If you are a language learner or teacher you probably know Duolingo. This free app and computer program is the most used in the world, based on monthly downloads. It offers over 40 languages, including some special or fictional languages like Klingon and High Valyarian. Amongst English speakers, Spanish is the most studied language, followed by French, Japanese, Korean, and German.
As a language teacher, apps like Duolingo are both an opportunity and a threat to me. The opportunity for learners to practice wherever and whenever they want, and to get personalized practice is amazing. On the other hand, many teachers and academic language programs feel threatened because learners may no longer need to study language in a classroom and thus their jobs are at stake.
Indeed, I do think that part of the reason for the drop in enrollment in college language classes is because students now have more options to study languages in other ways.
But are apps and online programs as effective as a language class?
In August 2023 I moved to Stuttgart, Germany to teach at an international school here. Before I arrived my knowledge of German was mostly some food words, train travel vocabulary, and other random words like “emergency exit” that I had picked up when I lived in the French-speaking part of Switzerland where I was exposed to a lot of written German.
I also audited a German class my last semester of college but was sick with mono for most of it (that’s another whole story) so I had a very basic knowledge of the grammar, like the fact that nouns are masculine, feminine or neuter. I had a bit more than nothing but not much more.
When I arrived in Germany, mostly due to time constraints and the fact that I was originally on a one-year sabbatical cover contract, I decided I wasn’t going to take a German class. Instead, I would use Duolingo and try to learn German in a more natural way.
Here is my review of Duolingo after nearly one year of use doing 1-2 lessons (about five minutes worth) daily.
Does Duolingo actually work?
For me personally, yes. While my German is not as good as I would like it to be after almost a year of living in Germany, I have definitely made progress. Duolingo has helped me learn lots of vocabulary and important expressions like “Feel better!” without memorizing lists like I did in the past.
Duolingo has a section of its website showcasing studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of Duolingo. Duolingo claims that “after 120 hours of using the app, Duolingo learners’ scores on reading and listening tests match university students who completed four semesters, or roughly 240 hours, of language study.”
Some of these studies were sponsored by Duolingo, so of course the results need to be taken with a grain of salt. Motivation to actually speak the language outside of the “classroom” plays a major factor here. I’ve had other expats tell me they have an 800-day streak on Duolingo, but then we go to a restaurant together and they make zero effort to even greet the waiter in German, let alone order their food in German. I push myself to always try speaking in German first, even if the conversation often ends up in English. This combined with being an experienced language learner gets me quite far in the real world, despite my actual very limited knowledge.
Whatever the limitations of the research, it’s clear that for some people, Duolingo is an effective way to learn a language.
Here is what I like and don’t like about Duolingo, and who I think Duolingo would be most beneficial for.
What I like about Duolingo
It’s Free
The best part about Duolingo is that it’s free, and part of its mission is to help people everywhere learn languages for free. It has undeniably opened up language learning to millions around the world who would not previously have had access. With the wide array of languages it offers it also allows learning of less-commonly taught languages like Zulu or Hawaiian that are hard to find materials for.
It’s Convenient
It’s on my phone so it’s easy to do anywhere and at any time. I usually do it in bed right before I go to sleep, but I’ve also done it during my commute to work. If I’m in a public area and don’t want others to hear my embarrassing pronunciation I can temporarly pause the speaking tasks.
The Characters
They are characters that deliver the lessons, like Duo the owl, a surly teenager, and a karate-chopping grandma. They add attitude and fun to the lessons and make them seem more personal.
The Streak
There have been many a night when I’ve been drifting off to sleep only to suddenly remember I didn’t do my Duolingo for the day and grab my phone to save my streak. Fellow language nerds, both teachers and students, will often comment on their Duolingo streak in multiple languages.
Duolingo helps remind you to practice daily. The push notification reminders are done in a cute way, like Junior asking you to please practice because he has to go to bed soon and it’s getting late.
The Stories
My favorite part of Duolingo is the short stories. There are usually one or two stories each unit and I wish there would be more. They are silly and humorous comprehensible stories. Learners answer questions throughout the story to make sure they understand. As a novice language learner, when you can read a story that makes you chuckle there is an indescribable sense of accomplishment, like “I’m in! I’m a part of this language community now!”
