What Happens If You Use Duolingo for a Year?
Duolingo is a popular language learning platform that offers an engaging and gamified approach to learning new languages. But what can you achieve after a year of consistent use? Let's dive into the experience and outcomes of long-term engagement with Duolingo.
Setbacks and Rewards of Daily Duolingo
One of the key perks of using Duolingo every day is the Golden Owl notification you receive on your completion of a streak. Additionally, Duolingo includes leaderboards that mark your progress by year. While the platform promotes a regular daily use, the amount you learn depends on the time you invest both within Duolingo and through related activities.
When I completed a year using Duolingo intensively, I was in the A2 section of German. I was studying two units of German per week and had progressed to Section 5 B1. Moreover, I was doing additional lessons in the practice area and the English from German course. Duolingo estimated that this equates to around 70–90 minutes of daily study time.
Multilingual Journey with Duolingo
During my yearlong Duolingo journey, I studied not just one but three languages. Tracking progress over such a period offers a wealth of insights into the learning process and the effectiveness of the platform.
One crucial aspect was the time dedicated to related tasks outside of Duolingo. For instance, I watched German content on YouTube and occasionally read German materials, enhancing my overall exposure to the language.
My comprehension improved significantly over the year. Currently, I can understand around half of what I hear on YouTube or podcasts, and I can read beginner-level stories. However, I am still grappling with practical application of the grammar concepts learned.
Challenges and Overcoming Them
Using Duolingo for a year also presented challenges. For instance, reading the German version of Quora without using a dictionary was still difficult. My reliance on resources like Wiktionary grew, and I found myself frequently looking up words that seemed familiar.
My conversational skills, while improving, remain limited, especially in spontaneous conversations. The opportunity to practice with native speakers is essential for enhancing fluency, but the constraints of my environment limited this. During walks with my dog, she largely ignored my efforts to practice, more interested in the squirrel outside the walkway.
Conclusion and Recommendation
After a year of using Duolingo, it is clear that consistent use leads to noticeable progress, but there is still much to learn. The amount of progress is greatly enhanced by spending more than an hour daily on Duolingo and supplementing it with other resources.
For effective language learning and achieving fluency, Duolingo serves as a valuable tool, particularly for travelers and small talk. However, it should be supplemented with other methods and exposure, such as watching authentic content, reading, and speaking with native speakers.
Ultimately, if you are looking to broaden your language skills, Duolingo is a great starting point. For those aiming for native-like fluency, a combination of Duolingo with traditional language courses and immersion is recommended.