Duolingo Review (Pros & Cons Explained)
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▬ ABOUT THIS VIDEO ▬
Duolingo Review (Pros & Cons Explained). In this video, John from the TPI team covers his updated review of the Duolingo language app. Whether you want to learn Spanish, French, Italian, or any other language, people often turn to Duolingo as they offer a free version. Duolingo is a very popular choice to learn a new language. In this video, John discusses the recent updates to the Duolingo app and language lessons. He talks about what the lessons are like, and what types of practice drills you will be asked to complete across reading, writing, speaking, and listening. John also covers what's included with Super Duolingo, which is the premium version of the Duolingo language app. People also use Duolingo to learn German, Russian, and Japanese. Thanks for watching this updated Duolingo reviews video. Hopefully it helps you determine whether Duolingo is the best language app for your situation. Best of luck!
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▬ VIDEO CHAPTERS ▬
0:00 - Introduction
0:45 - What Has Changed With Duolingo In 2023
3:40 - What Our Team Dislikes About Duolingo
7:39 - What Our Team Likes About Duolingo
9:46 - Verdict: Duolingo Review
#duolingo #languagelearning #languageapp
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Duolingo’s gamification is addicting. I wish I didn’t care about winning leagues as much as I do 😂
Yes, can be really expensive with the micro transactions to keep up in the weekly challenges
true
It has me hooked.
Same lol
@@Picla_Peremohy Interesting. I was top 1% globally on Duolingo last year. I’ve never done a micro transaction.
I don’t do those timed challenges, is that what you’re spending money on?
I’ve won 20+ top 3 placements. Been in the diamond league consistently. Never have spent a single penny on Duolingo.
Not that I’m against spending money on language apps. I have premium on Busuu, I bought lifetime on Mondly, Rosetta Stone, Speakly, Beelinguapp, Pimsleur, and a few others.
I just haven’t seen a need to spend money on Duolingo. I don’t mind the ads and other than that, free vs paid seems the same.
I’m curious what micro transactions you’re referring to.
PS: For reference, I just hit day 450 and I’m at like 84,000 points.
Also, Duolingo classes ended today. It was such a great way to speak with native Spanish speakers (also French). This was the main reason I used this app. I’m thinking about switching/ including Babbel since they have in person classes now.
Yeah for live classes Babbel will be your best bet. Thanks for watching!
I actually really love the new update (except for the removal of the tips). I used to really get hung up on repeating older lessons especially the farther I got, the more time I spent "practicing" the older lessons and making it too easy for myself (I'm really bad with self discipline). The new path forces me forward in the course which actually improved my learning experience a lot.
However, I do agree that duolingo is used best as a complimentary lesson. Whenever I tried to learn a new language from scratch with it I failed miserably but using it for a language I actually already know a bit works wonderfully.
Yeah all good points. Thanks for watching!
I like the new format better than the old. It’s now progression rather than jumping around. With language you need to progress gradually and not jump around
Great review post update. I used to use duolingo in high school and stopped for a few years so coming back post update i notice it’s a lot easier to be consistent due to the programs reminders and gamification and navigation throughout the app. 35 days strong going for a lifetime of learning!
Thank you!!! I appreciate your insight.
Thank you for the thorough review!
I was initially drawn to Duolingo because it was FREE haha! But I now love the social aspect of it. It started w me and my fiance, but now my dad is on it and he got a family plan that we’re part of yay!
I like the path more than the tree for the structure which you mentioned, but also miss seeing the topics upfront and being able to select specific subjects for quick reviews depending on where I’m going or what I will do.
Yep, it still has a lot of value! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you so much for all your review videos! Today is New Year's Day.. 🎉 One of my goals for this year is to speak perfect German by the end of 2024. That's important to me because I moved to Germany. A lifetime membership with a language app would help me enormously in achieving my goal, so I would like to participate in the raffle. Thanks again & all the best for 2024! ❤
Great review! The first language learning app I tried was babble but I’m going to give duolingo a try in case I prefer it!
Good review. I agree with your points. I much preferred the old tree. It was much easier to go back and review past concepts that were starting to fade. And, I liked to do new stories much more often than the new path allows. Plus, they eliminated the audio lessons which had an immersive, conversational feel that was challenging. I used to enjoy spending an hour on Duolingo doing lessons, stories and audio lessons. Now, I find myself only doing a couple of lessons a day and getting bored with it. Sad...
I hear ya....
