Does Duolingo Have Cantonese? (Tips to Learn Cantonese Fast)

Cantonese is one of the China-based languages having a different writing style. I have heard about this language a lot, and, thus, I wanted to try it. Undoubtedly, the first thing I look for in learning a language is Duolingo. But “Does Duolingo have Cantonese?” was the main question for me. As it is not a popular language, I was unsure if I could learn it here or not.

Just like me, you may also want to learn it. I mean, for how long you will learn those traditional languages – French and Spanish? It is always important to try something new. Thus, here I will help you know whether you can use Duolingo or not to learn Cantonese and its alternatives.

Quick Takeaways

• Cantonese is a Chinese branch language of the Sino-Tibetan language. 
• Duolingo currently only offers Cantonese for the Chinese version and not the other languages.
• Duolingo does not have given any notification about bringing Cantonese in future for other versions.
• Some of the apps on which you can learn Cantonese are – Drops, Pimseleur, Skritter, and Memrize app.

What is Cantonese?

Before going forward, it is important to know a little about this language. It is a Chinese branch language of the Sino-Tibetan family. It originated from the city known as Guangzhou, which was earlier known as Canton. Cantonese is the traditional language of the Chinese group and has more than 80 million native speakers. It is one of the most important languages and represents a very special part of the culture for all native speakers. Not only this, but the Cantonese language is also a popular choice among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Does Duolingo have Cantonese?

Despite having more than 100 courses, Duolingo does not have the Cantonese language just like the Estonian language. Of course, it made me sad. Although the incubator released Cantonese for Chinese languages back on June 22, it was not available for any other course. It is very uncertain that they have created a course but only for specific languages. The reason can be that Cantonese is one of the similar languages to Chinese.

Will Duolingo have Cantonese in future?

Currently, there is no such confirmation by the team of bringing Cantonese to other languages as well. However as it is already available for one course, you can think of getting it for other languages also. The languages have been recently introduced for Chinese languages and the team may be working on developing it for other languages. It takes time to develop a proper course and all we can do is hope that they may soon launch it for other languages as well.

Why Duolingo does not have Cantonese?

My first preference to learn any language is always Duolingo. I was really sad when I learned that there was no Cantonese on it. Thus, following are some reasons why Duolingo does not have the Cantonese language-

• The first reason I found out was, that they already have Madrian which is again a popular language in China. Although it is not similar to Cantonese, it is one of the most used languages. Madrian is available for different courses and thus is one of the popular languages on Duolingo. 
• The other reason for not having Cantonese for other languages is that it is a tough language to teach. It takes most of the symbols from the traditional Chinese language and thus is a tough language to teach. Cantonese is tougher than Madarian and will take a lot of effort to teach. As Duolingo has stopped the incubator, no more Native speakers are working with them which makes it tough to create the course available for other languages. 
• As now there are no more volunteers to develop the course, it is tough to create the Cantonese course. It is because it is one of the toughest languages in China and therefore it is important to have professionals for creating the course. If there were experienced people it was easy for the students to develop their Cantonese skills.

What are the tips for learning Cantonese faster?

Now that there is no Cantonese on Duolingo, I have to look for some other alternatives. Thus, I have to use some other tricks to learn it. Thus, I have shared some of the tips and ways by which you can learn the language-

1. Joining the forums

The Internet has introduced a lot of platforms to learn new things including different platforms. Forums are like communities that focus on a specific topic. All you need to do is search for Canotent forums and will get a lot of results. Now select the best forum and add yourself. You will see people having a basic conversation and also you can publish your doubts.

Also, make sure that you are only using the forum to learn a new language and not for unnecessary things. Further, you can find a language partner for yourself so that you both can enjoy having a conversation in your targeted languages. You must set up small goals and try to complete them daily. If you really want a good language exchange partner, I would recommend you to use HelloTalk or Tandem.

2. Using YouTube videos

When I am stuck somewhere, the first thing I do is open YouTube. I am sure you do the same. It has become an educational hub for everything you want to learn. From learning a new skill to learning a new language, you can get anything and everything you want. YouTube will help you to develop an understanding of the language from its basics to the advanced level. All you have to do is to find the right YouTube account, which is specifically for the Cantonese languages.

When I started using it, I had trouble understanding the context. But gradually, it helped me to learn how to start communicating with native speakers. The biggest problem here was. there was always a new word. So, what I did was write them in a journal and find out the meanings of them later on.

3. Include it in your routine work

This is what I do for every language. I surround myself with Cantonese. When I am going shopping, I make sure to make a list in Cantonese. You must also surround yourself with the languages you are learning. Try to have some mock interviews with others in the Cantonese language. It is one of the best ways to learn a new language. 

4. Taking some language books

If you are a person who is really into reading books, then it is the best option to learn a new language. Starting from a book gives a lot of knowledge from start to end. Having a language book will not only help you to develop your communication skills but also your writing skills.

As the writing of the language is different, having a proper book will help you to learn proper writing skills. It is a perfect way of increasing your knowledge and developing your language skills. You can limit up to a single book or look for multiple books to get more knowledge. Having a book will make it easy for you to have good grammar knowledge and improve your vocabulary knowledge.

