Duolingo was the first language app that I ever used. It inspired me to continue my language-learning journey and I still use it on occasion many years later.
Is it perfect? Not even close. If you’re looking for a complete language learning experience, it’s heavily flawed and there are far better options out there.
If, however, you need something that will support your journey with simple lessons and gamification features, it’s ideal.
Check out the following Duolingo review for insights and recommendations regarding this app.
The Language Options = Excellent
Duolingo courses are created by language experts and contributors. It’s a huge community, and this means there are stacks of languages to explore.
You can switch from Spanish and French to Latin, Klingon, Welsh, and several other languages that you don’t always see on language-learning apps.
Some of the more obscure languages don’t have a lot of content to explore, but they are growing all of the time. When I first joined, for instance, Greek was very limited, but it essentially grew with me and the Greek course is now extensive.
The Service = Good
Duolingo is fast, fluid, intuitive, and easy to use.
It is laid out in a series of lessons, which are separated into categories and levels. When you finish a level without losing all of your hearts/lives, you will unlock additional levels and advance further.
Along the way, there are hearts/gems to unlock and XP to collect, the latter of which determines your position in a league table.
Duolingo also tracks your daily lessons via a “streak”.
It’s a gamified system, which encourages you to keep returning and completing the lessons. And it works, as I found myself using the app every day to keep my streak alive and was genuinely annoyed with myself when I let it slip.
One of the downsides is that there are a lot of annoying ads on the free version. However, these are far less common if you use Duolingo for web. There are still a few ads, but they are not as intrusive as the ones you’ll encounter on Duolingo for Android or iOS.
The Cost = Excellent
Duolingo is free. You can’t get better than that. There is a paid option, but it’s not mandatory and it doesn’t make that much of a difference.
At the time of writing, the paid option, known as “Super Duolingo” is around $6.99 a month. It’s a token amount, and it’s handy if you’re a dedicated user, but if you’re on a budget or don’t use it a lot, it’s not worth it.
The paid option removes the annoying ads, gives you a personalized practice feature, and provides you with some more gamification options, including unlimited hearts.
I used Super Duolingo after taking a break for about a year. During that time, I had used Pimsleur and Preply, and was much more advanced, so I had a lot of lessons to skip through when I returned. The paid feature was a handy way to do some rapid-fire lessons using unlimited hearts.
It also meant I could avoid the ads.
But if money is tight, you don’t mind ads, and you don’t need to play catch up as I did, the premium option is not necessary.
The Effectiveness = Poor
Now for the downside… Duolingo isn’t as effective as other language-learning apps.
There are a few reasons for this.
Firstly, it throws you in at the deep end and doesn’t do much to explain grammar rules. If you have some experience learning languages, you’ll adapt fairly quickly. If you’re a complete beginner, you might struggle and you’ll find yourself getting confused more than once.
Secondly, the gamification aspects can work against you.
Rather than sitting down for a good 30 to 60 minutes of thoughtful study, you’ll be reaching for your phone, speeding through 5 minutes, and then calling it a day.
I did exactly the same. I was breezing through the lessons and getting everything right, but I wasn’t actually taking anything in.
Finally, it lacks the diversity that you need for a complete experience. There are no videos, few images, and no stories or scenarios.
Duolingo Review Verdict: 3/5
Although Duolingo is not a complete solution, it is fun and effective enough to use alongside other language-learning apps.
If you enjoy using the app, you should do so. I have personally used over 20 different language-learning apps and websites, and Duolingo is one of the 4 that I use on a regular basis.
I wouldn’t rank it anywhere near as high as Pimsleur and it’s probably the one I use the least of those 4, but it’s free, it’s always there when I need it, and I still find myself learning new words through the app.
Pros
- Fun to use
- Lots of languages
- Available on mobile and desktop
- Gamification features
- Free to use
Cons
- Limited in scope
- Lots of annoying ads
- Easy to get complacent
Duolingo Review FAQs
Does Duolingo support multiple keyboards?
No, and this is one of the criticisms that has been levied at the service. But it’s a minor inconvenience at most.
It’s very easy to set up a new language on your keyboard, and it’s just as easy to switch between them. I use a MacBook, for instance, and I have built-in options for Greek and Norwegian, as well as English. I can switch between them by pressing CTRL + Space or simply tapping the appropriate icon on the Touch Bar.
Not only is it easy, but I’d argue that it was easier and better than built-in keyboards. App-based keyboards are a little clunky and awkward, and they don’t help you if you need to type a foreign word into Google Translate, write something in a document, or send a message.
So no, Duolingo doesn’t offer this feature, but it shouldn’t need to.
Can you become fluent with Duolingo?
I don’t think so. That’s not Duolingo’s fault though.
It’s hard to achieve fluency with a single app. You need to immerse yourself in the language and culture; you need to listen, chat, and engage.
You can reach a level of conversational fluency using Duolingo, but it’s best to supplement it with other services, whether that means the occasional Preply lesson, Pimsleur course, or just a few films.
Is anything better than Duolingo?
I think that Pimsleur and Preply are both better options than Duolingo, but these are paid services, so they may not be suitable for you.
Should you pay for Duolingo?
I don’t think there is enough value in the paid service. I have tried it and while it was convenient for playing catch up, that money is better spent elsewhere.
Why is Duolingo so popular?
It’s popular because it’s a fun app and it’s free. It’s also effective at teaching you new words in an interesting way.