Learning Spanish with Duolingo – In-depth Guide 2024

Since I started learning new languages, Spanish has been my top choice. I’ve always wanted to learn it, which led me to Duolingo It made me think if learning Spanish with Duolingo is worth it. I decided to give it a try. I was a beginner in this language and also was scared about whether I could learn it or not. But thanks to Duolingo, I was able to understand the language quickly. Everything become so easy, making me wonder if it is really a new language for me.

Surely, Duolingo did pretty well in developing my Spanish skills. Every lesson and exercise on this platform is so engaging that I started completing 2-3 lessons in a day. Undoubtedly, it was my best decision. Let me show you how interesting learning Spanish with Duolingo is. I am sure you would never regret using it to learn Spanish.

How are the Spanish courses structured?

When I started using Duolingo, the first thing that I saw was how the course was structured. Every course has a similar kind of structure. The courses run on a particular path which was earlier known as the Duolingo tree. If we talk about the Spanish course, you will see that the course is divided into different sections.

In each of the sections, there are a specific number of units that focus on a particular topic. Each of the units further includes various sets of lessons. The structure of the course was very easy to understand. When you complete a specific skill, you can take part in the legendary levels.

The platform is known for how it keeps the user engaged with the content. Wonder sitting for an hour but still didn’t get to learn anything from it? Isn’t it annoying? Now look at Duolingo. The lessons on this platform are just for 5-10 minutes and they are too highly engaging. You will not need to sit for hours. All the lessons on this platform have a lot of engaging content and also there are funny statements that will make enjoy the platform. As the platform follows the gamified approach, you will see games-like activities at different levels.

What are the features you get when you learn Spanish with Duolingo?

Spanish is one of the most taken languages on Duolingo. It is one of the most popular languages spoken all over the world. and thus you get different features for it. Therefore, one thing I was sure about was to take a Spanish course on Duolingo. When I was using it, I got to see a lot of features in this course. Let me help you to discuss these features of learning Spanis one by one-

1. Stories

The first feature that I got was Duolingo Spanish stories. These stories helped me to improve my reading, speaking and listening skills. Currently, it has 288 stories on the platform. All the stories are in Spanish and last for a few minutes. In these stories, I have to answer various questions in Spanish after some time. I love this feature because it helped me to know how much I have learned in Spanish till now.

2. Match madness

It is an interesting exercise of the platform in which I get different words written in Spanish and have to match them according to their English meaning.

• It is just like the match the correct option that we used to do when we were kids.
• Match Madness is a fun game and always keeps me engaged with the content.
• As it is a time-based exercise, it will help in increasing the focus on the exercise.

With each level you pass, the timer will get lower and lower. As it helps you to complete the task in time, this feature has become one of the best features. When you will be taking these challenges you will be unlocking the achievements. However, currently, it has lost its value, and not all the users want to take it with Gems.

3. Duolingo Max

Duolingo Max is a current subscription plan which is available only for Spanish and French. It includes all the features of super Duolingo along with two more- explain my answer and role play. It is made on GPT 4 and is released by OpenAI. As it is the very latest version it is still in the early stage. Further, it is also a paid subscription and is available only for selected users.

4. Duolingo Spanish podcasts

Is there anything better than having the recordings of a native speaker? I never thought I could get that too on Duolingo. Indeed, Duolingo never fails to surprise me. Though these podcasts are no longer directly available on the platform, you can still listen to them on various platforms. These podcasts worked like Audio lessons that will help you to learn the language. Follow the steps given below to get the Spanish podcasts-

Go to the official website and log into your account. Now on the left-hand side, see more options and click on it.

You will get multiple tabs, just click on the podcast option.

Now a new window will open. Tap on the Spanish for English users option.

A new window will be opened where you will have to choose how you want to listen to the podcast.

Once done, you will be redirected to the platform with a list of the podcasts. Choose the one and start listening to it. However, remember if you are using Duolingo on an Android app, you will not be able to get the podcast icon directly on the app. You will have to go to the podcasts platform first and search for Duolingo podcasts.

5. Listening Drills

The listening drill is an activity in which you will listen to some words, keywords, and full sentences from native speakers. After that, you will have to select it from the list that comes on the screen.

6. Fill in the blanks

You will see a Duolingo character on your screen with a sentence and a blank. You will have to fill that blank with the right Spanish words.

7. Mock conversations

It is an interesting activity. It made me feel like I was in a conversation with a real person. In it, you will be a part of conversations with the bot. Once the bot says a line you will see a lot of responses on the screen for it. You will have to choose the perfect phrase of response for it.