5. Include it in your routine work

This is what I do for every language. I surround myself with Cantonese. When I am going shopping, I make sure to make a list in Cantonese. You must also surround yourself with the languages you are learning. Try to have some mock interviews with others in the Cantonese language. It is one of the best ways to learn a new language. 

6. Podcasts

Podcasts are a way of learning and developing communication skills by hearing the real communication between the two professionals. The best thing is that I get different platforms where I can listen to it. There are a lot of professionals who have mastered multiple languages and have started their podcasts. I prefer listening to them. It is because they keep sharing their experiences which are very beneficial for a user. Although you may not get to understand the content in the beginning but gradually will understand how people talk in this language. 

7. Don’t look for Chinese characters

One of the biggest mistakes that I made was when I started watching the Chinese series. I thought it would make me fluent but actually, it is not true. If you are a beginner, you must try to get a proper book for yourself. Try to get the basics first from it and then jump on the series. It will give the basic knowledge which will make it easy for you to understand what is going on in the movie or the series. However, once you understand the basics of the languages, then start watching Chinese movies or series.

What are the different apps that will help you to learn the Canotene language?

Although I have discussed some tips that you can use, they are not enough to learn such a difficult language. You must also involve some apps in your learning journey. Following are the different apps through which you can learn the Canotene language-

1. Drops

Drops is a platform that helps you to learn a new language just like Duolingo flashcards. Whenever I am learning a language, it is one of the platforms that goes along. You will get the Vocabulary lists of your chosen language. If you are a person who wants to build your Vocabulary list then Drops is a platform for you.  You get more than 2000 words with different graphics as the hints you get stuck. Learn the meaning of these words through the flashcards. 

2. Pimsleur

Want to develop communication skills? Choose Pimsleur. Obviously, if you do not live in a native-speaking area like Hong Kong or Macau, it will be really hard for you to learn. Thus, Pimsleur is a platform that develops communicational skills with the help of 30-minute audio lessons. You will get a chance to hear the communication in the Cantonese language. It further boosts your Cantonese knowledge. The quizzes and flashcards help to develop your skills to get a well-rounded approach to learning Cantonese. 

3. Skritter

Skritter is a platform on which you will be able to develop writing and reading skills in Cantonese language. The reason I am suggesting you is that, it is a platform that specifically focuses on Chinese and Japanese characters. As the Cantonese language includes the writing system of the Chinese language, it is hard to develop Cantonese writing skills. You can either choose Mandarin or Cantonese and will also get feedback through the app.

4. Memrize app

Memrize app is the one where you get the flashcards that will help you to remember the meaning of the words easily. If you think that it is specifically for Cantonese, then you are wrong. However, this app has always helped me to develop my vocabulary knowledge. It is one of the best platforms if you are interested in learning the content through the vocabulary list. There are different lists that you can find for learning Canotene. Just like Memrize you can also use Anki which is again a platform that helps to learn the language through flashcards.

5. CanoteneClass 101

I don’t think that I need to even tell you why it is on my list. From the name, it is understood. If you are looking for a particular website that will only help you teach Cantonese, CanoteneClass 101 is a perfect choice for you. It is a big library that specifically focuses on teaching Canotene to its users. It will not only provide you with the written content you will also be getting audio just like Audio lessons on Duolingo.

You can listen to them daily while doing your regular stuff. You can hear it while cooking, cleaning, walking, etc, which is a fantastic way of learning languages. When you hear what they are saying you will get to know how to talk in Cantonese languages. Try to practice with your friends or family members.

6. Go Cantonese

Another website that revolves around is Go Cantonese. I used it for 4 months, in my entire journey. It was a full package to learn the language on. Starting with, it provides a lot of vocabulary lists track, which means you can know what you have gone through earlier. Additionally, you also get lists based on the characters of the words. There are different videos with captions in it. These videos will help you to understand how can you talk with a native speaker.

7. Cantodic Project

Again just like CanoteneClass 101, the Cantodic project is the one where you will be getting the worksheets, tutorials, or quizzes based on the Canotene language. It is a perfect way of focusing on your reading and writing skills. If you love learning with the help of Audio and video methods then you must go for this platform. The Cantodic project will give you proper support for getting the basics of the language. If you want to become proficient in the language you will need to have both reading and writing skills. Thus it is a perfect platform for you to develop your communication skills.

8. iTalki

If you are willing to pay, choose iTalki. It is a platform that has multiple tutors on it. One of the students is using this platform to learn a language that I don’t know. The way teachers guide over there is just amazing. I have also taken some trial classes for Cantonese on this platform. Thus, I can guarantee you will get a good teacher to teach you.

Conclusion

Cantonese is one of the official languages of China. If you are thinking of learning this language from Duolingo, you may be disappointed by it. This is because there is a Cantonese course only for Chinese speakers. When I got to know it, the first thing that came to my mind was why is this discrimination? Well, we can’t do anything about it, but definitely can go for some other alternatives.

If you are really interested in learning the language, you must look for YouTube videos. you can also think of taking some books or joining the forums. Try to involve the language in your daily activities or think of joining apps like Drops, Skritter, etc.