As a foreign language learner, there are A LOT of apps to choose from, but, I admit, Duolingo is one of my favorites. There are those who love it or hate it for various reasons. Every language learning app will have its strengths and weaknesses. One of the cool things about Duo is the fact that they are continually seeking to make it better. Though it doesn’t have ‘everything,’ you get out what you put in.
A huge strength is the fact that it’s free. Of course, there is a paid option with some pretty good perks! However, their free option has a ton of content and will help you reach a decent level of fluency. You just have to put up with adds.
I really appreciate the practice (SRS). Every day, there is the option to review past content. If you scroll through your progress ‘circles’ so far, there are specific places that have ‘cracks’ indicating it’s a review option. You don’t have to review if you don’t want, but I’ve found this helps a lot with retention.
For new content, Duo takes what you already know and adds to it. Each ‘circle’ focuses on a specific element, i.e. colors, season, numbers, etc. Exercises include putting the words you hear in their proper order (and choosing the right ones!), translating from English to your target language, speaking, and translating from the target language to English. For Korean (and other languages with a different writing system), there is the option to choose to learn the target language’s alphabet and writing system. Another option is ‘stories,’ where you follow along as a story is told in the target language and then answer questions about what you just read/heard.
One of the reasons I like Duolingo so much is its ‘streaks.’ It keeps track of the days you’ve played. There are also monthly challenges to achieve a certain number of XP. Then, when completed, you receive an exclusive badge. You can also move up and down the ‘leaderboard’ competing with other people for first place each week. If you’re one of those people who like to maintain a ‘streak,’ this is a great incentive and it’s fun. You can see how many days you’ve accumulated so far, and you can get a ‘streak freeze’ just in case you miss a day. (In fact, part of the reason I stuck with it is because I didn’t want to lose my streak!)
There are quite a few languages offered. I’m learning Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. This is really a great app to ‘get your feet wet’ if you aren’t sure if you want to put in the effort required to learn a new language. Some of the content is goofy, but I think that adds to the fun. Another perk offered is the discussion option with each question. You can ask other people questions about this crazy language you’re learning. This adds quite a bit as well.
Of course, you need to supplement for specific vocabulary and it doesn’t explain grammar structure at all. I don’t think there is an app that will do absolutely everything, especially not a free one, but Duolingo offers A LOT. The goofy pictures are fun too. There’s a cat that appears out of nowhere and runs around when you get something right. The various people make it feel like you’ve got your own cheering section.
Bottom line: Think about your personal language learning goals. If you’re trying to get to a certain level in order to work in your target language’s country, Duo will only take you so far. If you’re under a time crunch, Duolingo may or may not get your there. However, if you have no deadline and don’t have to pass any language tests by a certain date, Duo is great and will take you pretty far.
Enjoy the journey!
ChristinaLiLanguages 