8. Verbal communication

I was not sure if Duolingo could improve my speaking skills. But thanks to Duolingo’s voice recognition technology, I was able to do it. In this exercise, after hearing a word or sentence said by a native speaker, you may need to repeat it. Duolingo’s voice recognition technology will help to check your pronunciation and correct you if you are wrong.

What are the other features of the Spanish course of Duolingo?

The above are some of the special features that you get with a Spanish course. There are a lot of other common features which are easily available on the platform. Following are the other features that you get in the Duolingo Spanish course and will also help you to stay motivated and not lose it in the course-

1. XP

You will acquire experience points, or XP as you go through the Duolingo Spanish course. Almost anything you do will result in XP being awarded. While using Duolingo, one thing I noticed was that I received more XP from some lessons and less XP from others. This may be because some of the tasks are harder than others.

2. Gems

The virtual money used in the Duolingo mobile app is called gems. Many people believe it should not be a part of the platform. But I don’t think so. In fact, Gems are the reason why I use Duolingo regularly. To unlock new lessons you will need them. Not only that, you can also purchase boosters with them.

3. Leagues

Ever thought of competing against other people? Duolingo is a platform that allows you to do that. There is a weekly competition called the Duolingo League which is among 30 users. You will be able to acquire Duolingo gems if you are able to win the league.

4. Friends

‘Duolingo is not just a language learning platform, but a complete package of the growth of a person. It is because you can also connect with the other users by following them and assessing your progress. Following others increases your chances of finishing your course by five times. Having Duolingo friends will not only help in increasing your network but also help you to take part in the friend’s quest.

5. Super Duolingo

Everything that is free has some hidden cost. Duolingo Plus or Super Duolingo is proof of it. It is basically a subscription plan provided by Duolingo. You can subscribe to it on a monthly or annual basis. It helps in adding new features and getting rid of some others. The owl will also be changed and will be in the spacesuit.

Should you learn Spanish with Duolingo?

Since I have been using Duolingo for a long now, I suggest you definitely try to use it to learn Spanish. The first language that I learned on this platform was Spanish and trust me it made me feel that there is nothing hard in it. The short lessons, engaging content, podcasts, and stories made it so simple to learn the language. You must choose to enroll in Spanish classes on this platform if you are a beginner and have a limited budget.

On the other hand, if you are looking for high fluency or if you are an advanced learner, you might not consider it. However, I have further discussed all the benefits and drawbacks of learning the Spanish language on the Duolingo platform.

What are the benefits of learning Spanish with Duolingo?

The following are the benefits of learning Spanish with Duolingo-

• If you are a beginner, then there is no doubt it is one of the best platforms. It will help you to learn all the basics of Spanish.
• It is the platform which is a budget-friendly platform. You will learn all the basics of Spanish totally free. You will not even need to spend a single penny on this platform.
• There are not only free but extensive courses available on the platform. Every course in Spanish keeps on updating every year. You will also get 216 units for the Spanish language.
• There are a lot of special features like Duolingo Max and Duolingo podcasts that you will get only by learning the Spanish language. Another important feature that you will get with the help of Duolingo Spanish is the stories. These stories help you to practice the Spanish language with time.

• All the features that you get with Duolingo Spanish are like fun activities that you will have to take part in. If you are a person who loves to play games, this is the best way of learning the language.
• Using this platform will always keep on motivating me to complete the lessons. So if you do not open your app in time, you will be getting notifications to come back to complete them.

What are the drawbacks of learning Spanish with Duolingo?

The following are the drawbacks of learning Spanish with Duolingo-

• When you use Duolingo, you will have the chance to perform different activities with the help of life chances. These chances are known as the heart system. You will get 5 chances and will lose them once you make a mistake while practicing when you are using it on a desktop.
• Duolingo will help you in learning Spanish through different activities. However, if we talk about verbal communication they generally do not help you to get 100% fluent in the language.

Conclusion

Spanish was the first course that I took on Duolingo. Surprisingly, it is the most taken course on the platform after English. I know when someone starts learning a language, it is very challenging. But trust me, with this platform, it was very easy to learn the language. The course follows a particular structure and the lessons are generally short. As it is a free platform, it is best suited for those who are on a tight budget or are a beginner. However, you may not enjoy this platform much if you are already at an intermediate level. This is because the platform offers courses till the intermediate level.

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