Essential Communication Apps for Studying Abroad Communication Application Description WhatsApp is a widely-used messaging application used as the primary form of communication by many foreigners who don’t use their carrier’s texting services. WhatsApp Good for communicating with people within your study abroad program and friends and family back home. Skype is primarily used for its free video calling feature. However, by subscribing it can also be used to make calls, access WiFi and send text messages. Skype FaceTime is a pre-downloaded video calling application FaceTime available on all recent Apple iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch and Mac computers. Line is a popular instant messaging application that can be used to send and receive text messages, as well as conduct voice and video calls for free. Application is Line available for iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Phone and Android devices. Viber is another instant messaging application that Viber offers individual and group messaging as well as video calling. Available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone. Translation/Language Learning Application Description Duolingo Duolingo is a free app that is designed to help you learn a new language. This app has multiple language options that are set up into modules involving translating sentences, working on pronunciation, etc. This app is available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. Google Translate Google Translate is an app where you can translate languages through both typing, pictures, and speech. You can type translate up to 90 languages, camera translate up to 26 languages, and automatic speech translate up to 40 languages. The app is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. iTranslate iTranslate is another app aimed at helping translate languages into English. You can translate words, texts and phrases for up to 90+ languages. The app even responds to voice input and output commands. .