This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Ky Tanella. Find them on Instagram at @ky.tanella. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Duolingo launched in 2012 and quickly became a leading language app! Praised for its accessibility and adorable mascot, it was no wonder that everyone quickly became excited at the prospect of learning a new language for free. Around 2017-2019, Duo’s persistent notifications to practice every day quickly became memified, especially the phrase “Spanish or vanish” in reference to his consistency. In 2021, they launched their TikTok account and really fed into the memes, swiftly being praised for their social media presence and ability to understand the bit. Then, tragedy struck. On February 11th, 2025, Duolingo was pronounced dead!
Now, this is obviously a publicity stunt (and Duo the bird has been revived and is doing well), but it really shows the company’s social media skills and ability to stay relevant! Despite its cultural relevance over the years, does Duolingo actually work? Is proficiency possible with the help of this little green bird?
Pros
It seems to be obvious that Duolingo is a gamified, fun approach to learning a language, making learning more enjoyable and motivating. But what are the true “pros” to this app?
Habit Formation
The reinforcement and reward system is fantastic, the idea of keeping a streak with both yourself and your friend is genius, and is highly motivating. Encouraging regular practice is essential for memorization, and the short lessons make it super easy to fit a new word or two into a busy schedule.
Duolingo’s diverse “skill tree” and different units help keep learning interesting – they range from short stories, to small video games, to vocabulary practice, and multiple choice questions. It makes it more fun when you learn something new, while reviewing old skills, during each lesson!
Accessibility
Duolingo’s base plan is completely free, and besides for some annoying ads, allows you to access every feature! The paid plans offer no ads and a “video call” feature with an AI, but it’s not super helpful. Duo is also great for beginners to mid-level speakers, whether you want to start at the very beginning or want to refresh some vocabulary.
Each lesson takes about 5-10 minutes, and you can even access most features offline, which makes practicing a breeze wherever you are. Lastly, Duolingo offers such a wide range of languages, from Spanish & French to fantasy languages like Klingon & High Valyrian.
Vocabulary
Duo is fantastic for refreshing vocabulary, and it teaches by context, allowing you to get used to the words and phrases as they’re used within sentences. Memorization can be tedious and isn’t efficient for long-term memory absorption, so this is a fantastic way to learn what words mean in a conversational sense.
Community
It’s not a super necessary feature, but Duolingo offers the ability to follow your contacts and keep streaks up with your friends! I think it’s super cute, and keeps me even more motivated (because I have to see them in person and I would feel the extreme shame if our streak wasn’t upheld).
Cons
Limited Comprehensive Learning
Though the vocabulary is expansive, Duolingo doesn’t cover grammatical structures, certain kinds of vocabulary, and certain conjugations. Although there are some grammar notes provided at the beginning of each unit, they aren’t really enough to fully explain that knowledge if you’re a first-timer. It also doesn’t provide context to cultural nuances or have any native dialogue, which can be extremely important for listening skills.
Lack of Interaction
Unlike other (paid) language learning services, there isn’t an option to practice with a native speaker. If you pay for Duolingo MAX, you might be able to get some good learning in with their AI “Lily” on that video call feature, but even that could be bugged sometimes. Since everything (the translations, the voices) is artificially generated, it’s difficult to learn how a real person may speak the language, certainly not helping your speaking or listening skills.
“Is it Effective?”
For casual learners, absolutely. For example, I’m half Puerto Rican, and I have a basic understanding of the language, but I struggle to speak and understand. Since I’m going to Puerto Rico for the first time this year, I’ve been practicing with Duolingo until I can save up enough money for online classes with a native speaker! I know more Spanish than I knew before starting, so yes, for casual learners, it’s very effective.
Another great way to look at this is by analyzing the six CEFR levels (which are a little broad):
- Level A1: basic phrases, introductions, and interactions if speaking slowly
- Level A2: expressions, tasks, people’s backgrounds
- Level B1: opinions and dreams, complex travelling tasks
- Level B2: able to not strain when speaking to native speakers, job-related conversations
- Level C1: flexible communication, understanding multiple topics and nuances
- Level C2: proficient, basically fluent in speaking, reading, writing
With just Duolingo, you’ll likely reach level B1 with lots of practice, but reaching proficiency/fluency is impossible due to this lack of native interaction. However, it’s very helpful for those beginning steps and may even help you stay motivated to learn even more! Supplementing other language learning apps with Duolingo is highly recommended if you want to achieve basic fluency, but Duo is easily the cheapest and most accessible!
To make the most of it, try to keep up every day, even if it’s just a lesson or two! Trust me, I’m surprised by how much I learn each lesson, even if it’s just refreshing old high school knowledge! I also recommend trying your best not to be a perfectionist. I have gifted child syndrome, so you already know I’m getting pissed off when I don’t automatically master a skill. Think of it as a game rather than a chore, and you’re good to go – it’s okay if you make mistakes, that’s the whole point of learning!!
Other Language Learning Apps
Finding the right language learning apps (or methods in general) can be exhausting, but I’m here to help! Most of these are paid, but affordable, and are some of the best ways to learn a new language efficiently:
- Memrise – flashcards, more explanations, and a “Learn with Locals” feature
- Babbel – most conversational, great speech recognition
- Rosetta Stone – offers video chats and one-on-one tutoring sessions
And here are some other methods of learning:
- YouTube: a great, free resource with several channels that give you step-by-step lessons
- Coffee Break: a limited number of languages, but a great podcast for easy learning!
- BDT Method: “bidirectional translating” can really improve your inner translation skills
- In-Person Classes: grammar explanations and structure make it easy to be motivated
Overall, I do love Duolingo as a source for language learning! I’m excited to start my journey in learning Spanish, but I can also recognize that I might need to seek outside resources in order to gain proficiency! So… does Duolingo actually work? Yes, for beginners/moderate speakers! Give it a try yourself!
What do you think about Duolingo? Are you a casual meme viewer, or an aficionado? Let us know in the comments down below!
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