Duolingo Podcasts: Complete Guide For You 2024

Have you ever heard podcasts between two people and been amazed by how they talk? What if I tell you that you can get the same kind of experience in learning a new language? Yes, it is possible with Duolingo podcasts. The first thing you need to understand when you learn a new language is how the native speakers talk. Duolingo podcasts help you understand how conversations happen between two native speakers. Want to know how? Be with me till the end and you will get to know how Duolingo podcasts work.

What are Duolingo podcasts?

Whenever I am learning a new language, I make sure to listen to how the native speakers of that particular language talk. For this, I always prefer listening to Podcasts. Podcasts are a way of testing your knowledge and developing your communication skills. Duolingo Podcasts work similarly to them. They are audio files that combine your native tongue and your learning language. Podcasts on Duolingo are similar to the audio lessons of the platform. The main difference between them is that you will not get any crown for listening to podcasts.

When I was listening to the podcasts, I realized they are basically random communications between two native speakers. In short, podcasts are primarily designed to help you with your listening comprehension. However, if you practice saying what you hear, they can also greatly improve your speaking. 

Each podcast follows a predetermined plot in a predetermined setting. It means that each podcast will have a unique story told in a good balance of your native and target languages. As the context of communication is different, you may also get a lot of different knowledge. The podcasts are designed by keeping every level in mind.

Do you earn XP for listening to Duolingo podcasts?

Yes, you can earn an XP score when you listen to Duolingo podcasts. When you complete one podcast you will earn 10 XP for it. It means that if you have completed 10 podcasts, you will be awarded 100 XPs. Remember to take the notifications of the owl seriously so that you do not miss any of the lessons.

Update: With the recent update, you are no longer receiving an XP score for listening to Duolingo podcasts.

Are the Duolingo podcasts free?

Just like other features, one of the greatest advantages of Duolingo podcast is that it is free of cost. You are not required to spend even a single penny on podcasts. As they are free to use, you do not need to have a Duolingo Plus or a Spotify subscription to access them. All you need to do is to choose which podcast you want to hear and play the list. If you find any podcast to be easy, you may shift to the next one.

What languages are podcasts available in?

The worst part of Duolingo podcasts is that they are not available for each of the languages. At present podcasts are only available for 4 different courses. As I am an English native speaker, I only get podcasts in two different subjects – Spanish and French. Whereas if you are a Spanish and Portuguese speaker you will get podcasts for the English language. There is no podcast available if you want to learn any other language.

How can you access the Duolingo podcasts?

Duolingo podcasts can be accessed through their official website. Follow the steps to get access to Duolingo podcasts-

Visit the official website and at both of the left-hand side of the platform, you will get more options. Just tap on it.

You will see two more tabs, click on the Podcasts option. Remember if you are learning a course that does not have podcasts, you will no longer see the option.

After clicking on it, you will get a new window. Choose the podcast you want and you will get another window on how you want to hear it.

Select the platform where you want to listen to it. After logging into the platform start listening to your podcasts.

But is not only the way of accessing them. You can directly access them on various platforms like Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts. Spotify is the best platform where you can get Duolingo podcasts easily. Once you search for the Duolingo podcasts, you will get a playlist of various podcasts recorded for Duolingo. To stay updated with the new episode on the platform, you must click on the following option. However, if you have deleted the course, you may not be able to access the podcast on that subject through the platform itself.

Will you get the transcription for various podcasts?

If you find it hard to understand the podcast, you can also get a transcript of it. Transcripts will help you to go along with the podcast you are hearing. Doubtlessly, I have also used the transcript when I started learning the language. It is definitely one of the best features for beginners. This feature will help me to get a good knowledge of various concepts and how native speakers talk. It also helped me in developing my reading skills.

However, if you want to access the transcript, you need to use the browser version of it. Remember these podcasts can be a big help for you to become fluent in the language. Thus you must try to take advantage of the transcription whenever I need it.

When should you start listening to Duolingo podcasts?

When considering using Duolingo podcasts, you must not start it too early. I made this mistake during my Spanish course. After completing 5 lessons, I jumped over Duolingo podcasts. Eventually, I gained nothing. Although there is no fixed time to start it, you must try to take them at the right time. Try to complete the basics first. When you are sure, you know them properly then switch on to the podcasts. Remember, not to hurry. Your end goal is to learn the language and not just to complete the course.

Are Duolingo podcasts good?

Duolingo podcasts are one of the prominent features of learning the language. I really liked this feature and wanted to get them for other languages as well. With the podcasts, I was able to listen to how native speakers talk. The podcasts are usually based on real-life experiences. As the real stories are fascinating, they helped me to boost my confidence in speaking the language. Duolingo podcasts will surround you with people speaking in your targeted language. It is one of the best ways of learning how to communicate with people.

However, every person has their own choices which means you may find some episodes more interesting than others. These episodes not only helped me learn the language but also helped me gain vast knowledge. Also, there are very less podcasts available online. Still confused? Don’t worry. Further, I have mentioned the benefits and drawbacks of using Duolingo.

What are the benefits of Duolingo Podcasts?

• The biggest benefit of Duolingo podcasts is they are free. Just like other lessons on this platform, all your podcasts are free. You may also get to hear some funny statements which are common during the normal lessons.
• If you are struggling with listening to them properly, you also get transcripts. Further, it also helps you to develop your reading skills. 
• You get an idea of how communication occurs between two native speakers. It helps you to understand their accent which helps in mastering the language.
• The content of the communication is different in each of the podcast. It means you will get a lot of knowledge from it.

What are the drawbacks of Duolingo Podcasts?

The following are the drawbacks of Duolingo podcasts-

• At the present time, there are only two language podcasts – Spanish and French if your base language is English. 
• The transcripts are only available if you are using Duolingo in the browser version.

Conclusion

Duolingo podcasts are basically like other podcasts where you can listen to the conversations between two native speakers. At present, they are only available for 4 courses and 3 languages. In these podcasts, you will get to combine the native tongue with the targeted language. I started listening to them too early and was really confused with the content. Thus, you must start listening to them, when you are clear with the basics. There is also a transcript on the browser version. If you are confused about what they are talking about, you can always take advantage of the transcript.

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