Characterized as Sesame Steet for Adults. The app is sure to please and educate
Full disclosure, my family and I are slightly obsessed with Duolingo. My mother is currently on a 427-day streak, meaning she has diligently opened the app everyday and completed at least one free bite-size Spanish lesson. My sister Nikki, an avid watcher of Korean Dramas (K-Dramas), began using the language learning app roughly a year ago to aid in her understanding of her favorite shows. Her streak within the Korean course is currently 200+ days. I had my son download the app this school year to complement his High School Spanish class. He's completed a lesson everyday, thus far, without having to be reminded. That's a win. And my daughter utilizes the app's Japanese offerings.
I first downloaded the widely-popular app in February of 2019. Since then I've learned some Hebrew, Arabic, and, most recently, Russian. If you somehow have managed to be oblivious or have been on the fence about one of the most downloaded educational apps, allow me to gush.
Duolingo is most commonly associated with their exceedingly-popular language learning app, offering over 100 language courses for 40 distinct languages, including endangered languages, and Klingon and High Valyrian. The company runs a freemium model and has over 500 million users, representing every country in the world. The service is 100 percent free, or Duolingo Plus can be purchased via a monthly subscription to eliminate the ads that are present in the free version. Everyone in my family utilizes the free version. None of us find an ad at the end of a lesson as too intrusive or as there being too many ads.
I read an article recently that described Duolingo as tantamount to Sesame Street for adults. Accurate. And we love it for that very reason. The app is stylized with fun animated characters rewarding players along the way. Duolingo continues to broaden their product portfolio offering interactive stories and podcasts for some of their languages.
For the data-minded and tech-geeks out there, the company has developed their product using machine learning giving individuals personalized adaptive lessons. But what I find most interesting is the company highlighting in their 2020 Language Report that they "have more insight into global language learning trends than any other entity in human history." With 500 million users, it's easy to see why. What languages people choose to learn is a window into global events, pop-culture, migration, historical ties, travel interests, and colonization. It'll be fascinating to see what the product says about us in the years to come.
"We've always believed that free access to high-quality education has the power to change lives." - Sam Dalsimer, Global Head of Communications at Duolingo
ABC Read is another separate Duolingo app geared towards early learning education, teaching young children, from the ages of 3-7, literacy. It appears at this time that it is only offered through the Apple Store, unlike their language learning app, and not available on Android or Web. Knowing how Duolingo continues to advance their company, and expand within the educational market, I believe it is an easy guess that we should expect ABC Read to be offered on more platforms soon.
In that vein, the company has recently announced two big new additions that will be joining the Duolingo-app family. One will be a Spanish version of ABC Read, largely created to address literacy issues within the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras); it is a project inspired by the CEO's childhood in his native Guatemala. He was witness to the inequality of education which motivated him to create the Duolingo suite of products, bridging the education gap for all people with access to the internet. In addition, Duolingo will be launching an elementary math app next year. I recommend all parents of young children to be on the lookout for these products in the near future.
Duolingo is one of those companies you can feel good about. While I've recently seen commercials promoting their product, it seems unnecessary as their customers have long promoted Duolingo out of sheer joy of the product. You'll often find unusual quirky sentences that Duo fans will gladly share with their online social brethren. In addition, Duolingo's social media team is top-notch.
What's less obvious is the work that Duolingo does behind the scenes in ensuring their product reaches those in most need of their service. They've partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) providing displaced people with free access to Duolingo Plus. Additionally, Duolingo recently hired a University counselor to support UNHCR and help refugees through the oftentimes all too complicated process of university admission.
In a World of Languages
The language or languages we speak navigate our lives in ways many of us don't consider. Being bi- or multi-lingual means more opportunities in jobs, income, and in the communities we live. It allows us and our children to compete in a globalized economy. It brings the perspective of humanity to those we may have previously not fully appreciated. It allows for a flow of ideas between disparate cultures.
The wide swath of individuals tapped into Duolingo is remarkable. Young lovers trying to understand each other, women sitting in their homes trying to fully comprehend the end-scene of their favorite K-drama, children subsidizing their school's foreign language class, a man readying himself for his first vacation to the Mediterranean, a global CEO looking to swoon representatives of a Taiwanese company, and forcibly displaced people wanting to communicate in their new community with all the benefit that ability bestows.
It makes Duolingo one of those companies you feel driven to root for.
One last thing. I can be found on Duolingo. Username: mycornerspot
I hope to see you there.
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