Thanks for the video really. I have been looking forward to an updated video. Thank you
No problem! Thanks for watching
best review of new duo yet. I like the update for the mobile version a lot even with all the negatives
Thank you for the review! I miss the learning tree and the ability to do stories on demand
Thanks you for this video explanation. I am totally new to the concept of language apps for classroom activities, and this helps a lot. Thanks!
You're very welcome! Glad it helped :)
Thank you for the review
Love your videos
Very helpful video!
John, you talk very fast and to the point in this video. Thanks. I feel like you respect my time and forced me to pay attention! 🙂I also agree with all your main points. One note: Because I do Duolingo on my laptop, I never see ads. and I'm fine with the free version. One tip I'd like to add is that users not only do their target foreign language from their native language, but also their native language from that foreign language. It's an easy way to learn more of your target language, as you''ll be exposed to additional vocabulary in a low-pressure setting. It's fun and goes even faster.
Great pro tip on learning via another language! and thank you :)
@@TestPrepInsight De nada. Gern geschehen. De rien. 🙂
So far I'm testing out of each unit as soon as I'm done with the starred lessons. I skip the stories since they introduce new vocabulary that isn't part of the course or brought in much later and the practice lessons are too repetitive. The stories might be fun to go back to at some point but I doubt I'll go back for the practice lessons. I also read the tips and check Google when I still need clarification. I think reading probably helps a lot with comprehension and I plan to incorporate more reading material the further I get along in the course. I think you should have more competency in a language before you start consuming much longer texts as it could be discouraging. Still have a long way to go but the fact that I'm progressing relatively quickly is helping keep me motivated.
Enjoyed your review of the new path of DuoLingo. I didn’t agree with everything but I think you explained it well.
I started using DuoLingo in 2013. Yep, 2013. I wanted to try and eventually regain what I had learned in my German classes in middle and high school. I was 3 classes away from minoring in German in college.
I stopped using it and picked it up again later to try and learn German and at one point Spanish.
I stopped and started multiple times. I never got a high streak - maybe 20 days, maybe? But more recently with the new path I‘m at 65. I don’t know if it’s because I see a giant widget on my Home Screen to remind me or if it’s because of the new path. Yes I did like the groupings previously but honestly, that may have been the reason why I kept stopping. I‘d learn the 20 words for all the animals but couldn’t really say a lot of sentences. Now, I feel like there are still groupings, but like you said those practices are built in. I may be someone who enjoys the gamified experience of DuoLingo that actually makes you put sentences together versus other apps. That may just be a good learning style for me though. I do agree - it’s important to use other things along with DuoLingo. Personally I watch Easy German videos and Nico‘s Weg. I can tell though as I’ve worked my way up the path, that I’m starting to understand more in Nico‘s Weg and Easy German videos. I‘m not sure if I’d have the same experience though if I hadn’t learned some German in HS. We shall see if my opinion changes overtime, but for now I’m okay with the changes on DuoLingo. I can understand why not everyone agrees though.
Thanks for the detailed comment and sharing :)
very detailed review. thanks!
You're welcome!
Hi,I`m using the free version of Duolingo and since the update in November of 2022 it has been hard to stay with it.I changed the update back to the tree,when it was still possible.
Now I am learning with the new ,,Path" Version because as of 2023 the tree is now totally gone.I force myself every day to do my lessons and it takes way longer than it used to.
I learn more words every day ,yes-but it is too much, too soon.Basically there is no more fun in learning. It has become a chore.So,every day I think about quitting Duo,but I loved Duo before so I will give it more time,see if the fun comes back?
This was really helpful, thank you! I'm on day 36 and have noticed the lack of grammar and other clarification help in the app. I'll definitely be checking out your other videos as the week goes on!
Cool, thanks! Hope we can help
This is so helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
keep up the good work😊
Great review. I’ve tried Duolingo before but I ended up liking Babbel more.
The idea of using Duolingo as a supplemental tool is by far its best asset. However, the new path doesn’t really auger well to that approach.
It’s now a bit of a mystery as to what i’m actually learning and thus difficult to match to my other language tools.
As far as i’m concerned, the new update was purely â financial “blunt object”.
I think your view is shared by a lot of folks :)
I love duolingo cause it’s so cute! The app interface makes me want to log on and learn in a non judgemental way. Thanks for this review! Super detailed
haha thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the great review. I really enjoy using Duolingo but will look for another program when I’m ready to get more serious.
Glad it was helpful!
Great review
Thanks for the video. Very informative. You are a pro's pro...
Thank you!
Great review. Enjoyed the old tree better on Duo.
But I must say that I like both Busuu and Babbel a lot more.
Yep, can't say we disagree. Thanks for watching!
