Duolingo is one of the most popular apps to learn a language. It is a great tool, beneficial to start and supplement the Spanish learning process.
Duolingo is free, easy, and straightforward. However, the app also has a paid version called Duoingo Plus, which removes ads, allows for lesson downloads to mobile devices, and more.
But, can you learn Spanish using Duolingo? Is an app enough to get you to fluency? There are elements of using an app that will help you quickly progress towards your goals, but overall, language learning will require a teacher and daily use of the language in real-world situations.
Here are some ways that this app can supplement your language learning process, and some ideas for integrating gamified tools into your language practice.
Duolingo has organized and progressive lessons.
This app leads you to improved language skills. Duolingo levels give you a step-by-step experience and help you focus on what you need to learn during the language acquisition process, like essential words, phrases, sentences, etc.
Once you advance further, new levels show up as your skills progress, changing from gray color to fully colorized, ensuring you’re prepared to learn new material. However, the lessons have to be done in exact order because of this structure, and learners can’t move forward without completing previous lessons. But of course, you can repeat or review previous lessons, and then unlock future lessons as you demonstrate your skills.
The Duolingo learning process is based on repetition as a key for language learning. It means that previously-learned words and grammar are used while learning new words and grammar, making sure the language is keeping on the long-term memory and ready to be used.
The lessons are structured in small pieces; this makes it easy to work a little learning into your schedule, whenever you want or can. All you need is a moment during your day, when you’re sitting in traffic, waiting at the doctor’s office, in line at the grocery store, etc.
Each level is more complicated, starting with simple word matching and sentence exercises at levels one to five, and always using what you learn in the previous lessons in the next lesson. This is a helpful way to ensure that you keep in mind your learned material and avoid forgetting primary material as you progress towards more advanced levels.
Duolingo starts at level one with sentence building
Duolingo, from the beginning, introduces the learners to the sentence structure together with its translation. This allows you to see the structure of the sentences, and the way grammatical units relate to each other shows how to express ideas correctly.
Duolingo allows you to set goals
When you set goals, your motivation increases, and this personalized goal-setting ability is closely linked to language achievement.
How do you set a goal for yourself? A good goal is to complete at least one lesson every day. This challenge is an essential – and realistic – tool to keep you on the road towards learning your target language.
You can learn just five minutes a day; if you forget, Duolingo will send a reminder notification to your phone.
Duolingo turns language learning into a game
Gamification makes learning a language seem like a fun, goal-oriented game. It can improve the language learning process, increase motivation, and lead to real learning. Duolingo has many features that can be classified as gamification.
Duolingo’s gamified approach to learning makes many students find it more fun, easy, and enjoyable than other language learning tools. While gamification isn’t a guarantee that you’ll reach your goals, it is an effective supplement to lessons and proven method for keeping learners motivated.
Duolingo works on multiple skills
This app is not just to learn vocabulary and grammar; it also develops and improves reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Duolingo offers grammar and vocabulary lessons and provides many activities to improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while using the necessary grammar and vocabulary.
Duolingo provides Duolingo Stories for practicing reading and listening comprehension, Tinycards for vocabulary flashcards, and Duolingo Podcasts for listening practice.
Other tips for more advanced speakers
Duolingo has many lessons; however, it’s not enough to advance students towards full fluency.
If you want to continue your advanced learning process, you can work with many other resources available.
- You can watch videos, music videos, movies, news, TV shows, podcasts, etc. work on those as an individual and particular lessons. You could write down some words that are difficult for you, keep a notebook filled with new words or phrases, practice the listening skill, the association between image and name, use subtitles when watching movies, etc.
- Conversation skills are one of the most important aspects of learning a language, but they are challenging to develop and improve. The best way to learn Spanish conversation skills is to have conversation practices with native speakers.
- You can take private Spanish classes online or in person, enroll in an institute to take formal courses in groups. The important thing is your connection with professional teachers, to improve all your skills.
- Complete course online. You can pay per lesson, and you can attend the lessons anytime, anywhere. When you get individual one-on-one classes, you can focus on the skills that you need help with.
- You can benefit from taking lessons online, and find many Spanish teachers on the internet. Just make sure to review their plans and prices, and then connect with a great teacher to get personalized classes.
Duolingo is not a complete language course; it is just a tool to make your learning language process easy and fun. You have to complete your learning process with other tools or resources, as you read above. Remember to do homework, read, speak, write, and listen in Spanish.
Have fun and continue with your learning process!
Mary Aaron
Mary Aaron