Duolingo – Learn Languages for Free

Duolingo teaches users a foreign language by requiring them to complete instructional tutorials. Each tutorial uses the users’ native language as a springboard to introducing them to new words and phrases in the foreign language, and they learn how to identify, read, pronounce, and write new words, phrases, and sentences. If users incorrectly answer more than four times in a tutorial, they must repeat it, and Duolingo provides users with a report about their performance after they complete each tutorial. The languages users may learn include Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Lastly, users may invite friends to learn languages with them, and Duolingo’s home screen provides a snapshot of users’ progress.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can pair their foreign-language instruction with Duolingo. For example, after teaching a lesson, teachers may require students to complete a tutorial in Duolingo that reinforces their teaching. (Please note, teachers would need to ensure that their instruction aligns with the content of the Duolingo tutorial. Starting this routine in the beginning of the course will help with this alignment.)
2. Teachers can have students invite their classmates to practice their language skills using the “Leaderboard” option. Using this option, Duolingo sets friends up to practice their new language skills in a competitive manner, so teachers need to be aware that they are bringing in a competitive aspect to their instruction.
3. Teachers can have students work in small groups to complete the tutorials together.  Using this strategy, students will be able to collaborate with each other to help them develop their new foreign-language skills.

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