Learning a new language can be exciting—and sometimes a little intimidating, especially when it comes to speaking out loud. That’s why we’ve created a new feature designed to make speaking practice feel less daunting: Video Call with Falstaff.
Meet your new speaking coach 🐻
Falstaff isn’t your typical tutor. He’s a helpful, multilingual bear who—despite his gruff exterior—is happy to join you on video calls to guide your conversation in real time. Whether you’re practicing greetings, giving directions, or describing your weekend, Falstaff helps you express yourself naturally and confidently.
What’s different about Video Call with Falstaff?
Unlike our Video Call feature with Lily, Video Call with Falstaff is structured around helpful coaching. Falstaff leads the way by:
- Asking questions based on your language level
- Suggesting phrases and translations when you need them
- Giving real-time feedback in your own language
- Helping you stay on track with practical, everyday conversations
Think of it as a supportive tutoring session—without the pressure.
How can Video Call with Falstaff help me?
Speaking is one of the hardest skills to learn in a new language. It takes courage and practice! Video Call with Falstaff offers a safe space to build that confidence, especially for learners who might feel nervous speaking to someone face-to-face. With Falstaff’s support, you’ll reinforce what you’ve learned and take your speaking skills to the next level, helping you prepare for real-life conversations!
Who can use the new Video Call feature?
Video Call with Falstaff is currently available to Duolingo Max subscribers learning English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, and Chinese on iOS. We’re rolling out this new feature across all Duolingo Scores (and CEFR levels) for our nine most popular languages, and we aim to complete this expansion by the end of the year.
We’re also working on improving the overall Video Call with Falstaff experience to make it more effective for learners. Over time, you’ll start to see calls with Falstaff (“guided” calls) and Lily (“unguided” calls) in every unit, giving you even more ways to practice!
Speak your heart out!
Video Call with Falstaff is a major step forward in helping learners build speaking confidence, get more out of their lessons, and feel like they’ve got a real coach cheering them on. Falstaff is here to guide the way!