Duolingo may be one of the most popular language learning apps, but its user experience may not be flawless. Despite the efforts made to provide an innovative learning experience, there are some aspects that may be less effective than expected. From teaching methods that may be inadequate to technical challenges facing users,
I use Duolingo daily to learn French, and have been doing so for over five years. That’s why it hurts me to see how far it has fallen. It used to be my go-to language learning app, but there are a number of issues that have slowly pushed Duolingo out of the competition. Sorry Duo, but you’re just not good enough anymore. Check out how to change the language you learn on Duolingo to boost your language skills.
1. Duolingo has removed its learning tree.
This was the big change that turned many users against Duolingo. People have been complaining about this stupid decision for a long time, and they should; Duolingo’s developer made a huge mistake but refused to acknowledge it as such.
Duolingo had a “learning tree” with a central trunk that branched out into many different lessons.
Can't figure out a particular challenge? Just switch to a different one and come back to it later. Want some variety in your day so you don't spend so much time figuring out conjugations? No problem: you can learn more practical things like asking where the nearest restroom is.
This variety of choice meant Duolingo was fun and addictive. Then everything changed.
The major update to the app has eliminated the learning tree and replaced it with a boring linear structure that you simply can't escape.
You no longer have options: follow one specific path… and that’s it. There’s nothing creative or educational about this approach, which means Duolingo becomes a chore.
2. Challenges need more gems.
So what if you want a little variety? You can check out the other challenges, especially Match Madness and, on weekends, the Ramp-Up Challenge.
The first option lets you associate words from your native language with words you’ve learned in previous lessons. This spans across the days of the week and each level gets harder as the timer expires. However, the XP rewards increase exponentially if you use an Early Bird or Night Owl Chest! Check out effective ways to quickly increase XP on Duolingo
The Ramp-Up Challenge similarly increases experience points while reducing timers.
These challenges are fun, but they will cost you. They cost 30 gems each, so you'll need to save up a lot of gems to get through these games regularly. Then things get worse: the number of gems needed for each level of these challenges increases.
They no longer cost 30 gems. They now cost 100 gems each.
This is a massive increase — designed to weed out under-appreciated users who just want to learn a new language bit by bit. Of course, these challenges don’t cost you any gems if you’ve paid for Super Duolingo or Duolingo Max, the premium versions of the app.
3. Duolingo has closed its forums.
One of the great things about learning a language is becoming part of a new community that cares about what you're interested in. Duolingo used to provide that format, but not anymore.
If the answer you get doesn't make sense, you can turn to forums to clear up any confusion. This approach has been really helpful, especially if you don't know a native speaker of the language you're trying to learn.
These forums were shut down in 2022, and although the sentence discussions—literal conversations about individual translations—were supposed to remain archived and available for reference, that archive was also shut down shortly after. Some argue that this was because the communities were pointing out errors in Duolingo lessons.
Some users have created custom alternatives. DuoMe has its own hall of fame and discussion boards, created “to help rebuild what was lost with the closure of the old forum.” However, the Duolingo app itself has let us down.
4. Duolingo is now just a game
This is the biggest problem with the changes made to Duolingo. It feels less like a language learning app and more like a game.
Can you beat today's lesson? Can you advance on the leaderboard? Can you do better than your friends?
One of the ways Duolingo feels more like a game is through leaderboards, weekly competitions with strangers to advance from Bronze to Ruby, Amethyst to Diamond. There are 10 leagues in total, and if you don’t get enough XP to stay in your current league or advance, you’ll be relegated.
Yes, this solution works for some people. I love playing. But the focus here should really be on learning, not doing better than someone else on the other side of the world.
Games are great, but Duolingo is now so reliant on gaming techniques. It’s very tempting to do a few quick and easy lessons to boost your XP instead of challenging yourself with a harder class that actually expands your knowledge. Check out our ultimate guide to learning Spanish for free: the best resources and resources.
5. If you want to improve, you have to pay.
As you might expect, Duolingo is no longer the altruistic service it once was. It’s less about helping you learn a new language and more about selling you an expensive subscription.
Duolingo's basic subscription is good. It does a decent enough job. You won't master a foreign language, but you will have a good understanding of the basics. If you really want to improve, you'll need to pay.
The premium versions of Duolingo come with different perks. The lack of ads is a plus, but ads don’t stop you from learning. What can be a downside is the inability to participate in lessons. Once you make too many mistakes, your “lives,” indicated by the heart emoji in the top right corner, will dwindle. Lose too many and you won’t be able to play anymore.
You can at least earn this money by viewing or watching ads. However, the user in the premium subscription gets unlimited lives. And that's not all.
If you're flagged for making a mistake, you can learn more about it, what you're doing wrong, and why — as long as you have Duolingo Max. The same goes if you want more gems to play other games on the app.
Paying for Duolingo opens up the world of language learning, but knowledge doesn’t come cheap. Check out the best Duolingo alternatives to learn a new language on the go for Android and iOS.
Duolingo focuses more on its paid version.
There are many free language learning apps available. If a service is free, it’s either trying to sell you another app or selling your personal data. Or both. However, it’s disappointing that Duolingo was so much more than that.
This is a crowded market with many language apps competing for attention. Duolingo has been at the top of this mountain for many years now, but thanks to its hands-off policy towards its users, learners are gradually turning to its competitors.
Duolingo has some good deals, including a family plan, which lets you combine multiple accounts under one premium plan. This is a great way for a group of people to continue their education.
We still remember Duolingo in its glory days. Come on wise owl, you can do better. Now check out Duolingo alternatives: the best free language learning apps.
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