Can You Really Learn A Language from An App?
My Duolingo experience, 230 days in.
I don’t have much to be proud of.
I can be proud of my cute dog and my running ability, but most importantly, I have a 230-day streak on Duolingo. This large streak begs the question:
Can you learn a whole new language, way of speaking and thousands of words through an app though? Being at day 230 of using the app, I have some skin in the game and would like to share my experiences to help others decide if attempting to learn a new language through an app is worthwhile.
The answer is complicated, and such is life, results will depend on a range of variables. The following is a reflection of my experience so far with Duolingo and my view on whether language apps are worthwhile using.
The Good Side
Easy and Fun To Use
Unlike those unwieldy language textbooks or exercise books, the experience on Duolingo is very interactive and gamified, making it both satisfying when you get the answers correct, and frustrating when you miss something out. Even the in moments of infuriation, where you can’t get a phrase right for the umpteenth time, the reward and feel of joy you get when it’s all said and done is overwhelmingly positive. The app shows you where you’re going wrong so that you can remedy these issues and it does a mostly excellent job at that. Lessons are divided into bite-sized sections that can take 2–10 minutes, thus not requiring a significant time commitment to complete each one. The XP points system, the lingots, shop and bonus material such as interactive stories, make the app consistently compelling to use long after you start. The inclusion of having friends on the platform also invokes a competitive streak for some and often I find myself doing extra lessons to outpace friends on the app.
TLDR: Duolingo is 1000x more fun than you remember language class in high school
Streaks, Glorious Streaks
In my opinion, a hugely underrated yet essential system of Duolingo is the streak building that you can do. Starting a streak and growing it to a reasonable size, say 50 plus days, incentivises daily activity and any completed lessons or stories fulfil the streak requirement on any given day. On top of this excellent system is the inclusion of daily goals, set by yourself that encourage multiple lessons per day, depending of course on the size of your goal. In my experience, the size of the daily goal does not matter as much as streaks do. Streaks are the only reason I visit the app every day, and my use of the app every day ensures that I don’t stop using it entirely. That should be a reliable indicator of the importance of streaks.
TLDR: Size doesn’t matter in Duolingo 😉
Brain Training
Making an effort to use my brain in an academic and often challenging way every day through Duolingo has kept me fresh and made my mind stronger. The brain is like a muscle in that must be used continuously, pushed and tested to become and stay active. Most of us have felt that shock of getting back into school or academic studies after a long summer break, only to find that we can’t remember how to solve math problems or write an essay. This transition from holiday mode to brain strain is made much easier for those who engage their cognitive abilities during the break, which can is facilitated by using language apps such as Duolingo.
TLDR: Languages work out your brain and keep you sane
One Issue with Language Apps:
There is nothing quite like trying your newfound language “ability” on a native speaker of the language you’re learning. Unfortunately for you (and for me since this happened), your communication of what you have learned will often confuse the native speaker and may cause them to laugh. Do not let this get you down. Frustration, confusion and embarrassment are inevitable when you learn a language through an app and without much opportunity for practical application. Don’t get me wrong, Duolingo affords the user the chance to speak into their phone and recite a phrase, however, this does not even come close to testing yourself on a native speaker of that language.
TLDR: Being good on Duolingo doesn’t translate to being useful in real life
The Verdict!
For the reasons listed above, I would highly recommend Duolingo to those even remotely interested in taking on the challenge of learning a new language. Using language apps consistently keep your brain sharp, it’s fun, easy and social and streaks will encourage you to use it every day.
It should go without saying that a language app doesn’t substitute for learning the language from a teacher or native speaker. It works best as a trial run and then something to keep your skills sharp between taking classes and courses. A combination of hands-on and tech-based solutions is my recommended approach since you get the speed of learning afforded from the former and the consistency and practice of the latter. Whatever happens, go out there, have fun, do it with friends and have a good reason why you’re learning a new language to keep you driven and on track, even 230 days after you start.