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Duolingo

Principal function(s): Autonomous learningGame appsIndividual workSpeakingVocabularyGrammarStudentWebsite/other users supply

Duolingo is a language-learning platform that offers interactive lessons and exercises in 43 languages. Users can access Duolingo through a browser or a device app and choose their target language to begin learning through a series of exercises, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing tasks. Duolingo guides users through a learning pathway with steps that build on one another. Once one step is finished, users are allowed to move to the next one, but from time to time, they have to refresh their knowledge by retaking a quicker version of previous steps. Duolingo is designed on an incentive basis, motivating users to learn daily. It covers a wide range of linguistic skills, including vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and comprehension. Duolingo offers a limited free version and requires users to sign up for an account for use. It was developed by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker. Evaluation: Duolingo can be a useful tool to complement language learning by encouraging users to practise their target language every day, even if for a short period. It embraces a gamified learning approach, which includes rewards, progress tracking, and social features that motivate users to continue learning. Nevertheless, this can also be demotivating for users who fall off the track. The method of learning by repetition and deduction that it is based upon can be quite effective, at least to a certain level. As a downside, its free version displays advertisements and has a daily time limit for use.

Cost: Free with registration + paid options available.

Website: https://www.duolingo.com/

  

Categories

Type Of Interaction

  • Individual work

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar

Content

  • Website/other users supply

Usability

Interface User-friendliness/complexity of the tool´s interface

Easy-to-use, intuitive.

Time efficiency Time needed for mastering the „how-to“ of the tool and a production of a task

Medium.

Interface language(s) The number of languages in which the tool is currently available/adaptable to

Several languages, among which English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Greek, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Polish, Hindi, Ukrainian, Russian, Korean, Hungarian, Turkish, Czech, Thai, Chinese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, or Dutch.

Respect for privacy Does the tool require registration? Who can see my data? Can I remain anonymous?

Medium. Duolingo collects the information necessary to process purchases, provide customer support, and run the platform, among which different types of device information, order information, and customer support information. It does not willingly collect data from users under the age of 13. Duolingo shares personal information with third parties if reasonably necessary to offer the Service but does not sell it. It also processes user data to show behavioural advertising. Duolingo uses cookies. Its privacy policy does not provide extensive details on security measures. Duolingo mentions lawful bases for processing personal information under GDPR, to which it complies. See more here.

Saving work for future use Possiblity to save your or others´ work for reuse/reproduction

Yes.

Tailorability (If so, how?) Possibility of the tool to be used for a range of different activities (e.g. to what extent you can organize a project assignment with a central activity based on this tool)

Limited; users must follow the pathway set by Duolingo, so there is a certain lack of control over what is learnt.

Interactivity

Engagement

Collaboration

Communication

Technical requirements

Installation required?

Yes as a mobile app; not in the browser version.

Compatibility/ Operating System

iOS, Android; any browser.

Other technical requirements