Last updated on 17 November 2017
Updated article >>> here in November 2017
Duolingo is a site that makes it possible toLearn and practice foreign languages online.
For me, it is one of the best of its kind. Duolingo aims to help you learn and practice a language by translating content found on the Web. Duolingo offers high-quality interface, ergonomics and graphics for a better immersion in learning.
Everything here is done to encourage the learner to go further and persevere in their efforts. The language approach is very pedagogical and progressive. The exercises proposed are calibrated to fit the learner’s level. A system of points earned after each successful exercise, badges to reward the move to a higher level, an incentive calendar to come to the site every day, make Duolingo an addictive site.
But the real find of the site’s creators is the collaborative learning function. Duolingo allows you to connect your community of friends for online challenges, for example. The site also offers translation missions of content extracted from the Web. You will work with other users of the system to tackle the translation of web pages. Phrase by sentence, using the dictionary proposed by Duolingo, you will be able to make proposals, comment on those of others, and also vote for one or the other. It may be your proposal that will ultimately be chosen by the community, allowing you to earn points, badges, credibility on the site and followers.
The completion of the entire site in HTML5, as has been said, is beyond reproach. Duolingo also offers a mobile app for your smartphone; the exercises are varied and rely on multimedia elements, sounds and images. You will also be asked to record your own voice to practice better pronunciation. Duolingo currently offers the following languages: English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. The best for the end, Duolingo is completely free and without any advertising.
In the classroom.
Duolingo is an excellent tool to enrich your vocabulary and practice a language. An excellent complement for a student or group of students who can practice alone or in a group. The collaborative functions offered by Duolingo are a good alternative to traditional methods. The possibility for students to use their smartphone is also undoubtedly a real plus for use in mobility on tools with a high rate of adoption by young people.
English
User of Duolingo, I am really impressed by the quality of the product and the collaborative concept. I was in a reddit session last July where I was able to ask Luis von Ahn about his plans for the French version of the site and his response was “~2 months, but don’t hold me to it …”
They must have fallen behind because French is not there yet!
Otherwise, I made two short explanatory videos during my first steps on duolingo: http://wp.me/p2mzNG-4e