Thinking about learning a language? Whether you're studying a language for the first time or you're brushing up one from high school, Duolingo has courses and study tools to fit your needs—and all for free!
That means there's nothing stopping you from starting your learning journey today. Here's what to know about whether Duolingo will work for you!
Does Duolingo work?
There is robust research about how well Duolingo works, including in peer-reviewed journals and from external language experts. Yes, Duolingo really works!
Duolingo is as effective as classroom learning, and completing five sections of Duolingo teaches as much as five semesters of university language classes. In fact, learners significantly improve their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills after just three months of using Duolingo.
It might look like a game, but Duolingo courses are crafted by language and teaching experts who adapt years of in-classroom teaching experience for learners all over the world. Our unique teaching method capitalizes on what we know about learning and how to leverage technology to make the experience enjoyable and effective for diverse learners worldwide.
Our biggest courses, including Spanish, French, and English, are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international language proficiency standard. That means the vocabulary and grammar you learn on Duolingo is organized in such a way to gradually build your skills and help you achieve meaningful goals—like ordering in a restaurant and describing your hobbies—from the very beginning. (But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun while we're at it!)
How to make Duolingo work for you
Just like signing up for a gym membership or enrolling in a dance class, it's not the act of downloading Duolingo that will teach you a language. It's all about how you use it!
Duolingo makes it easy to get started learning a language right away, and we've built fun into every part of our program to help you stick with it.
Here's how to learn a language with Duolingo:
- Make time to study every day. You'll need lots of exposure to your new language, and Duolingo's bite-sized lessons fit into your mid-morning coffee break, afternoon commute, or bedtime routine.
- Build in dedicated study time. You may just need a single three-minute lesson to keep your Duolingo streak alive, but to make progress and improve your proficiency, you'll need longer study sessions.
- Give yourself every opportunity to learn well. Complete your lessons with sound on every chance you get, and don't skip those speaking exercises! There's flexibility built into Duolingo courses, so take advantage of extra speaking practice and switch up your lessons
- Set realistic goals that matter to you. You can't learn a language in just a few months, so to keep yourself motivated, pick personal learning goals. Can you understand 10 words of your favorite Bad Bunny song by the end of the month? Get through an episode of Emily in Paris without subtitles by the time next season airs? Keep checking in on your progress!
You can also take advantage of our subscription tiers—Super and Max—to super-charge your learning. With Super, learners get unlimited hearts and access to additional lesson types in the Practice Hub, and they don't see ads like in the free version. For learners looking for a real challenge, Duolingo's Max subscription provides you with special AI-powered features: Explain My Answer gives a personalized grammar explanation about your mistake, Roleplay offers interactive conversations with Duolingo characters about real-world topics, and with Video Call, you'll have live, unscripted conversations with Lily!
If you put in the time and keep Duolingo by your side (er, in your pocket), you'll have everything you need to make progress in no time!
Duolingo versus other courses and apps
Duolingo has all the tools you need to successfully learn a language—but it'll feel different from other methods you've used before! And there's good reason for that.
Unlike traditional language classes, Duolingo builds personalization into every lesson, in every course. Our Birdbrain algorithm tracks your progress and adapts your practice lessons to focus on the vocabulary, grammar, and skills where you need the most help.
We also believe that not only can language learning be fun, it should be! It takes a long time to learn a language, and we want you to enjoy the process—from getting to know our characters through Stories and DuoRadio, to laughing at our unexpected sentences, to having your friends cheer you on. Staying motivated is the hardest part of learning a language, so you can count on Duolingo to find creative ways to help you keep going.
Start learning a language for free
With Duolingo, you can begin learning a new language—or 40!—all for free. There's no better time than now!
