is duolingo effective?

• Subreddit discussion on “Duolingo or Babbel?”
  • Reddit users have mixed opinions on the effectiveness of both language learning apps
  • One user prefers Babbel because it teaches phrases that can be used immediately, but finds it less engaging and expensive
  • Another user thinks Babbel has the potential to get you further, and likes its balanced approach to reading, speaking, listening, and writing
  • One user used Duolingo for habit building and found it alright, but didn’t learn much
  • Another user used both and prefers Babbel for its review system and immersive conversations
  • Some users are hesitant to try Babbel due to its price tag, but one user points out that you can get it for free for 3 months
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• Overview: The webpage compares Babbel and Duolingo.
  • Comparison Outline: Duolingo vs Babbel
• Video Review: The video discusses everything you need to know when comparing Babbel and Duolingo.
• Babbel vs Duolingo
  • Overview of the Babbel Lessons
    • Core lessons take 10-15 minutes to complete.
    • A fast-moving, blended approach with tons of variety in exercises employed.
  • Our Thoughts On The Babbel Program
    • Babbel incorporates grammar instruction into their lessons in a very subtle and efficient way.
    • Babbel seems to be more consistent and accurate with using natural sentences and correct translations within its lessons.
    • Babbel does a better job than Duolingo of developing speaking skills.
    • Babbel offers live classes, whereas Duolingo does not.
    • Babbel offers greater flexibility than Duolingo.
  • Overview of the Duolingo Lessons
    • Each lesson is about 5-10 minutes long.
    • Lessons are made up of interactive drills and exercises that span reading, writing, speaking and listening.
  • Our Thoughts On The Duolingo Program
    • The free version is ad-supported.
    • The free plan comes with a limited amount of “hearts,” which are essentially just misses or incorrect answers.
    • Free users have a limited amount of “test outs.”

• Website: A comparison of Duolingo and Mondly
  • Pricing
    • Duolingo: Paid version for $84/yr
    • Mondly: Premium Plan for $10/mo or $48/year
  • Lesson length
    • Duolingo: lessons are 5-10 minutes
    • Mondly: lessons are 10 minutes long
  • Verbal practice
    • Duolingo: solid speech recognition technology
    • Mondly: VR and AR apps for conversational practice
      • VR app costs $5 and requires an Oculus headset
      • AR app is free with premium subscription
  • Languages covered
    • Duolingo: offers 30+ languages
    • Mondly: offers 40+ languages
  • Grammar instruction
    • Duolingo: grammar instruction is not a priority, thin explanations
    • Mondly: light explanations, does not progress to advanced levels
  • Editor’s Choice: Mondly
    • Pros
      • VR and AR apps for conversational practice
      • More accurate translations and natural sentences
      • Teaches useful vocabulary including job-specific language courses
    • Cons
      • Speech recognition technology could be improved, does not progress to advanced levels
  • Free trial: Check current offers

• Duolingo is a language-learning app that is free for the basic version.
  • Paid version is $7/month if you buy a whole year at a time.
• Focuses on implicit learning (letting learners figure out patterns themselves) and uses robot voices.
• Includes silly sentences and everything is gamified.
• Offers more languages than Babbel.
• Reddit users generally agree that Duolingo’s gamification and implicit learning techniques are motivating and effective for vocabulary and grammar structure, but Babbel’s explicit instruction on grammatical concepts and more practical sentences made it more useful.
• Babbel is $7/month if you buy a whole year at a time.
  • Babbel Live includes unlimited live zoom lessons with a small group, and it’s $50/month if you buy a whole year at a time.
• Babbel uses more explicit instruction (provides explanations of grammatical concepts) and human voices.
• Memrise is a pretty good alternative to both.
• Some courses in Duolingo use real voices, like Esperanto or Latin.
• Users have reported on the app’s usefulness:
  • Some users had a difficult time learning everyday phrases.
  • Other users feel that the silly sentences made it difficult to distinguish between the silly sentence and an idiom/cultural difference.
  • Duolingo users found the app fun to use and made them more interested in learning compared to Babbel.
  • Some users couldn’t learn with Babbel and found the app forgettable.
  • Some users also mentioned that they use Pimsleur as their main engine to learn other languages.

