If you are looking to learn a new language, you’ve probably heard of Duolingo - but does it really work and is it worth the download? Duolingo has been around for quite some time now and is currently one of the most popular language learning apps for mobile devices. The program has lessons for dozens of languages including all of the most popular ones like Spanish and Chinese. The app is free but it does rely on a freemium model complete with in-app purchases, premium currency, and a paid subscription mode for a monthly fee. The costs for these in-app purchases ranges from $0.99 to $13.99. There are ads between lessons as well, but they are easy to skip and not timed like in many other freemium apps.
Instead of using reading-based lessons, the app uses a teaching style that is familiar to users of other language products like Rosetta Stone or Mango. That means you will be presented with information and immediately asked to answer questions about it. For example, if learning an Asian language, you will be shown a character and hear the pronunciation, then asked to click on which pronunciation you heard. This method can be useful for some people, but for others that want a more methodical, structured approach, this style can seem lacking. Of course, there are no rules against taking notes or doing your own outside research.
The lessons are fairly robust and can cover a lot of the basics of a language, and even some of the more complex concepts. However, when it comes to some of the more complex grammar, the lessons often end up being more of a guessing game with a lot of trial and error. The app itself has a clean interface and is easy to navigate. The lesson layout is clear and users can see their progress visually as they unlock new sections of the lessons map.
Duolingo Can Be Overly Insistent, Vague
One of the biggest drawbacks to Duolingo is if you allow it to send you notifications. The app will remind you daily, or even multiple times a day if you don’t do a lesson. If you stop taking lessons for several days, it will still beg and plead that you come back to it. It’s only after several weeks have passed where it will finally give up and tell you that it won’t bother you anymore. Of course notifications can be switched off, but if they aren’t, Duolingo will be sure to pester you more often than you’d probably like.
As mentioned above, lessons don’t typically go into detail about how grammar rules work. There really aren’t any sections where a concept is explained in great detail. The system instead just relies on its preferred method of having you guess until you get it right, even if you don’t understand why you got it right.
Overall, Duolingo is a decent app for what it offers. Just don’t expect to become completely bilingual just by using Duolingo. You’ll likely have more success if you consider Duolingo to be a companion app to your own training through more traditional means such as taking a class or reading a book. On the other hand, if your goal is just to get some basic conversation skills for an upcoming trip, Duolingo could be exactly what you need.
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