What is Duolingo?

Personalized learning with the latest AI – Duolingo's approach to AI

Launched in 2012, Duolingo is a language learning platform created by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker at Carnegie Mellon University. Their goal was to make language learning free and fun for everyone!

The platform offers courses in over 40 languages, from widely spoken languages like English, Spanish, and French to less commonly studied languages such as Welsh and Navajo. It's also available on mobile and desktop devices, making it easily accessible to anyone worldwide.

With over 100 million monthly active users, Duolingo is the most popular language-learning app globally. Its users complete billions of translation exercises weekly, reflecting its effectiveness in engaging learners and promoting consistent practice.

App Overview

In a nutshell, Duolingo works by having you play games to learn a new language. Its gamified approach to learning includes interactive lessons that use spaced repetition to enhance retention and motivation through points and rewards.

That's the genius of Duolingo's gamified approach: they've turned what could easily be boring (learning a new language) into something addictive!

With Duolingo's bite-sized lessons, picking up a new language is easy. You start with basic stuff like “el gato” (the cat) and “la manzana” (the apple), and before you know it, you're stringing together whole sentences!

Course Structure & Lesson Format

The course is well structured, too. Duolingo has these skill trees that are like a video game level map. Each branch focuses on different topics or grammar points. As you progress, things get trickier, so you gradually get better!

The lesson format is also fantastic. It's not just boring old multiple-choice questions (though there are some of those). You'll be translating sentences, speaking into your phone's microphone, and piecing together sentences like a puzzle, which keeps things interesting!

Free & Premium (Duolingo Plus) Versions

Duolingo offers both free and premium versions. I started with the free version, and honestly, it's pretty good! You get access to all the courses and lessons without spending anything. The drawbacks to the free version are there are ads, and you have a limited number of “lives” (chances to make mistakes) before you have to wait to continue.

Duolingo Plus (their premium version) costs a monthly or annual fee. However, it might be worth it if you don't want ads interrupting your learning flow, unlimited lives, and offline lessons. It also comes with some extra features like personalized practice sessions!

The main thing is that whether you decide to go with the free or premium option, the core learning experience is essentially the same. The nice thing about Duolingo is that they don't hold anything hostage behind a paywall! You can make some pretty fantastic progress with just the free version.

Duolingo combines accessibility, gamification, and a broad range of language options to create an effective platform for language learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Who is Duolingo Best For?

Duolingo is best suited for anyone interested in learning a new language, particularly those looking for a flexible, engaging, and cost-effective way to do so.

Here are the main types of people that benefit the most from using Duolingo:

• Beginners: Duolingo is an excellent starting point for beginners. The app offers a structured approach to learning over 40 languages through bite-sized lessons that cover reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Its gamified format motivates you with rewards and progress tracking, making language learning feel less like a chore and more like a game!
• Casual Learners: Duolingo is also great for individuals wanting to learn a language in a low-pressure environment. Its short lessons (typically 5-10 minutes) allow you to fit language practice into your daily routine without significant time commitments. It's perfect if you want to dabble in a new language or maintain your skills while balancing other responsibilities.
• Supplementary Learning: Duolingo is also beneficial if you are already enrolled in formal language classes or are using other resources. It's an effective supplementary tool reinforcing vocabulary and grammar concepts learned elsewhere. Many find that pairing Duolingo with traditional classes enhances their overall language understanding.
• Children and Young Learners: The app's engaging interface and game-like features appeal to younger audiences, including children. Duolingo ABC is specifically designed for children aged 3-8, helping them learn to read and write through fun phonics lessons and stories!
• Travelers: Anyone preparing for travel can use Duolingo to acquire basic conversational skills quickly. The app focuses on practical vocabulary and phrases useful in everyday traveling situations.

Duolingo Key Features

Duolingo offers many features for an engaging yet practical language learning experience:

• Organized, Progressive Lessons: Duolingo progressively structures its lessons, allowing you to advance through levels as you master new skills. Lessons are broken into small, manageable chunks, making it easy to incorporate learning into daily routines. The app continuously revisits previously learned material to reinforce knowledge.
• Gamification Elements: Duolingo implements gamification techniques to engage users. These include Streak Count (track how many consecutive days you have practiced), Leaderboards (compete with others in weekly challenges), and Badges (completing specific tasks earns you badges).
• Diverse Language Courses: Offers over 40 languages for learners of all skill levels.
• Personalized Practice: The app features a customized practice option that adapts to your performance: the Practice Hub (which focuses on words and phrases you're struggling with) and Unit Rewind (automatically prompting you to review older units when necessary).
• Duolingo Stories: Practice reading comprehension through short stories using vocabulary learned in previous lessons to understand context without English translations.
• Super Duolingo Subscription: The premium version (Super Duolingo) offers additional benefits such as an Ad-free experience (no advertisements for uninterrupted learning), Unlimited Hearts (make mistakes without penalty), and Access to Legendary Challenges (extra challenging quizzes that test your knowledge).
• Speech Recognition: Duolingo incorporates speech recognition technology to help improve your pronunciation by providing feedback on spoken exercises.
• Mobile Compatibility: The app is available on desktop and mobile for ultimate accessibility and convenience for on-the-go learning.
• Skill Tree: Visual representation of progress and skills learned.
• Daily Goals: Encourages consistent practice by setting achievable daily targets.
• Offline Mode: Allows users to download lessons for offline study.
• Duolingo ABC: A free literacy app for young children to learn foundational reading skills.
• Duolingo English Test: An online assessment tool for measuring English proficiency.

