Duolingo reinforces basic grammar and vocabulary through bite-sized courses (they take me approximately two minutes on average) and a visually appealing interface. You’ll learn or practice a few words per course, reading, writing, and speaking them.
Duolingo was once one of our favorite sites, but it suddenly moved its review functionality behind a paywall, rendering the free version useless. Previously, you could do new lessons every day as well as go back and review previous ones (and the app pushed you to go back and study lessons you hadn’t done in a while). This is not possible with the current version, as a lesson is locked once completed. The review exercises are kept behind a separate “Practice Hub” page that requires a paid subscription to access. The free Duolingo app now feels more like a short method to dip your toes into a language every day than a thorough course. It’s also become much more difficult for free users to climb the leaderboard, which has knocked a lot of wind out of our sails when using it. We’ve tried the paid version for free, and it’s better, but not excellent enough to recommend it as the only item you’ll pay for.
The utility of Duolingo varies greatly depending on the language. We recommend reading reviews, visiting your language’s subreddit, or consulting with other learners you know to see whether it’s a suitable fit for your target language – especially if you plan to pay for it.
We like that there is an option to report if you believe an answer tagged incorrectly by the app should have been approved. If the company deems your complaint to be valid, they will notify you via email that they will accept your response going forward.
When it comes to the free version, we generally say, “Why not?” While it may not be the most useful or thorough resource, the fact that you can use it at any time is a plus. While you wait on the subway, do some Duolingo. Wait at a crosswalk and play Duolingo. It’s an excellent approach to keep your attention on your target language throughout the day and sneak in some practice whenever you can. However, we would not utilize the free version by itself.
Number 3. Rosetta Stone
