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Duolingo: A Helpful Tool or a Language-Learning Trap?

Understanding Its Role in Your Studies as a Beginner-Level Language Learner

Tom Scullin
4 min readAug 30, 2024
Photo by ilgmyzin on Unsplash

Duolingo is one of the most popular apps for learning languages. Millions of people use it daily because of its gamified app design, cute mascot, and short lessons.

But, in language-learning communities, Duolingo is often criticized as being useless.

Some say it doesn’t help you become fluent, while others point out the app’s lack of speaking practice. The company’s overreliance on AI-generated content is also widely criticized.

But is this criticism fair? While Duolingo isn’t perfect, it can be useful when used with other learning materials.

Why People Like Duolingo

One of the best things about Duolingo is how it turns learning into a game.

The app rewards you with streaks, badges, and other prizes, making learning feel more fun. This approach is best for people who need help sticking with their studies.

Duolingo’s daily reminders, progress tracker, and short lessons help build a learning habit. Which is often the hardest part of learning a new language.

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Tom Scullin
Tom Scullin

Written by Tom Scullin

I write about language learning, study skills, linguistics, and Japan. | 15+ years studying Japanese | 9+ years teaching ESL | 5+ years in Japan 🇺🇸➡️🇯🇵

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