I really like duolingo. Although they keep changing it and I liked it better before. I hats that they removed the comments sections. But it's still a really easy and effective way to learn a language
Great video. I too subscribe to the Super Duolingo. I am learning French. My biggest complaint is they removed the audio lessons! I've sent complaints to them about this (as others have). Apparently, they are creating a new one..however, its been many months without audio. They should have left the good exiting ones in place until they are ready to introduce the new ones. Big faux pas!
Totally agree!
As a fellow Duolingo lover, this video is helpful in seeing the reality of the app not being perfect! Thank you!
Very helpful Duolingo Review 2023 (Pros & Cons Explained) video. Thx
Giveaway answer: I’ve started learning French in Duolingo recently. I need to learn French for my TEF exam for Canada Immigration, and I was dreading learning the language so quickly. I still am dreading it lol. However, what I loved about starting with Duolingo is that it eased me into the language very smoothly, making it fun, addictive with the gamification aspect, and the repetition helped the words I learned stick to my memory well. Before I knew it, I already learned so many words, before even really starting the actual learning process seriously. It didn’t feel daunting, or I didn’t really have to use my own discipline to stay focused and determined because the app itself helped me stay engaged and be motivated to move from one lesson to another given the gamification and ease (e.g. easily learning some words at a time, and getting most answers right giving me a confidence boost).
I just use it for free. But even with that I feel like it really helped to improve my language skills. I have been trying to learn the language mostly by watching CZcams language videos, but I missed the structure that Duolingo has. I have enough exposure to the language I am learning; I mostly need help expanding my vocabulary.
Thanks for the overview! Not the biggest fan of the update
Good review. I think the new version mostly sucks. I use the free version so I guess I shouldn't complain too much, but it's annoying to have to slog through every lesson in order even when I have a good understanding of the concept. They still sometimes have the "jump ahead" option if you do two lessons w/o a mistake but it's rare and seemingly random. Also, the stories were a nice change of pace and only having one per unit is a negative. Finally, while I agree that in general it's too easy and repetitive it's also just wrong sometimes. For example, German sometimes uses the definite article where English would use a possessive pronoun. Duolingo will give you examples of both forms and then arbitrarily mark one or the other wrong. In the same lesson. For me it's okay to practice and maybe learn a little of a language I already speak, but I definitely wouldn't pay for it.
You weren't kidding when you said that they just wanted your money. There are so many ads now that I want to just delete the damn app.
I after many years of using duolingo, having over 1000 day streak, and being in the diamond league, I bought a paid subscription about a week before the November change, not knowing it was about to happen. I was aghast when the changed it and now find it unusable, and no longer use it.
I think it's the same for most people
Great video
Thanks!
where did my voice exercise lessons go tho? they like disappeared within the last year. even when i check all the settings like ppl say to do then i still cannot find the option to switch on the voice/speaking exercises. i have the free version, i dunno if that is why
Personally, I hate this update. Before it I used to breeze through 3-4 levels and then there was a huge incentive to revisit them, since when you got XP multiplier, you could score more by going back. Now you are not incentivised to go back, since repetition is only +5 XP, unless you decide to open legendary status, which only works once. So you are rewarded for pushing forward without really remembering anything. I've noticed that now it's way harder to remember things, and if I decide to revisit, I get actively punished for it.
Lingodeer is actually pretty good and about same fun as duolingo
I am using the German and tho fun it is extremely frustrating at times, It uses the same word for different meanings that are NOT legit and when comparing words to real german and google, they are wrong and marks you wrong if you use actual german words, needs a major update!
I miss the old version. Choice would be nice. I despise being forced to stay on the path. I agree with another review that the audio and ability to utilize stories more are missed, I planned to do a Duolingo live class, and never had the chance. Having to repeat the same stories over and over is boring, and I agree the content is so repetitive now. Makes me wonder why I just added Family Membership come to think of it! But, I have learned a ton , and I will continue on. Wishing for more flexibility and more interesting content though.
I used to really enjoy Duolingo and used it to start my daily learning, sadly, nothing draws me to Duolingo since the update, there’s just not enough there to make it worthwhile, especially not compared to other programs like lingvist and pimsleur.
All very true
Competing with friends is fun. That’s why I like Duolingo.
Which app would your recommend for learning American Sign Language (ASL)?
One important point about Duolingo ..........you can learn more than one language whereas many language apps allow you only one !!!!!!!!
I like duolingo as a tool along with lingq and italki for learning Hungarian.
Good combo. Thanks for watching!
