What if learning a language felt as fun and easy as playing a game? I know how frustrating it can be to memorize words and still struggle to speak. But what if I told you Duolingo turns language learning into bite-sized, engaging lessons? In this review, I’ll show you how Duolingo can help you build vocabulary, practice speaking, and improve fluency—even if you’re learning alone. From quick daily lessons to speaking exercises, I’ll break down why millions swear by this app. Is Duolingo the best language learning tool out there? Let’s find out together!
Languages you can learn with Duolingo
One of the most impressive aspects of Duolingo is that it offers 34 languages to choose from. Available languages are Hungarian (in beta), Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Korean, Latin, Navajo (in beta), Romanian, Russian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Spanish, Japanese, Norwegian, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese, English, Esperanto and French. Soon, they will be adding Finish language as a course.
Learning Techniques of Duolingo
You can get started with a placement test once you set your profile. Depending on your knowledge of your targeted language, the app proceeds to move from elementary lessons to higher level lessons. Simple words, sentence connectors, verb conjugations and more content of the language increases as you complete your practice exercises. There are also podcasts and blogs by Duolingo to help you master a language.
The language acquisition practice exercises vary. Fill in the blanks, voice pronunciation, listening lessons, vocabulary lists and more exercises are offered. Duolingo expects regular practice, so if you stick to at least meeting up the targeted time, you can surely improve your language acquisition.
Check out this comparison article between Duolingo and Memrise.
Experience of using Duolingo
First things first, Duolingo remained at the top ranks of the best software for learning a language. It has maintained its position for a while, and its popularity has increased over the years.
One of the reasons Duolingo gained popularity was for sleek interface. With a variety of appealing features, the little turtle button allows you to “slow” down pronunciations, which is a fantastic feature to make use for learning new pronunciations.
The exercises are easy to navigate through and the minimalistic outlook of the app makes it easier to use anytime. The lessons are structured and organized. Thus, for visual learners, the attractive look and pictures of different words make it a great app.
Duolingo’s affordability
Because Duolingo started as a free app, it kept its promise to offer free learning experiences to its users. Through ad generation, its free version thrives. But Duolingo offers a paid membership that costs $12.99 per month, called Duolingo Plus.
If you decide to pay yearly, then a discount is applied, and you have to pay $79.99. A great feature of the paid version is that ads are removed, which improves your experience, and you can also download the lesson to keep it offline. Additionally, the app offers one free “streak repair” per month, which is a fantastic advantage to let you skip a day of practice.
Now, you can surely make the most of the app through the free version. But if you intend to upgrade your experience, you should know that the cost of $12.99 per month is fair. With standard yearly subscriptions at a lower rate, there are similar apps which are more expensive than Duolingo ranging between $100 and $200.
Pros of using Duolingo
- The attractive and gamified learning experience makes it easier to stay motivated and continue language acquisition.
- For quick learning, simple sentences make it easier to start learning a new language.
- For visual learners, one of the best apps with a minimalist design and clear instructions.
- The tons of images help the user to learn more vocabulary.
- Duolingo Podcasts are a great source for apps for listening skills and more.
- The impressive interface keeps the user inspired instead of easily giving up.
- Frequent reminders throughout the course.
Cons of Duolingo
- The vocabulary lessons and topics cannot be decided by the user and the skipping option is not a positive feature as users skip without learning.
- The gamified app might be stressful for some users and make it difficult to keep pace.
- Pronunciation practices are machine – generated, so unlike human conversational sounds.
- The free version contains too many ads.
- Lessons in a language are not designed professionally.
As a personal favorite, Duolingo is the best free language-learning app presently available. With its intense and repetitive language exercises, you can stick to noticing improvement guaranteed. Most of the users agreed that the app helped them move from a beginner to a fluent speaker in their targeted language.
However, it is not a professional-like – designed language course, so it is beneficial for those who are committed to learning. Self-teaching is the motto of this app. So, if you promise to endure the lessons daily, then Duolingo is a reliable language learning app which lives up to its popularity.