How to Use Duolingo to Learn a Language

Here's how I used Duolingo to complete my first language lesson:

1. Get the Duolingo App
2. Open Duolingo
3. Define Your Goals
4. Choose Where to Start
5. Complete Your First Lesson!
6. Correct Your Mistakes
7. Commit to a Goal
8. Claim XP
9. Work Through Your Lesson Tree
10. Improve Your Reading with Stories
11. Unlock Leaderboards & Challenges

Step 1: Get the Duolingo App

I started by getting the app on my phone. While Duolingo offers the app on desktop, most people use it on mobile.

Duolingo is available on iOS and Android devices, making on-the-go learning convenient.

To download it, go to the app store on your device and search for “Duolingo.” It's the one with the cute green owl logo; you can't miss it!

Step 2: Open Duolingo

Hit “Get” and “Install” to download it. Once you've installed it, hit “Open.”

Once you've opened the app, hit “Get Started.” Your feathered friend, Duo, the Owl, will greet you!

Step 3: Define Your Goals

Before your first lesson, Duo will ask you a few questions about your goals:

• What language would you like to learn? (You can always add more languages later).
• How did you hear about Duolingo?
• How much of the language do you know?
• Why are you learning the language?
• What's your daily learning goal?

Step 4: Choose Where to Start

The last question was, “Where would you like to start?” There were two options to choose from:

1. From Scratch: Take the easiest language lesson.
2. Find my level: Let Duo recommend where to start learning.

If you're completely new to the language, start from scratch. But if you know some words, take the placement test.

I chose the second option, “Find my level.” I told Duo I knew some common Spanish words, and he recommended that I start with Section 2.

Step 5: Complete Your First Lesson!

Duolingo shines in the lessons. I liked the mix of exercises (translations, listening comprehension, speaking practice, and more), which kept things fun and engaging. The different characters were also interesting and added personality to the experience.

Don't be shy about using that speaker icon to hear words pronounced and practice your speaking skills!

Step 6: Correct Your Mistakes

After going through the lesson once, I had to correct the missed exercises to reinforce the material.

Step 7: Commit to a Goal

After completing my first lesson, Duo asked me to create a goal for myself:

• 7 day streak.
• 14 day streak.
• 30 day streak.
• 50 day streak.

Goals help motivate progress and build consistency.

Step 8: Claim XP

As I completed lessons, I earned XP (experience points). It felt like I was leveling up in a video game, which made learning more fun and motivating.

You'll also see a little strength bar for each skill. When it starts to crack, that's your cue to review. Reviewing is essential for reinforcing your knowledge.

Once I claimed my XP, I achieved my first streak, marking the start of my daily learning habit.

Duolingo also loves its streaks. Some people find them maddening, but I find them motivating. Try to practice a little every day to keep your streak alive and turn practicing into a daily habit. But don't beat yourself up if you miss a day.

Step 9: Work Through Your Lesson Tree

From there, I created my profile and was taken to my lesson tree! Each little circle represents a skill and is grouped into broader topics. Tapping on a circle will start a lesson.

Start at the top and work your way down. It's tempting to jump around, but building a solid foundation is key!

I continued with my lessons and was surprised at how much I was learning and how quickly time passed. Duolingo does an excellent job of making learning engaging and enjoyable.

Step 10: Improve Your Reading with Stories

And don't forget about the Stories feature! You can find it by going to the little dumbbell icon at the bottom and scrolling down to where it says “Stories.”

The Stories are a collection of short, engaging texts designed to help you practice reading in context. They're gold for improving reading comprehension!

Step 11: Unlock Leaderboards & Challenges

As you progress, you'll unlock new features like the leaderboards and challenges:

• Leaderboards allow you to compete with others, track your ranking, and stay motivated.
• Challenges offer timed tasks that test your skills and help you earn extra rewards.

Lastly, don't be afraid to make mistakes! It's easy to get frustrated when you lose a heart (life) over a silly error, but those mistakes are where the real learning happens.

If you're tired of running out of hearts, upgrade your plan to get unlimited hearts. Otherwise, try the 7-day Duolingo free trial! You can cancel before the free trial ends without getting charged.

There you have it! My step-by-step guide to using Duolingo. It might seem like a lot at first, but you'll navigate the app like a pro before you know it.

The main thing to remember is to have fun with it. After all, learning a new language should be an adventure, not a chore.

Duolingo's Effectiveness: Can You Really Learn a Language?

The million-dollar question: Can you really learn a language with Duolingo?

Duolingo's Research on App Effectiveness

Let's start by discussing what Duolingo itself says. They're pretty proud of their research and have some impressive stats to back it up.

I read a study from them that claimed 34 hours on Duolingo is equivalent to a college language study semester. It doesn't sound believable at first, but after sticking with it for a while, there seems to be some truth to it.

Other studies found that after using Duolingo ABC for two months, children showed the same improvement in literacy skills as two months of kindergarten. Additionally, 9 out of 10 learners reported feeling more confident speaking after one month of Duolingo.

Duolingo vs. Traditional Methods

But how does Duolingo stack up against traditional methods?

I've done both. In addition to the language learning apps I've tried, I had to take French classes in high school and some German classes as electives.

Learning languages the traditional way isn't pretty: textbooks, conjugation tables, and a French teacher I was terrified of. However, you'll be in an immersive environment surrounded by other learners you can interact with and a teacher who'll give you real-time feedback no matter how scary they are.

Meanwhile, Duolingo keeps things fresh. It's free, accessible, engaging, low-pressure, and flexible. However, Duolingo lacks real conversation with native speakers and immersive learning.

Duolingo is effective for building basic vocabulary and grammar foundations, especially for beginners. Traditional methods, particularly immersion-based approaches, are generally considered more effective for developing well-rounded language skills like speaking and listening.

For the best results, I recommend using Duolingo to supplement other learning methods rather than as a sole learning tool. Many language experts agree!