Duolingo: A Review

A month ago, I finished the Korean course on Duolingo, reaching level 1 on all of the categories (now I am in the process of getting level 2s) in the course.

Duolingo is an app/website that helps people to learn different languages. There are over 20 courses for English speakers and according to their website, they have over 200 million users. So, it is a well-known stop for learning languages.  

My Experience: 

When I first downloaded the app, it had no Korean course (the language that I have been studying since 2013), so I was only using it to study French. Then last year Duolingo released the beta version of the Korean course. I added it right away and started working. 

I didn’t study using the app every day (which is the ideal thing to do); I only used it when I had the time and energy. Personally, I think Duolingo is a great way to expose yourself to new Korean vocabulary. It is also a way to measure how much you know of a language. Of course, for me there is still a lot to be learned. 

Strengths:

Duolingo always has new words introduced in different colors within sentences. It covers many areas from alphabets to verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. It has you covered. It is one destination to learn basic Korean. 

I really liked how the lessons were available in order. It motivated me to finish more lessons so that I can access more.  

The course was useful in testing my skills in constructing sentences in Korean. It was the closest thing to writing in Korean since I don’t practice writing Korean at all. 

There are different types of questions available which is very important for language learners. You ought to discover them yourself. 

Weaknesses: 

I believe for Duolingo to provide an excellent experience for its users, they must commit to some changes. 

One of the biggest issues is that after a few lessons they stop introducing new words separately with a picture (for the visual learners). They just provide sentences and if you don’t know the meaning of any of the words, you just click on it (and the meaning will appear in English). This is not a good way to memorize new words because you are only copying and pasting. Instead, the words colored in yellow/green should be introduced first. Then the user can be tested by translating sentences.   

Secondly, there are many useless sentences that I wouldn’t use in real life. I wish Duolingo would focus only on sentences that I would need to communicate. 

If you are going to learn Korean using Duolingo, you must have a little background. You cannot jump into the course without previous knowledge. 

Finally, I recommend using Duolingo to learn a language in a fun way. But don’t expect fluency at the end of the road.

What do you think? Have you ever tried Duolingo or any other similar applications?

Twitter: @basma_aalx