As an immigrant to the U.S., I find the work we do at Duolingo to be very meaningful. I grew up in Turkey, and I learned quite a lot of English in my school years there, which opened the door for me to come to the U.S. for grad school. But even with a good language education, life in a new country can still be pretty stressful for the first six months: You're not fully conversational, but you still have to live your life in that language. When I first moved here, I was very self-conscious when speaking. Was I saying the right things? Was I really understanding everything 100%? Was I responding in a natural way? For example, in Turkish, the word for “camera” translates literally to “photo machine,” so that's what I called it for a while. People were pretty confused. At first that type of thing happened a lot, but eventually speaking became much more natural. Just like my English classes in Turkey, Duolingo is very good at teaching written language. We teach a lot of grammar and a lot of vocabulary. But I remember all too well how I only became fluent by listening and speaking in my new language. So when we are making product decisions about where we’re going to invest our attention and our resources, I remind myself that we need to solve the issue of speaking. We can't just take the easier route and double down on the things we already do best, like written exercises; we need to push ourselves to teach every aspect of language. This comes down to a fundamental question at Duolingo: Do we build for the majority of our current users, early learners who get the most out of text-based learning? Or do we teach what most potential users really want from us—how to speak naturally in a new language? Our team knows that the latter is crucial. The features we’re developing now certainly would have helped me 15 years ago when I was working to sound more natural. You may have tried a few of these features already, like listening with DuoRadio (read more about it here https://lnkd.in/dJ7adtzy), practicing real-world conversation with Roleplay, or starting a video call with Lily. Our culture of experimentation means that we’re constantly developing and testing new features with our learners to see if, and how, they improve the experience. My own experience has made me sensitive to the needs of English learners. I know firsthand that learning a new language like English can open so many doors—and I know how scary it can be to use that language for the first time. If I’d had Duolingo when I moved to the U.S., maybe I would’ve gotten over those early insecurities a few months sooner (and wouldn’t have called a camera “photo machine”!). #duolingo #productdevelopment #englishlearning #innovation #fluency
Duolingo doesn't do a good job for every language unfortunately. My partner has been using it for Turkish for over a year now and she sometimes asks me for help. The answers I suggest as a native speaker aren't accepted as correct by Duo. It feels like the Turkish exercises are written by AI, the questions don't accept alternative answers, and they don't sound authentic. Also, the curriculum isn't designed to help the learner have daily conversations after a year of learning. I use it for Spanish. The variety of exercises is a bit better than for Turkish. But the app still hasn't been able to convince us to subscribe. Anyway, just some feedback for you guys to think about!
Kenny Kamerman
6mo
Do integration with existing shows on Netflix or something. Own the subtitles or different voices in current shows. That's your easter egg for the win. IMO. And I'm on day 1211 or so in a row.
Hello Cem- this is so wonderful. I have been using Duolingo recently to reconnect with my roots. I have always understood Hindi and Marathi but never have I had the chance to actually learn the languages properly, or how to read or write it. On a whim I decided to download the app and have a go at Hindi. I can't explain the impact it has in reconnecting with my parents, culture and just sense of belonging. I just wanted to comment to say I cannot wait to see what is next!
There is no question about that, at early stages of language adoption, you can't speak naturally, you barely speak a few isolated words. As you get better, your words turn to short, and then longer phrases. If you want to appeal to most users of any level, you need to offer lessons adequate to beginner, mid-level and advanced learners. I finished Italian for Spanish speakers late last year, maybe I got close to a low A2 level, now I can't get past there with Duolingo. So now I'm grinding Italian for English speakers, and learned a few extra Italian words so far. Don't see how I could get closer to C1 level, though.
Eylem Başak E.
6mo
Duolingo has always remained an unconventional app for my learning method because it doesn't provide topics in a sequential order, and it teaches purely through extensive exercises without any explanations. However, I've observed that students who are more kinesthetic and less auditory, and who persist and continue using it regularly, benefit greatly. Still, especially us women, being perfectionists, find it hard to muster the courage to speak without feeling adequately prepared. It takes us some time to feel ready, and I don't think it's necessary to push too hard. My most successful students emerged from classes where I provided extensive grammar explanations and exercises up until the end of the B2 level, and they've achieved great things. A student who has developed as perfectly as possible in vocabulary and grammar without being pressured to speak and without working on skills-based exercises, if exposed to intensive listening, vocabulary memorization, and reading after the B2 level, we are achieving the best in about 6 months, I believe.
Jasmine Chen
6mo
I finally got to know Duolingo until 2022, my language learning journey has never been more captivating. The lesson design is fantastic by incorporating traditional vocabulary and phrases directly into sentences, rather than relying solely on rote memorization of lists, it feels less like rigid learning and more like immersing oneself in the language’s everyday use. It mirrors how babies start learning language from birth, being exposed to the most authentic words and sentences in daily life. Grammar summaries serve as supplementary tools, keeping the focus on real-life language usage and making each lesson feel fresh. Learning a language truly opens my horizon, offering insights into the unique expressions shaped by different cultural nuances. I only wish I had discovered Duolingo earlier. Having used Duolingo for almost two years, i have had profound experiences to share. It has enabled me to communicate with locals while traveling abroad, making life much more convenient. The daily progress I make adds motivation and excitement to my routine. I appreciate the platform it provides for language enthusiasts and kudos to the team, such a life-changer platform. It's a dream company to work in and deserving of more attention.
Rachael Sikes
6mo
Learning a new language is hard, and due to the different types of English in different regions and countries plus colloquial slang terms in different regions I'm sure it is daunting. That's awesome that you were able to do so in such a short time frame 👏🏻
Levy Dowell
6mo
It brings me great joy to see duolingo move in this direction. There are so many flashcard-type apps out there that will never bring you any closer to fluency. I am a big believer in comprehensible input, and would love to see that style of learning go mainstream. I have never had to learn language out of necessity. My hat is off to all of you who have had to. Language learning is simply a passion of mine.
Video Game Localization Director (Japanese → English Translator)
6moIt's a shame Duolingo are devaluing the importance of languages by getting rid of half their human translators and using AI to create and check content.