Review of Duolingo (Application)

One of the most practical ways of learning a foreign language is through the use of technology, specifically by regularly using applications. I decided to start off by reviewing Duolingo, a free language-learning application that is available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Esperanto, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish. I will be giving you my honest opinions about this application, so that you can decide whether or not you want to download it onto one of your devices.

Pros:

 1. It is free

Many language-learning applications, and software programs that are often well marketed can end up being very expensive, and oftentimes are not worth the investment. Although you cannot become fluent in a language by only using this application, it is a great supplement to other language-learning materials, websites, and other applications  Given that it is free, it teaches you basic, intermediate, and advanced vocabulary. 

 2. This application can be used for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners

If you have had some experience, and or study with your target language prior to downloading Duolingo, you can take a placement test, which will test you out of topics, and levels that you most likely have already mastered. If for some reason you think that you are not as advanced as it says that you are, you can redo lessons that you supposedly tested out of. This is great for review, and for anyone who wants to review a specific topic (ex: animals, or food vocabulary that you might be rusty on). If you have never studied your target language, you can start from the first lesson, and work your way through the topics until you are satisfied with your progress.

3. It helps you expand your vocabulary

In my opinion, Duolingo’s biggest strength is that it helps you learn through repetition. Vocabulary is often recycled, and is repeated often, which means that, even if you do not try to reinforce the vocabulary that it teaches you by doing something else, you will most likely remember the majority of the words. One of its best features is the ability to click on a button that can replay the voices’ recordings. You can click it as many times as you want, which is great for auditory learners, and to hear how the words being pronounced. 

4. You only have to use this application for 5-10 minutes a day in order to make significant progress

I have found that you do not have to spend hours trying to cram information in your head when using Duolingo. Oftentimes, less is more, and quality is more important that quantity. Another strength about this application is that it is very organized. You start off by learning words that help you learn your target language’s alphabet, and eventually learn how to translate official documents from English to your target language, and vice versa. This application helps you practice your listening, reading, and pronunciation skills, expand your vocabulary, spelling, and writing. You learn how to spell words through repetition, and by hearing the voices’ recordings. 

Cons:

1. It does not directly teach you grammar

If you are someone who has not had a lot of experience learning languages, this may be frustrating. The application was not designed to teach you formal grammar lessons. Instead, each lesson will focus on a particular vocabulary topic, and will make you translate, write, record, and listen to words about that topic. For example, if you are on the food topic, you will learn words such as fork, spoon, plate, and cup. However, if you have studied several languages, or have a good grasp on another language’s grammar, you can pick up patterns, and can indirectly learn grammar. For example, if you have studied the accusative case of German in school, and get to that topic, you will practice examples using the accusative case, but will not be taught what the accusative is, and why it is used.

2. You cannot practice your conversational skills

Although you can record your voice reading sentences out loud once you reach a certain level, you cannot practice speaking with anyone else. If you want to improve your conversational skills, you will have to supplement this application with language learning communities online, with native speakers, with your friends, or with your family.

3. The voice recordings are not always clear

I have found that the speakers’ voices have not always been pleasing to the ear. They sometimes sound robotic, or what Google Translate’s speakers sound like. That being said, if you find value in the positive aspects of the application, you get used to their voices, and tune out parts that do not sound pleasing.

4. It can be overwhelming

If you do not practice your target language using this application every day, or several times a week, you can easily become frustrated, and will feel that you have not made any progress. What I would recommend is trying to use it as many days of the week as you can, and use it for no more than 10 minutes a day. If you are a visual learner, or like to write down what you hear, you can designate a notebook specifically for what you learn using Duolingo, and write out the sentences, and new vocabulary that it teaches you.

As you can see, there are pros, and cons of this application, but the pros far outweigh the cons. I wanted to give you an equal amount of pros, and cons, so that I could give you my honest opinion of what the application does well, and which flaws it has. I hope that you found this post helpful. Feel free to let me know what you think of it in the comments down below.