Whether you’re studying fractions in the classroom or calculating the tip at a restaurant, math is a key part of our daily lives. But that doesn’t mean people are comfortable using math every day! In fact, many people experience stress when faced with math-related situations—this is known as “math anxiety”. Recent studies found 93% of U.S. adults have experienced at least some math anxiety and half of high schoolers have very high math anxiety.
We felt like it was time to make learning math more fun… for everyone. That’s why we’re so excited to bring Math to Duolingo! Here’s everything you need to know about the new course offering:
Duolingo + math = a winning combination
Our Math course builds on what makes learning with Duolingo so delightful and engaging: fun animations, interactive exercises, and a world of characters cheering you along the way! We have two options for new learners: beginner math, which covers foundational topics, or intermediate math, which enhances everyday skills with more challenging exercises.
We’re particularly excited about the range of inventive exercises we’ve developed to help teach and enhance foundational math topics.
Here’s a list of concepts you’ll find in the elementary course:
- Multiplication (times tables, commutative property, associative property, multi-factor)
- Division (division tables, even versus odd)
- Fractions (fractions with numbers, improper fractions, mixed fractions, comparing fractions)
- Area and perimeter
- Place value (rounding to nearest 10 and 100, rounding operations, magnitude by 10s, adding and subtracting with 3 numbers)
- Geometry (angles, parallel and perpendicular lines, quadrilateral classification)
- Measurement (reading and setting clocks, ruler measurement, metric conversion)
- Decimals (floating point decimals, converting between fractions and decimals, decimal operations, comparing decimals)
The intermediate math track covers similar content with harder exercises and increased difficulty. In this course, you’ll also find concepts that can be applied to everyday life, like calculating hourly wage.
Each of our exercises are uniquely engineered for the content they teach. One way we do this is by having learners manipulate virtual tools, like the clock below. Having learners interact with these tools allows them to focus on the most important mathematical aspects of the objects and deepens their understanding of the underlying concepts. For example, in a clock challenge, we present a simplified version of a clock with the hands set arbitrarily. Then learners can move a minute or hour hand and watch how the other hand moves accordingly, solidifying their understanding of the relationship between hours and minutes. And this is only a fraction of the fun exercises we've developed! 😉
Expanding beyond language
During this year’s Duocon, learners got to see the multi-subject Duolingo, with Math, Music, and language all in one app. When deciding what to teach, we look for subjects that will improve people’s opportunities in life. With Math, we are offering a free way to learn math and build foundational, essential skills that everyone can use throughout life.
Making math accessible and fun is the natural next step in our quest to bring high-quality education to everyone on the planet! As our CEO Luis von Ahn said: “As long as there are people in the world who want to continue learning things, we still have a lot of work to do. We haven’t won until we have taught everything there is to teach.”
Everything you need to know about Math on Duolingo
We figured you might have some questions about Math and the expanded Duolingo app. We’ve tried to capture all of them here, but be sure to read about our new Music course, too!
Do Math lessons count towards my overall Duolingo streak?
Yes! In the expanded Duolingo, any lesson you complete in any course (Math, Music, or language) will count towards your streak. Plus, XP earned across courses will help you climb the leaderboard!
How do I switch between Math and language?
You switch subjects in the same way, by using the course picker at the top of the screen. If you were learning multiple languages, this will sound familiar! Simply select the flag or course icon at the top left of your screen, and you’ll be prompted to switch between your courses or enroll in a new one!
Can I complete a Friends Quest in Math?
Yes! Math will have all of the gamification features you love from the learning course. XP earned or lessons completed in Math will count towards any Daily Quests or Friends Quests. You’ll also have access to the same social features, like your Feed and Kudos, when practicing Math.
Where are the Legendary levels?
Certain features, like Legendary levels, are not yet available in Math. We’re working to bring more delightful features to all of our courses, and want to ensure they are appropriate and helpful for learners in the course!
Ready to get started?
Our Math course is available as part of our multi-subject Duolingo experience, available to iOS learners in Spanish and English, and coming to more learners soon!