Duolingo strives to deliver world-class education for free. We combine engaging game mechanics with efficient, proven teaching strategies to get our learners closer to their language goals. Last year, we demonstrated that learners who complete five units of beginner material achieve reading and listening proficiency comparable to students who took four semesters of university language courses, and new research shows we’re effective at teaching beginner-level speaking skills, too.

But we didn’t stop there — Duolingo also teaches intermediate content! Our latest research found that Duolingo learners who reached the end of Unit 7, just halfway through their course’s intermediate material, had reading and listening skills comparable to students who took five university semesters.

Measuring reading and listening abilities

Our new study assesses learners’ reading and listening skills after they’ve completed seven units of the Duolingo French and Spanish courses, which brings them to the halfway point of the intermediate-level material. The proficiency level of each unit is based on international standards set in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR); at the end of Unit 7, learners have completed all of A1 and A2 and half of B1.

In order to measure language ability, we formally tested Duolingo learners soon after they completed Unit 7. Our learners come from all over the world, so our study participants did, too! We included only learners who reported having little to no prior knowledge of the language and who didn’t use additional apps, classes, or study materials; this helped us measure how much learners can achieve when studying on Duolingo alone. A sample of 340 eligible Duolingo learners took reading and listening tests from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) — the same tests that U.S. university students took in a previous research study by Tschirner (2016). Having those results meant we could compare reading and listening scores between Duolingo learners and university students. This allowed us to gauge Duolingo learners’ progress, using a more familiar and traditional learning environment as a point of reference.

Exciting results for intermediate learners

Our previous work found that five units of Duolingo teach the same language proficiency as four semesters of university study. This new study focused on Duolingo’s intermediate content, and the results were clear: after seven units, Duolingo learners had reading and listening scores meeting ACTFL’s standard for intermediate proficiency and comparable to university students in their fifth semester of language study! In fact, Duolingo learners outperformed the university students in Spanish reading and listening and in French listening.

Two graphs, side-by-side. On the left is Spanish reading proficiency scores and on the right is Spanish listening proficiency scores. Each graph has 6 vertical blue bars rising from the horizontal x-axis for university scores in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th semester. Along the vertical y-axis is the ACTFL proficiency score between 1 and 8. The blue bars for university scores gradually rise, with each semester scoring a a little higher. There is a horizontal green line for Duolingo learners' scores after 7 units of the course: on the left, their reading scores are at the very top, just above, of the 6th semester blue bar. On the right, the Duolingo listening scores are just below the top of the 6th semester bar, and are clearly above the 5th semester bar.
Two graphs, like the Spanish ones, but for French, with reading on the left and listening on the right. The blue university bars don't rise as high or as sharply as the Spanish university bars. The green Duolingo line for reading scores reach at the top of the 5th semester bar. The Duolingo line for listening scores is clearly above the 5th semester bar, not as high as the 6th semester bar, and are right at the top of the 8th semester bar. (For the French listening scores, the 8th semester university scores are below the 6th semester scores.)

Duolingo learners’ scores on reading and listening tests are comparable to university students who completed five semesters of language study, and they meet ACTFL’s standard for intermediate proficiency (rating of 4-6).

We’re always working to improve our courses, and we’re thrilled to know that intermediate learners on Duolingo are getting a high-quality education.

Taking you further in your language journey

Duolingo’s mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. We’ve shared our progress in how well we teach beginner-level reading, listening, and speaking, and our latest study shows our intermediate material is effective, too. Next, we’re excited to apply our efficient, effective teaching strategies to all of our courses, at more advanced levels, and in every language skill. We invite you to keep up with the latest efficacy research and testing at duolingo.com/efficacy!

References

Tschirner, E. (2016). Listening and reading proficiency levels of college students. Foreign Language Annals, 49, 201-223.