The Community
Duolingo allows you to connect with friends who are also learning the language to see their scores and encourage them. It also allows other users to see how you are doing and to encourage you. It’s a bit odd, but I have appreciated that thumbs-up that someone named “Leo” has regularly sent me. It’s a good reminder that language is first and foremost about communication and community with others.
What I don’t like about Duolingo
The Extreme Gamification
Gamification is certainly a way to make learning fun and to motivate learners, but some parts of Duolingo are too focused on points, gems, treasure chests and more. All I want to do is get enough gems to fill streak freezes to keep my streak safe, after that, I don’t care how many points I’m earning or which special monthly challenge I’m now eligible for.
There are also various leagues that you can advance in, although I’m still not quite sure how the leagues are calculated. FOMO is used as a motivator, with messages telling you to practice or you’ll be in danger of dropping out of the league!
The Lack of Grammar Explanations
I’ve come to realize that I’m missing a lot of basic grammar knowledge that would help me learn faster. I know what sounds right in context (it’s DAS haus, not DIE Haus) but I couldn’t tell you much about the accusative, nominative and dative cases that I know exist.
You might argue that this is the way native speakers learn the language, and that’s very true. Yet, I feel like just a bit more grammar background knowledge for some unfamiliar concepts could make a huge difference.
There are very brief grammar notes for each Duolingo unit, which are helpful, but not sufficient to really explain the concept to someone that has no prior knowledge of it.
Having an extra click after each question
When you get a question right the translation will appear along with a sound signaling that it’s correct. You need to click again to go to the next question. I suppose this is because they want you to be able to read the translation, but it seems like an extra step that should be automatic.
It’s very repetitive
I’ve only been doing 1-2 lessons a day because quite honestly, I would be bored doing more than that. As I get into higher levels I had hoped that there would be more styles of questions, but there really aren’t. This is probably my number one complaint. Duolingo just doesn’t keep my attention for more than five minutes.
Should Teachers Use Duolingo in the Classroom?
Duolingo has a function where teachers can set up their own class and see the students’ progress that’s called Duolingo for Schools. They can also assign a certain amount of learning (based on how many points earned) but they can’t assign a specific lesson to the class.
I think Duolingo would be a great tool to get students using at the beginning of the year. You could set up class competitions or give rewards for students who are using Duolingo outside of the class. This would be a great resource to tell parents and students who want suggestions for things to do in the target language outside of class.
I would not plan to use it during class time on a regular basis, because I think class time should be focused on communicative activities, community building, and cultural learning. As far as I can tell, you can’t assign a class a lesson based on a specific unit or topic, so while it’s good comprehensible input, it doesn’t fit well into curriculum objectives.
Who is Duolingo best for?
Duolingo’s strengths are that it’s somewhat personalized language learning that is free and accessible anytime, anywhere.
Duolingo is an excellent choice for learners who:
- are price sensitive
- are short on time
- are in a remote location where there are no in-person classes offered
- have not had success in a traditional language-learning environment OR
- are experienced in learning another language and know how to fill in the knowledge gaps
- are not motivated to learn on their own
An in-person class may be a better choice for learners who:
- Need to learn a specific local dialect (like Swiss German)
- Want to learn survival language for doing daily activities in the target-speaking community
- Are more extraverted and motivated by learning with other people
- Are looking to meet others with like interests in the community
- Want more grammar explanations
- Like the structure of regular classes and homework to hold them accountable
- Are older and may not find technology easy
For me personally, I plan on taking an A1.2 German class this summer. The reason why is more than just not being happy with how fast I’m progressing. I’d like to meet other learners in Stuttgart, where I’m living. My job also offers a stipend for learning German (part of which I’ve already used on Super Duolingo), but it is only good for the first year that I’m here. It will be interesting to compare in August to see if taking a course has propelled my German-learning journey forward more, less or the same as using Duolingo has.
Have you used Duolingo? Do you think it’s more effective than traditional classroom language-learning? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