• Comparison between Duolingo and Babbel mobile app interfaces
  • Duolingo uses natural language, gamification, and animation to engage learners and help them build learning streaks
  • Babbel takes a more professional approach and has more traditional focus on touristic phrases and greetings
• Comments on effectiveness of Duolingo and Babbel
  • Babbel is considered more effective as it provides structure, teaches languages decently well, and introduces new words and phrases related to a common topic with appropriate context
  • Duolingo is fun but not ideal for serious learners, as it is based on isolated phrases and does not provide enough context
  • Using both Duolingo and Babbel, plus other resources like Pimsleur, can be beneficial for learners
• Some users find Duolingo ads and gamification distracting and prefer classroom or web app versions
• “Proper methods” for language learning
  • Engaging directly in the skills learners want to develop, starting with graded readers, beginner podcasts, beginner YouTube teachers, grammar books, textbooks, reading basic articles, CEFR aligned exercises/assignments, vocabulary flashcards, focused speaking practice, accent practice
  • Intermediate learners can also benefit from immersion/language exchange activities and TV shows/children’s content.

💭  Looking into

What are some of the shortcomings of Duolingo and language learning resources?

💭  Looking into

How does Duolingo compare to other language learning resources?

💭  Looking into

What features does Mondly offer that Duolingo doesn't?

💭  Looking into

What features does Babbel offer that Duolingo doesn't?

💭  Looking into

How does Duolingo compare to other language learning platforms?

• Duolingo Overview
  • Over 500 million registered users, the most downloaded education app
  • Mission statement: make language education free and fun
  • Duolingo Plus version for a monthly subscription price of $12.99/month and a yearly subscription price of $83.99/year ($6.99/month)
• Getting Started & Features
  • You can enroll in as many courses as you want for free
  • Duolingo courses cover 35 different languages
  • Duolingo lessons adapt to your learning needs
  • Duolingo Stories, Audio Lessons and Podcasts
• Learning Experience
  • Duolingo is great for absolute beginners, but not as effective for more advanced learners
  • Lessons are high quality but can become too repetitive
  • Additional features like the stories and podcasts are great because they help you practice language skills in more natural situations
• Languages
  • 37 languages to choose from for English speakers
  • Complete courses are available for some languages while others only have a few levels
  • Some languages have voices from real speakers rather than automated voices
• Alternatives
  • Babbel and Mondly are cheaper options
  • Other apps like LingoDeer and Yabla offer more complete courses for less-spoken languages.
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• What is Duolingo?
  • One of the most popular language-learning apps.
  • Gamified learning that aims to develop multiple skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening).
• How much does Duolingo cost?
  • Most beloved features are free.
  • Option to buy extra features with Super Duolingo or Super Duolingo Family plan.
  • Plans start at $6.99/month for just one person with a 12-month commitment.
• What are the key features of Duolingo?
  • Organized, progressive lessons.
  • New levels open up as your skills progress.
  • Lessons are broken down into small chunks.
  • Option to strengthen skills.
• What are the strengths of Duolingo?
  • Immediate sentence building.
  • Wide array of languages.
  • Goal setting.
  • Gamification.
  • Multiple skills targeted.
• What are the disadvantages of Duolingo?
  • Few options for advanced speakers.
  • Little conversation preparation.
  • Inconsistency between languages.
  • Good for practice, not always for learning.
• Does Duolingo work for beginners?
  • Useful beginner words and phrases.
  • Very little pronunciation support.
• Does Duolingo work for intermediate and advanced learners?
  • Attempts to be well-rounded.
  • Lacks real-life speaking practice.
  • Artificial vs. real language usage.
• Does Duolingo work as a standalone language learning program?
  • Any platform or resource largely depends on what the learner makes of it.
  • Likely to still struggle to learn a language from only Duolingo.
  • Need to supplement Duolingo learning with other resources.
• What are the alternatives to Duolingo?
  • None mentioned.

None

• Info related to query “is duolingo effective?”:
  • Vietnamese pronunciation not well-taught, course teaches some awkward phrasing, limited in scope, better for European languages than for Asian languages, and not sufficient for speaking or reading ability.
    • Vietnamese course issues: teaches Northern pronunciation that is not widely used, and awkward phrasing.
    • Duolingo is free but costs time, and users need to supplement it with an SRS program to help learn vocabulary.
    • Value depends on language being studied.
  • Users won’t be able to communicate much in Vietnamese after finishing the course, as pronunciation is difficult and requires one-on-one training.
    • Duolingo is better for basic introduction and directing users to basic needed knowledge.
    • Users could spend their time with different resources instead.

• OP asks how effective Duolingo is in learning Spanish.
  • Fluency rating is bullshit, ignore it.
  • Good to use with other programs to complement learning.
  • Builds a good foundation in word recognition and grammar.
  • Use other ways of learning speech and listening.
  • Duo is a great tool, but has limitations.
  • No substitute for immersion in a language.
  • It’s a fun supplement to an actual language course.
  • Duolingo can be used as the core of a language acquisition program.
  • It trains you to do a little every day, which is important.
  • Some users found it helpful in their own language learning journey.
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💭  Looking into

What is the most effective way to learn languages with Duolingo?