Duolingo

Duolingo is an online platform designed to help people learn languages through short, interactive lessons. It launched on November 30, 2011, and has since become one of the most widely used language‑learning services in the world. Duolingo offers courses in numerous languages and is available both on the web and through applications for iOS, Android and Chrome OS. It is known with streaks and the patchy reminders.

History

Duolingo was created by computer science professor Luis von Ahn and his graduate student Severin Hacker. The project originally combined language learning with crowdsourced translation. Early development relied heavily on the programming language Python,<ref>What language is Duolingo written in</ref> and involved contributions from several engineers, including Antonio Navas, Vicki Cheung, Marcel Uekermann, Brendan Meeder, Hector Villafuerte and Jose Fuentes.

Working methodology

Users begin by creating an account with a valid email address. Duolingo uses a gamified learning system, encouraging daily practice through streaks, experience points and skill levels. The platform sends periodic reminders to help learners maintain consistent study habits.

In its early years, Duolingo allowed users to translate real‑world texts as part of their learning experience.<ref>Translating the Web While You Learn</ref> Although this feature is no longer central to the platform, many learners still supplement their lessons with dictionaries and other reference materials.

Services

Translations (historical)

Duolingo once offered a translation workspace where users could apply their language skills by translating articles and documents. This feature was accessible only through the website and not through mobile applications. It has since been discontinued as Duolingo shifted toward structured language instruction.

Duolingo English Test

On July 22, 2014, Duolingo introduced the Duolingo English Test, an online English‑proficiency exam intended as an affordable alternative to traditional standardized tests. The exam can be taken on the website or through mobile apps. It uses webcam and microphone monitoring, lasts about 20 minutes, costs $20 American dollars,<ref>Duolingo offers language-certification tests via mobile devices</ref> and provides a score on a standardized scale.

Duolingo for Schools

Duolingo has increasingly been adopted in educational settings. Pilot programs in countries such as Costa Rica and Guatemala have integrated Duolingo into public school curricula. In January 2015, Duolingo launched Duolingo for Schools, a platform that allows teachers to monitor student progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and assign language‑learning activities.<ref>Duolingo Launches Free Language Learning Platform For Schools</ref>

List of languages for English speakers

Duolingo offers a wide variety of languages for English speakers, including several constructed or fictional languages. Additional courses continue to be developed.

Currently released

• Arabic
• Czech
• Danish
• Dutch
• Esperanto (constructed language)
• French
• Finnish
• German
• Greek
• Haitian Creole (Beta)
• Hawaiian
• Hebrew
• High Valyrian (fictional language)
• Hindi
• Hungarian (Beta)
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Irish
• Japanese
• Klingon (fictional language) (Beta)
• Korean
• Mandarin Chinese
• Navajo (Beta)
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese (Brazilian)
• Romanian
• Russian
• Scots Gaelic
• Spanish (Latin American)
• Swahili
• Swedish
• Ukrainian
• Vietnamese
• Welsh
• Yiddish (Beta)
• Zulu

Hatching

Courses marked as "Hatching" are still in development.

• Xhosa

Unavailable for English speakers

Duolingo also provides courses for speakers of other languages, though the selection is more limited. Many of these courses focus on teaching English. Some languages, such as Guarani and Catalan, are available only for Spanish speakers, who have access to the largest number of non‑English courses.

List of courses for speakers of non-English languages

• Arabic: English, French, German, Swedish, Spanish (Hatching)
• Bengali: English (Hatching)
• Chinese: English, Spanish, French (Hatching)
• Czech: English
• Dutch: English
• French: English, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese
• German: English, Spanish, French
• Greek: English
• Hindi: English
• Hungarian: English
• Indonesian: English
• Italian: English, French, German, Spanish (Hatching)
• Japanese: English
• Korean: English
• Polish: English
• Portuguese: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Esperanto
• Punjabi: English (Hatching)
• Romanian: English (Hatching)
• Russian: English, German, French, Spanish, Swedish (Hatching)
• Spanish: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Catalan, Guarani, Esperanto, Russian
• Tagalog: English (Hatching)
• Tamil: English (Hatching)
• Telugu: English (Hatching)
• Thai: English
• Turkish: English, German, Russian, French (Hatching)
• Ukrainian: English
• Vietnamese: English

Status on the iDaisy Woo

Duolingo is a Category 5 violation on the iDaisy Woo due to its streak violence and the fictional possibility that Duo the Owl may come to a user's location and threaten humans. Category 5 is the highest severity level in the iDaisy Woo system.

The punishment for using Duolingo includes:

• Brig until next port
• Permanent ban
• Lifetime Now, Faster punishment

Some alternative apps considered safe within the iDaisy Woo include:

• Airlearn
• Busuu
• Babbel
• Rosetta Stone

The violation notice issued is:

ATTENTION: YOU USED DUOLINGO. GO TO DECK -1 RIGHT NOW.

References

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See also

• Language education
• Gamification
• Gladys! Learn Languages

Links

• Official website
• Duolingo for Schools
• Duolingo English Test

Source: This page was derived from the page “Duolingo” from the English Vikidia.
View the original authors of the page