Duolingo has long been known for its gamified and delightful approach to learning—in fact, these are two key elements of our teaching method. In any Duolingo lesson, you’re gaining knowledge, but you’re also drawing connections, making progress on your path, interacting with fun characters, and competing against other learners. 

But what if you could go deeper into Duolingo? What if you could become Eddy… or Zari… or Lily…? 

If that sounds exciting to you, you’re in luck because that’s exactly what you’ll get to do in our newest learning experience: Adventures!

You can now dive into the world of Duolingo—interacting with our characters in real-life storylines, and practicing your conversation skills—all while exploring amazing and fun new environments. It’s like nothing you’ve seen on Duolingo before.

What are Adventures?

Adventures are brand-new, video game-like experiences in your Duolingo path. In each Adventure, you’ll “play” as one of the Duolingo characters, and you’ll be given a familiar task to complete, like ordering a coffee, grocery shopping, or asking for directions to the movie theater. Putting into practice everything you’ve learned so far in your language lessons, you interact with the environment and different characters to achieve your goal. You’ll be moving around the on-screen “board” to complete relevant actions in the scenario!

Picture this: You’re Junior, and your crush Lily lost her textbook. Junior to the rescue! You probably know a lot of the individual words and phrases needed to help find the book, but now you’ll get to put that knowledge into action. 

3 iPhone screens. The first shows the Duolingo Path, and one node has a video game controller. The hover state reads “Adventure: The Lost Textbook” and is worth 30XP. The next two screens show the Adventures user experience. The first is a game board with Duolingo characters in 3D sitting in a park. Lily sits on a bench in front of a fountain, a blue dog sits in a garden area, Eddy is standing by a hedge with a pail and shovel, and Zari stands in the corner. The other screen shows Junior approaching Eddy. Eddy says “Salut Junior ! Tu veux courir avec moi ? The user can select 1 of 2 responses, either: “Non merci. On peut manger un gâteau ?” or “Désolé, Papa. Je dois trouver le livre de Lily.”

Mimicking the real-world 

Just like in real life, you might not know every word you encounter as you talk to different characters along your journey. In Adventures, learn while exploring and pick up new vocabulary in a natural way.

Let’s say you’re Lily shopping at the grocery store, and you have to make sure you get every item on your list. If there’s a word you don’t recognize, like œufs (eggs), you’ll be able to figure out the word from the context clues surrounding you. Adventures allows you to flex this muscle in a lot of relatable scenarios, whether you’re trying to buy a movie ticket or asking for directions to a museum.

A gif of the Duolingo characters in an Adventure lesson set in a grocery store. Lin stands by the bread section. Next to her is the egg section, and a few eggs have broken and spilled on the floor. Lily walks down the aisle and pauses at the fruit section, and says the French word for fruit. Then she walks towards the dairy section and says the words for “broken eggs” in French.

With Adventures, learners at any level can immerse themselves in the language they’re learning, pumping up their skills and confidence with this fun and unique experience.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

Adventures also uses “immersive feedback” to address any mistakes you make during a given scenario. Instead of correcting you, we redirect you—just like what would happen in the real world if you used the wrong word or couldn’t remember what to say. After all, shopkeepers or airport staff aren’t grading your language skills! As you chat with other characters in Adventures, they’ll respond to mistakes by saying something like, “Oh, did you mean…?” and looking a little confused. 

With this kind of feedback, you’re able to practice communication better than ever before. 

Dive into the story

You’re also playing as our Duolingo characters and getting to know all of them better. As you go through Adventures, you’ll learn more about their personalities and the relationships between them.

For instance, Zari might use informal language with Lily or Junior and switch to a more formal tone with Lucy or a receptionist at the doctor’s office, reflecting the subtle shifts in language that are crucial for effective communication. Each interaction within the episode is designed to deepen your understanding and proficiency, enriching your learning journey.

Adventures also encourages you to explore and interact with the environment. Whether you’re tapping on objects, reading signs, or engaging with the storyline, every action is an opportunity to learn without the fear of making mistakes. This exploration is woven into a compelling narrative that keeps you engaged and constantly learning, creating memorable "aha" moments.

Duolingo Adventures are currently available on iOS and Android to English speakers learning French and Spanish speakers learning English, with more languages coming soon!

We’re so excited for this feature to keep evolving alongside our learners and our courses, and to add even more variety in the future. So tap that plant, pet that dog, answer that phone, and immerse yourself in the community and joy of the Duolingo universe.