Introduction
The name Duolingo is a combination of the words 'duo' and 'lingo,' representing the platform's
focus on learning two languages simultaneously. The company's mission is to provide free
language education to anyone, anywhere, making it possible for people to learn a new language
at their own pace and convenience.
Duolingo is an American educational technology company that produces learning apps and
provides language certification. Duolingo offers courses on 43 languages ranging from English,
French, and Spanish to less commonly studied languages such as Welsh, Irish, and Navajo, and
even constructed languages such as Klingon. It also offers courses on music,math,and chess.
Duolingo also uses a system of rewards and incentives to keep users motivated. For example,
you earn points and virtual coins for completing lessons, and you can use these to unlock new
levels and features.
The idea of Duolingo was formulated in 2009 by Carnegie Mellon University professor Luis
von Ahn and his Swiss-born postgraduate student Severin Hacker. Duolingo was founded in
2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker. The idea for the language-learning platform stemmed
from von Ahn's desire to make education more accessible to people around the world. Duolingo
was formally founded in 2011 , Duolingo app launched in 2012 and quickly gained popularity as
one of the most downloaded education apps in the world. Reference: "Duolingo is a
self-described free, science-based language education platform, which was created by Luis von
Ahn and Severin Hacker in 2011".
Duolingo excels at making language learning fun. The app’s structure makes it satisfying to
get things right, and researchers are constantly encouraged to keep trying if they answer
questions incorrectly. For casual learners or those looking to maintain a light connection with a
language, Duolingo is perfect. A few minutes here and there, especially on a daily basis, can help
researchers stay connected with a language they have studied before. Duolingo is also useful for
learners who want to maintain their language skills or revisit a language they've studied before.
The gamified nature of Duolingo can significantly increase researchers engagement and
motivation in language learning, making it a more enjoyable and effective process. Duolingo is
accessible on various devices (iOS, Android, and web) and is free to use, making it a widely
accessible tool for language learning. Duolingo focuses on building basic vocabulary and
sentence structures, providing a solid foundation for further language learning. Duolingo offers
courses in a wide variety of languages, catering to diverse learning needs and preferences.
Duolingo also offers the Duolingo English Test, which is recognized by many universities as an
alternative to traditional English proficiency tests.
Duolingo, while popular, has several limitations for serious language learners. It prioritizes a
gamified, repetitive learning approach, which can be less effective for building a strong
foundation and understanding nuanced language use. Additionally, it lacks control over the
learning path, doesn't offer deep dives into grammar, and may not fully prepare learners for
real-world communication or academic/professional needs. The platform has limited depth
because it focuses on vocabulary and basic grammar and does not dwell on language structure
and cultural context. Duolingo mainly helps with reading and writing. It might not offer as much
practice for speaking and listening. You might need other resources to get better at speaking and
listening.
Researchers' overall advice regarding Duolingo is that it can be a very useful tool to help
learners in their language learning journey. Duolingo is a popular app for learning languages. It
has both good and bad points. On the plus side, it's free and offers many language courses. But, it
can get repetitive and requires you to finish every lesson.