My Duolingo app is no longer showing after unit 13. How can I get unit after unit 13. Please inform me
I can’t cancel my subscription for super Duolingo. Please help me. I’m on apple and I chose annual. However, it doesn’t show “Cancel subscription”
Really, you covered almost all the points! I'm confused, should I buy this super duo or not? It's offering 60% discount!
Thanks for the review.
Disclaimer: I really really don't like dualingo, it's a flawed money making language app that feeds you the illusion of language learning (my opinion). That said, I do think some of the structure flaws can be ironed out with a update or two. And the dedicated path structure helps order things. But dumbing down the already little grammar lessons and bombarding people with more ads ain't cool though.
Maybe this is an nice opportunity to do a video on better free Dualingo alternatives? Like Memrise, Lingo Deer, Memrise, Mango Languages ect.
That's a good call on the video idea. Thanks!!
Beginner here, I speak polish and English from young. I decided to learn 6 languages (one at a time) so I want to go through with one app at a time. Starting with duo lingo then when finished a language then jump onto a different app to develop further. Is this a stupid idea ?
reasons why im draw to duolingo is most probably due to pricing, as compare to babble, rosetta and others, the is special pricing based on which country you are coming from. From my country it is priced about 35USD after conversion for a year of subscription.
That's pretty good
I miss stories. It made learning easier and more fun.
totally agree
Duolingo is perfect to learn a new language even if it takes years to complete. If you’re dedicated enough you learn lots very quickly.
It mainly focuses on learning to speak so that you can easily communicate with locals on holidays.
I’ve used Duolingo for years for Spanish, French, and Germ, plus Latin, but, after having used this new system for a while, I truly dislike the path crap. Also, it seems to have been dumbed down.
Get a good textbook and tutor. Use Duolingo as a warm-up. Also read the news and watch cinema/TV serious in your target language. I don't take Duolingo too seriously, I use it to help motivate and remind me to study and learn Norwegian everyday. Nota bene: Turn off the sound effects and go ad free if you can. We're ad free by default here in Russia because "things". If it weren't ad free I wouldn't use it. BTW the hammering repetition is actually a good thing. Repetition is the mother of learning. Повторение - мать учения.
Using Duolingo as supplemental education is also applicable to other apps. You cannot use just one method. I did pimsleur Italian and I don't think it was as robust and complete as you said. I think they're all good to get you started, but you need to find other sources of education if you actually want to go to the next level.
A friend of mine picked up English so quickly using Duolingo and Fluenti for speaking. He said the secret is to practice whenever you have time even when in bathroom lol
I have a Duo Family membership, it is a much better to learn with friends and family without ads, The ads just destroy attention. Although I still like Duo family, the rapid review sections are frustrating because selecting a correct word order from a list of optional words to complete a very long sentence is too slow, So is writing out a long sentence to a time limit. basically people fail these tasks for non language based reasons. It would be better if all the rapid reviews were spoken responses or one or two word sentence completion tasks. Gosh that felt good to have a rant, now back to match madness which I find great! Every language needs match madness!!!
Haha, it might be a rant but I totally agree! Thanks for watching!
I very love duolingo as no.1🥇🥈🥉I think the guidebook is useful and its wonderful
Ah Duo, I had a huge amount of experience with Duo for Swedish and German, … I would say overall it’s not too bad, I’ve tired Pimsleur, and babbel as well, definitely it depends on your learning strengths and styles … really if you want to learn a new language you still will have to do more then just these apps. Maybe try some movies or tv maybe music ?
Thanks for the tips!
Agreed! Duo sure is a great way to test drive a language. But yeah, I got pretty serious with Norwegian, so I got a tutor, pirated a load of Norwegian textbooks and grammar books and hit the ground running. I wouldn't say TV shows are good for learning a language but more for practicing it. Duo is my little warm-up and cool down. I do 15 minutes in the morning with coffee and 15 minutes before bed. LingQ app is pretty neat. I found a decent intermediate podcast there. I didn't pay for it, So I just write the vocabulary in a notebook. The truth is the more resources you use the more interesting it is. I found a cool rock band called deLillos in the textbook Mer Norsk. Now I listen to them all the time. They actually sing in Norwegian. You should always be looking for new materials and content. I did that with Russian and mastered the language.
Start to learn Korean for a month. Using only the app. What I do not like : 1- grammar guidebook container sentence exemple but no explanation 2- theanswer with world selection. after some time you know how to answer without understanding the content this because you learn the grammar ( from somewhere else) and you know the order of the words based on proposition , suffix, verb. World in answer should be split. At the end I do not learn much because my brain does not need to memorize to answer the question. And writing nothing since it is selection of word !!! Learning Spanish is ok since I have to write the sentence. In Corean reviewing lesson does not allow to use keyboard to improve. At the end I am using 4 different app to teach myself as recommended by many videos on youtube
Everything this dude says is correct, -Lu’s his suggestions are exactly right.
