What is Duolingo?

Have you ever wanted to learn a foreign language? The internet is often the first stop for most people who want to learn foreign languages. When you search the internet for ‘learning a foreign language,’ you will meet Duolingo.

In this article, we tell you what Duolingo is, how to use it, the pros and cons, and we also give you a review. We hope the information you get here will be of great help to you.

About Duolingo

Duolingo is a free online (internet) language learning platform, website, and app. It is also used as a digital assessment exam for language-proficiency. It has a mission to make education fun, free, and accessible to all.

Duolingo is currently one of the best learning platforms for languages. It offers 94 different language courses in 30 languages for both English and non-English speakers globally using English as the instruction language. It has many more courses that use a different base language, such as Catalan for Spanish speakers.

It is, by far, the most popular online language-learning platform. It ranks as one of the most downloaded apps on both Android and iOS. The app and website have over 300 million registered users, and subscribers across the world.

How to Use Duolingo?

Duolingo is a straightforward platform with a visually appealing and intuitive interface that is user friendly. The learning is laid out like a game with a visually appealing interface. To use Duolingo, you only need to:

• visit the Duolingo website or download the app,
• set up your profile,
• choose the language you want to learn,
• set your specific weekly goals, and
• start learning.

Duolingo uses a combination of psychology (or psycholinguistics), machine learning, and innovative education tools to deliver its courses. It delivers the game in the form of a tree that you must slowly work through, and by the time you finish, you get a trophy with a flag of the language you’re learning.

In Duolingo, each course comprises of modules (nodes) that are grouped to form skills. Each module on the tree comprises of several lessons called the skill tree. The lessons use listening exercises, flashcards, and multiple-choice questions to introduce you to new words, phrases, and sentences. Each lesson represents a level that you complete by answering questions. The questions are carefully selected with varying techniques for comprehensive learning. For instance, there are free translation questions, sentence formation with given words, listening transcription, picture matching, and speaking exercises.

In most questions, there are comment threads where you find users discussing a particular question in more detail. Additionally, Duolingo has community features where you connect with other users who are learning the same language as you.

To serve you well, Duolingo dictates the order in which you must complete the different modules. You will activate new modules once you’ve completed a preceding one. This also applies to individual lessons within the modules because you must complete lesson 1 to progress to the next lesson.

Pros and Cons of Duolingo

Pros

• Duolingo is free, with premium services.
• It has a beautiful, intuitive, and an easy to use interface.
• You can use it anywhere anytime at your convenience.
• It has a clear, and simple structure of learning.
• The long list of supported languages gives you variety of options.
• It tracks your daily progress.
• The goal-setting tool is a motivator factor.
• The reward system is also a motivator factor and keeps you in the learning mode.
• Duolingo teaches by context, rather than memorization.
• Wonderful interactive stories and the new podcast makes learning interesting.

Cons

• Its speech recognition software can be challenging to use.
• Different languages have varying quantities of material.
• Some translations can be iffy.
• You may not have control over translation topics.

Duolingo Review

The fact is that no language learning app will give you a perfect outcome. However, if you want a near-perfect application, you need Duolingo. Among many online language learning platforms, Duolingo is the best with the best program. It has unique features with a clear structure that makes it more reliable in learning a new language or sharpening your language skills. Duolingo is also flexible for both intensive and casual language learners, making it a platform for all.

Wrapping Up

Duolingo is a perfect additional tool for you if you’re interested in learning a new language. It’s simple, easy to use, and it has proven to work for millions of people worldwide. It can guide you through learning to gain real fluency and achieve your language learning goals.

We believe that this article has helped you understand what Duolingo is and how it works. If you have any other inquiries about Duolingo, kindly alert us through the comments section.