mini-games for that story as often as you like for as long as you like. You'll be able to collect gold and diamond keys as rewards for reading the free story, and use those gold and diamond keys in the Fabled Shop to open treasure chests and collect stickers, playing cards and Magical Compasses.

To enjoy all our other stories across all of FabuLingua's locations, however, you'll need to subscribe to our monthly or annual plan. All new users who have never bought a subscription before get a 7 day free trial when they purchase a subscription. You can cancel anytime.

If you are unable to afford a subscription you may want to check out our FREE YouTube channel that contains screenrecordings of all our stories. They are of course not interactive, and there is no game design or gamification, but they still provide lots of comprehensible input!
https://www.youtube.com/@FabuLinguaKids

Can I buy a FabuLingua subscription as a gift for my grandchild or nephew?+

We don’t yet have an easy, seamless way for you to buy a FabuLingua subscription as a present. But if you want to gift that special child the gift of a second language, here’s how you can do it at the moment.

1. Download the FabuLingua app on YOUR device.
2. Press ‘Get started’ and follow the onboarding instructions all the way through.
3. Create an account and password - but use the email address of the adult parent of the child you’re buying it for.
4. When you finish the onboarding and tutorial you will be taken to the overworld. Press the big orange ‘Subscribe’ button
5. Select your payment plan and follow the instructions check-out in the App Store or Google Play.
6. That email account and password now has a full subscription and full access.
7. Tell the parent of the child for whom you have bought the app to download the app onto their child’s device, and log in with the email and password you used to create their account.
8. When they log in with that account they’ll instantly have access to all our Spanish stories and the kids can start learning!

How can I cancel my subscription?+

Your subscription is handled by the App Store or Google Play store (where you purchased your subscription). Cancel any subscriptions you have anytime through your the “Settings” on your device (not through the FabuLingua app). Deleting the app from your device will NOT cancel your subscription.

For Google Play, please click on the below link for a web page with detailed instructions: https://www.fabulingua.com/cancellation-process-google-play

For Apple App Store, please click on the below link for a web page with detailed instructions: https://www.fabulingua.com/cancellation-process-apple-app-store

Here are the steps:
- Open your device "Settings".
- Tap your name.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Tap the subscription that you want to manage.
- Tap Cancel Subscription.

If FabuLingua's app does not come up on your list of subscriptions, then that means that you do not have a subscription to FabuLingua and are currently using the free version of the app.

Back in 2022 I had a FabuLingua account, and it doesn’t seem to work anymore. If I want to check out the new mobile game version of FabuLingua, should I create a new account?+

In January 2023 FabuLingua became a mobile game, and all users had to create a new account. If you have an old FabuLingua account from 2022 or earlier you will need to create a new account. When you download the FabuLingua app please tap “READY TO EXPLORE” on that opening screen, go through the onboarding and CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT. At this time, ignore any buttons or text that say “I already have an account” since your old FabuLingua account (from 2022 or before) will not work in the new app. (You can, however, create your new account with the same email and password that you had in the old app.)

I have an existing subscription to the old version of the FabuLingua app (from 2022), how can I retain that existing subscription and retain my grandfathered pricing? +

This is only relevant to people who had an ongoing subscription from the old version of the FabuLingua app. If this is you, please read this whole section carefully, to the bottom, for some very important information to retain your grandfathered pricing.

If you are an existing FabuLingua subscriber, then the first time you download the new version, download it ON THE SAME DEVICE WHERE YOU ORIGINALLY BOUGHT THE SUBSCRIPTION (or on a device with the same Apple ID/Google Play ID that you used for the original subscription). This step is essential so your previous subscription can be matched with your new account.

These next steps are different depending on whether you bought your original subscription on an Android or an Apple Device.

IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR ORIGINAL SUBSCRIPTION ON AN ANDROID DEVICE:

Go to the ‘Settings’ on your device and go to ‘Subscriptions’ to double check whether you had subscribed to a monthly or annual plan.

At the end of the onboarding, after you’ve created a new account, you will come to the Subscriptions/Purchasing Page. Select which plan you used to have (monthly or annual - it is important to select the same one you had! If you had the semi-annual plan before please stop and write to us at support@fabulingua.com). Then press the orange “Start Now” button, and then on a subsequent screen, it will tell you that you already have a paid subscription and Google will activate your account!

As a loyal customer, your subscription will be grandfathered in at the old price by Google as a “legacy price cohort” and you will continue to be charged the old price. From Google Play’s website: “If there are any users with existing auto-renewing subscriptions, their price does not change. Instead, the user enters into a legacy price cohort, where they keep their existing price until they change subscription plans”.

IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ON AN APPLE DEVICE: As a loyal customer, your subscription will be grandfathered in at the old price and you will continue to be charged the old price so long as you restore purchases using the method described below. Please read to the bottom. If you cancel your subscription and resubscribe by pressing ‘Start Now’, you will be charged the new price. We will be unable to reverse this.

At the end of the onboarding, after you’ve created a new account, you will come to the Subscriptions/Purchasing Page. DO NOT PRESS “START NOW”. Your existing subscription will persist into this new version of FabuLingua, but ONLY if you tap “RESTORE PURCHASES”” to regain full access. The “Restore Purchases” button is located at the bottom left side of the screen in pale gray.

FabuLingua Benefits

How is FabuLingua different from other second-language digital products? +

It’s an affordable and high-quality solution that kids will love; but, at the same time, the story-based experience is created around a thoroughly researched methodology that supports consistent language acquisition.

Surprisingly, this is a combination of traits we didn’t find in existing products.

More importantly, instead of using more traditional grammar-first methods, FabuLingua's story-based method focuses on gently and consistently exposing kids to natural language content in a way that renders it ‘comprehensible’; resulting in a more organic wiring of the brain to the new language in what feels like an effortless (and fun!) way.

What are the benefits of learning a language at an early age?+

• It benefits early brain development; especially executive functioning such as problem solving, the ability to focus, and switching between tasks efficiently.
• Studies by Harvard University suggest that learning languages at an early age has increased advantages over doing it later in life; like enhancing creativity and critical thinking skills.
• It provides academic and professional advantages, cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy and self-confidence.
• Spanish is becoming a tool with exponential value. It’s already the second most spoken and widespread language in the world. An estimate of 140 million people in the USA will speak the language over the next 30 years.
• In the case of Hispanic or Spanish heritage families, it allows children to better understand their background, bond with relatives and connect to their culture and country of origin.

If we speak Spanish at home, and my child speaks Spanish, is FabuLingua still useful?+

YES! FabuLingua also works as a reinforcement tool.

Even for intermediate speakers, our method Magical Translations® method enables a gentle and organic exposure where your child will be entertained by the stories, games and activities and, at the same time, exposed to a method meant to strengthen vocabulary and language skills methodically and organically.

If your child is an advanced or fluent in Spanish and does not need the Magical Translations® to understand the stories, go into the Settings and turn on the ‘Spanish Only’ toggle. (If there are a couple of words he does not understand, he will still be able to press each word to hear it sounded out in its syllables and hear its meaning in English, so don’t worry).

Even if you speak Spanish at home and your child is a fluent speaker, the benefits of being read to a lot as a young child are well researched and documented. Stories provide a much wider range of vocabulary and use cases than most families typically have in their day to day life, so reading a lot in that language, even if you speak it at home, serves to increase your vocabulary and proficiency in that language. Your child will become a much better Spanish speaker if she has a lot of Spanish only stories read to her.

I don’t speak any Spanish, can my child still learn Spanish without my help? +

Yes, they can! Although it’s one of the most traditional forms of learning a language, a child’s parent does not need to be the one to teach them. With the FabuLingua app, children will be guided through stories and games with the voice of a bilingual narrator (our founder Leslie 😉). All you have to do is download the app and give them the device!

If English is spoken everywhere, why does my child need to learn Spanish? +

While you may be able to speak English with the majority of the world, monolingualism will decrease your opportunities both personally and professionally. (See our blog WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE AS A CHILD?)

Even if your child spends most of their life speaking English, the process of learning a language has some serious brain benefits that will impact your child for years to come. In a time of increasing migration patterns, however, learning and speaking more than one language is more important than ever.

My child is learning Spanish at school, should I still sign them up for FabuLingua? +

While having foreign language instruction in schools is great, classroom-based learning is often lacking comprehensible input, meaning the content is not being presented in a way that is registering effectively in the learner’s brain.

Combining FabuLingua with in school Spanish instruction is a great way to ensure that your child is receiving comprehensible input in Spanish, as well as increasing familiarity and confidence with the language. In fact, FabuLingua is so fun and effective that it has become the darling of Spanish teachers the world over! FabuLingua's Teacher Dashboard is available for free for teachers, so if you like FabuLingua's approach, make sure you share FabuLingua with your childrens' teachers, tell them it's free for teachers, and that way their teacher can follow their progress and leverage FabuLingua's technology for maximum Spanish learning!

I didn’t introduce my child to Spanish when they were a toddler, is it too late? +

It is never too late (and we’re not just saying this to get you to use our app)! While it is true that children learning languages in their early development years may be more inclined to learn them well and easily (we call these early stages the ‘magical window’ for language learning), it is never too late to learn a language. Oftentimes, it isn’t even our brain’s phase of development that is holding us back, it’s our ability to talk ourselves into thinking it’s too late!