Duolingo is an app that allows you to learn languages even when you don’t have time for classes. In these few minutes, find out how it works.
Duolingo app is a new modern and free way of learning. As well, it is a crowdsourcing platform for translating texts. Additionally, is designed in such a way that as the user progresses in their learning. Currently, the site offers a lot of languages including Spanish, German, Italian, Greek, and a lot more.
Duolingo’s Story
The Duolingo app was initiated by the professor Luis von Ahn and post graduate student Severin Hacker. In the whole process of creating the app they used Python language. Their new invention now is a positive influence to those eager to learn more.
It is surprising the number of individuals who are overthrowing the traditional learning way for the online app Duolingo. If you are a beginner and want to learn a language, this app will help you do it in an intuitive, effective, free and online way.
Learn a language with Duolingo
In a completely structured way, the web page allows us to know at what level we are and to choose different activities. In less than two minutes, Duolingo offers us the possibility of learning a language in a completely correct way, through different themes and betting on repetition and hearing.
It will help you with your work
Do not know the correct way to translate a text? Duolingo gives you the possibility of inserting it into your website, allowing other users to help you and make them earn points. In this way, the creators are committed to a personalized and individualized translation, leaving aside the automatic translators and their mistakes.
Duolingo also includes courses for speakers of languages other than English. I have used this app to improve my Spanish and while I was in Spain, everyone seemed surprised about my skills. Anyways, let’s see how this app works and how it can help your adventure of learning languages.
How does it work?
Duolingo is an excellent example of a straightforward application to the point of learning languages. It is very simple to use. You set up your profile, choose your target language, assign your weekly goals and you start! Each course in the Duolingo app is made up of modules which are grouped together to form skills.
Course structure
Duolingo gives clear instructions how the different modules should be completed. New modules get activated after finishing the previous one. There is no skipping of sessions, so you can get to the next one.
Test your skills
Pressing the “test out” button allows you to take a shortcut if you want to avoid working the individual lessons or modules that cover material with which you are already familiar. However, you need to pass the exam first, as there are no shortcuts in language learning.
In short, the “browse to exit” option applies when you start a new language. You can start with the basics or you can take a “start exam” and the application will determine your level of influence.
How are the lessons?
Each Duolingo lesson is made up of a range of activities:
Translation exercise
This activity makes you match the words to their equivalents in the foreign language.
Tap-pair exercise
Usually, new vocabulary is taught in pictures and grammatical points which are explained with dialog balloons. However, there are also listening exercises where you have to type what you hear, and speaking exercises where you have to say what you hear.
This application gives you the option to deactivate your microphone if you prefer to skip the pronunciation exercises. Until recently, the app used a system of “hearts” where you had to complete each lesson without losing all your hearts. The last update has changed this for a bar that goes up and down in accordance to your answers.
In brief, I have actually been a Duolingo user for many years, and since the launching, the Duolingo app has made quite a progress. Finally, it has strong content and language building exercises efficiently packed in bite-size portions. It is an ideal way to practice any language according to your time.