Is Duolingo Good or Just A Waste of Time? (5+ Reasons Use It)

Before starting Duolingo, the only question that struck my mind was ‘Is Duolingo good or just a waste of time?’. Naturally, no one would want to waste their time. But do you think you can get a proper answer without using it? I don’t think so. I believe till you have used the platform by yourself, you cannot decide if it is for you. Although you must try it to know that, I will share my personal views on Duolingo. I am sure you will get some idea about whether it is a useful platform for you or not.

Is Duolingo good?

Duolingo is a platform where you can learn over 100 languages. But does it mean it is a good platform? See, You will get different courses for different base languages. Also, it is a free platform. It means that you can learn any language of your choice freely. This is the major benefit, as no other platform gives you so many languages to learn. It also does not mean that there are no drawbacks to using it. This platform can not make you proficient alone. You will need to use resources along with Duolingo.

So, is it not a good platform? Of course, not. You need to understand why you are using Duolingo. The courses on this platform are designed for beginners. If you are at an intermediate level, you will not enjoy this platform. In short, it depends on you. Your personal goal will decide if you should use it or not. Still confused? Relax, further, I have given you the reasons why and why not to use it.

Why I like Duolingo

Before using Duolingo, it is important to know if it is worth it. Thus, here I am sharing the reasons why to chose it-

1. Duoling is absolutely Free

The main reason why most people think to use it is because it is free. But according to me, it is not just free but makes learning a new language enjoyable. There are platforms where I have paid but never enjoyed my journey. Also, when you learn a new language, you consider buying books or getting help from professionals, but that will cost you a lot of money. Thus, if you want to start learning a new language, choose Duolingo.

Undoubtedly, there are a lot of distractions that will make you lose interest. When you will lose interest, it will become a big waste of your money. To help you with it, Duolingo keeps you engaged with the content. It helps you to focus on the content and also there is no waste of money. However, it also offers you a subscription known as Duolingo Plus, which will help you to get some new features.

2. Duolingo is for beginners

If you think you can become fluent in the language, you are wrong. I have been using this platform for a long. Unfortunately, it is only for beginners. So, every time, I learn a new language, Duolingo is a must for me. If you are just a beginner, it is easy to get diverted. But with Duolingo, you stay engaged with the content. It will help you to learn the basics and develop your communication skills at a beginner level, without getting bored. As a beginner, you will not need to pay money for it and can save that money for other things.

3. Helps to stay consistent

Consistency while learning a new language is very tough. It takes time and proper determination to stay focused while learning something new. Duolingo is a perfect platform that will give you reminders each day when you are not active on the platform for a long time. You will see Duo on your screen with reminders to open your app and complete the lessons. Further, rewards like chests or gems, help to get in regular learning. Also, the gamified approach, makes it an engaging platform.

4. Bringing up new updates

Duolingo is a platform that keeps on bringing new updates each day. The platforms I have used are not as updated as Duolingo. It is one such platform that keeps adding new languages and content to the platform consistently. Further, they also bring new updates making it easy for the users to learn the lesson. Earlier the courses were not arranged properly but the new learning paths, are arranged properly. Duolingo has worked hard on its popular languages like French and Spanish.

They have brought many updates, but high-level updates are only limited to the popular languages they are working in other languages as well. More and more listening and speaking exercises are included to help you learn a new language.

5. Convenient

We can use it any time we want. It means that it is super convenient to use the platform. As I’m a working professional, I usually get very little time before evening. I always use Duolingo for only 15 minutes that too in the evening. So even if you are a professional or have less time for learning a new language, you can use Duolingo.

You do not need to pay anything and get the knowledge anywhere you want. If you have any issues related to the platform, you can always connect with the team of Duolingo.

6. Help you quick start

Learning a new language takes a lot of effort like choosing the best option. You will need time to know the perfect choice for you. But for Duolingo, you will not need to think about which choice you need to make. Remember doing something is much better than doing nothing. Instead of wasting time thinking about which book or professional you would need, you can quickly start on Duolingo.

In starting you will be getting the basics of the language which will help you to learn the language and gradually will come across some tough words. Duolingo classroom is also a great feature of Duolingo where you can get connected with other native people.

Why I don’t like Duolingo

Till now I have discussed the reasons why I am using it. But it is also important to know the things I don’t like about it. Thus, here are the reasons why I don’t like it-

1. No advanced level knowledge

As mentioned above there is no advanced level knowledge on this platform. So, when I completed my first language on Duolingo, I did not know what to do next. I have to look for some other resources to use along with it. So if you are already at the advanced level, it is not for you.

2. Less grammatical knowledge

There is very little grammatical knowledge of a language on Duolingo. So, if you are someone to learn along with grammar, you will not enjoy it. Although, if I talked about myself, I was learning Spanish, I only wanted to do that for conversational purposes. Thus, I was ok with Duolingo. But I realize, in the long run, it will not work for you.

3. Heart system

The heart system is a feature that allowed me to make only 5 mistakes while practicing. When I started using Duolingo to learn Spanish, it was difficult for me to cope with this system on mobile. Thus, I had to switch to the desktop version. There was no heart system, and I could practice as much as I wanted to.

4. Can’t make you fluent

As there is no advanced level of knowledge, you can’t make yourself fluent. It means, if you want to use Duolingo to become fluent, it alone can’t make you. You have to use other recourses, to get fluent in the language you want to. I was able to achieve 75% fluency in Spanish from Duolingo. But when I was learning a non-fictional language, i.e. High Valyrian, I only got 60% fluency. So, how fluent you will be depends upon the updation of the course.

Update: At present, the heart system is available on the Desktop version. However, you can switch it to unlimited health.

Except for these Drawbacks, I have not faced any other issues with Duolingo. Sharing my personal views, I believe Duolingo is a perfect choice if you are a beginner. It is like a complete package. You will not only get language knowledge, but lot of other things to practice.

Conclusion

Duolingo is a perfect choice for anyone who is learning a new language. I love the way it is made. There are a lot of benefits that you can get on Duolingo. You do not need to pay a single penny to learn any language on it. All the lessons on Duolingo are free and have a lot of content for beginners. It helped me to learn all the basics freely and reach a level where I can develop my communication skills at the basic level. As Duolingo keeps bringing up new updates, there are chances that you may get content at an intermediate level.

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