Thank you!!
I am doing five languages. I am in the Diamond league and it will be expensive to continue. 😢
I've always thought it would be great to become fluent in a second language, I'm thinking Spanish would be awesome
Ay si! Español es un idioma muy hermoso !
Is there another language program for Thai other than Pimsleur ? Thank you
Check out Mango Languages
Stories? Dutch didn't have stories in the old edition ... duo doesn't have stories in the new edition. 😢
What draws me to duolingo is its repetitive nature. I have taken thee college courses and finished the textbook. Duolingo causes me to get more practice and reinforces skills. It has helped me with my spanish verbal skills
I have been learning French on Duolingo and I can't seem to make any progress anymore, it's so frustrating. Before, I used to do three review lessons every day and learn something new, slow but sturdy. Now they force me to learn 6 or 7 new lessons (ca. 50 new words) in a row, where I can't remember anything. These new words only appear again after several days, by the time I don't know what is what. And this repeats. Goodbye Duolingo, hello traditional textbooks.
yeah some of the updates have been less than ideal
When language is difficult to learn , all those repetitiveness is welcome when a language is easy to learn , I understand your point of view. So since everyone learn at his own speed Duolingo offer to skip some lesson by passing a knowledge test. Conclusion I mainly disagree with your assessment but I post another comment with what I do not like with Duolingo.
Schon erstaunlich, dass man hier nur Positives liest. Ich nutzte Duo seit drei Jahren. Seit dem Update letzten November habe ich keine Lust mehr. Und die Bewertungen auf Trust-Pilot sagen das selbe.
I was waiting for this overview. Yeah, I think ppl will complain then get used to it
That kinda seems to be the case
Now they took me away the old tree. I had not done any update, but out of sudden I have the path. 🤬
I am really annoyed by the leaderboard system.
I should not care about what others do, how much XP they have or where they are positioned on the LB.
What I want is to finish my courses, do all the lessons, repeat what I didn't get or forgot and move on.
I do not want ads. I actively close the app every time I complete a lesson because the app gives me an ad which is mostly about their premium program.
I do not want to nor will I give you money.
Thanks for watching!
Cons:
1. Not learning phrases and collocations
2.Only American English
3. Often poor translations eg. into Polish
Thanks for watching!
Duolingo gamification is annoying. The removal of the tree meant the removal of self directed reinforcement. Getting one 🌟 in stage 1, 🌟🌟 in 1, 🌟 in 2, 🌟🌟🌟 in 1, 🌟🌟 in 2, 🌟 in 3, ...
Also it doesn't actually teach anything, a chronic gamed testing station.
Think I’ll stick with Duolingo but also use another app
Becoming rich or successful only requires high income skills, once you learn a skill, money will follow you. based on my own experience.. a fellow creator.... BTW, thanks I have enjoyed watcing this video --
Personally, this path is the most effective for me.
I like using Duolingo, because it’s free to use and gamified so it makes it easy to just quickly come back to the language you’re learning everyday without feeling like a chore. Definitely a good tool when you’re first starting to learn a new language.
Agreed! Thanks for sharing and watching
Could you make a review for duolingo math
Yes, we plan to!
Think of another free language learning app regarding duolingo
Bet u cant
Duolingo it's an interesting app but translation into Polish aren't sometimes accurate...
What I like about the new duolingo: nothing. What I hate: everything they've implemented. It's awful in all possible ways. I'm on unit 6 of Spanish classes and I basically learned 4 verbs. It's so repetitive that for me the app turned to be a game. Because of one of your videos, I tried Babel and now I'm studying Russian there.
haha yeah that's been about everyone's reaction to the update. Glad we could help you out :)
You missed something. You have to work harder for gems, only to blow them a helluva lot faster when you need them. It’s gotten tiring and more labor-intensive.
Also, what’s with their store? There used to be good stuff in it. I don’t know what Duolingo calls itself doing, but now its quality is messed up.
I wish they would lose the game system. Not everyone wants a competition.
Appreciate you sharing :)
I tried it 2-3yrs ago, I found the puerile illustrations and reactions extremely annoying.
I find it too repetitive. I prefer the old version. It seemed I learned more grammar.
I use duo because is free
To me it's not it still focus on a game goal not good
Stripping the stories away was a big L, it's easier to remember words with the story concept involved 🇺🇲
Ämmm I don't have the question thing
I stopped caring about league after i won diamond league