At Duolingo, we take learning seriously! Our courses are fun and easy to use, but we also want to help our learners achieve their goals. That's why we hold ourselves accountable with rigorous efficacy research, and—in case you were wondering—the research shows that Duolingo really works!
Our Efficacy Research Lab brings together learning experts with PhDs in applied linguistics, assessment science, and cognitive psychology to conduct learning research with new and existing users around the globe. Our comprehensive learning framework guides our research program and helps us ensure that Duolingo learners acquire real-life communication skills.
Here are 4 things we know about learning with Duolingo:
- Duolingo learners improve all language skills
- Duolingo is as effective as classroom learning
- Duolingo courses are evolving to teach better
- Learners who use Duolingo's AI tools build confidence
Here's how we hold ourselves accountable to our learners.
Duolingo learners improve all language skills
Our research program evaluates learning across the four language skills needed for communication—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—and at different levels of proficiency. Our courses are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international proficiency standard, so we test whether Duolingo learners at a particular point in the course are demonstrating the knowledge and skills we expect at that level.
A recent study tested outcomes across all four skills and found that university students learning Spanish with Duolingo significantly improved in all four language skills after just three months. In fact, after just 4-6 weeks of using Duolingo, beginners achieved 90% accuracy in a test of short spoken and written conversation!
These results also extend to our English courses. In one study, we tested Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese learners who had completed the A2 CEFR level of English content on Duolingo.
These learners scored above the A2 level in English reading and listening skills on an independent standardized test!!
Duolingo is as effective as classroom learning
Formal courses at universities have long been the gold standard of language education, but they aren't accessible or affordable for all learners. Luckily, Duolingo courses make the grade! After completing five sections of Duolingo, French and Spanish learners knew as much as university students who took five semesters of language classes. This milestone of five Duolingo sections marks half of the course's B1 content. (B1 is the first of two intermediate levels in the CEFR proficiency standard.)
In fact, in some cases, Duolingo learners outperform their university peers. In an independent study of English learners in Colombia, learners who used Duolingo for one semester significantly improved in speaking, writing, reading, and listening, while university English students did not.
Teachers also recognize Duolingo's effectiveness. In a survey of language teachers in North America, the vast majority thought Duolingo was effective (97%) and efficient (96%) for language learning, and 96% said they would recommend Duolingo to learners!
Duolingo courses are evolving to teach better
In 2022, Duolingo redesigned our language courses to better guide learners through content and to systematically include personalized practice and learning features that had previously been optional. To test the impact of these changes on learning outcomes, we compared learners who studied with the old design with those who used the new path. The revised learning path led to improved learning outcomes! For example, Duolingo users who studied with the new path had higher reading and listening scores compared to those who learned with the old tree design.
Learners who use Duolingo's AI tools build confidence
At Duolingo, we started using AI to improve learning long before ChatGPT hit the scene. Our courses used Birdbrain, our own machine learning model of learners' individual strengths and weaknesses, to tailor the difficulty of lessons to each learner, and we also used AI to adapt reminder messages to learner behavior.
Our use of AI has continued to evolve and improve, and today we also offer learners AI-powered features to practice conversation and get personalized grammar information. A recent study found that over 90% of learners who used these AI tools in their courses for a month felt prepared to use their new language in real-life situations. Even more impressive is that over 60% of learners said they used what they learned on Duolingo outside the app, for instance to ask for directions or order food while traveling. Stay tuned for a full report on this study!
The evidence speaks for itself: Duolingo works!
Our efficacy research program shows that Duolingo helps learners achieve meaningful language goals. As we continue to expand and improve our courses, our research team will keep evaluating and testing how well we're serving our learners—because they deserve the best education in the world.
