Marvin Velasco, a former dedicated user of the language-learning app Duolingo, reflects on his journey with the platform. Once a daily user who diligently logged in to enhance his language skills, Velasco found himself disillusioned after a year of repetitive lessons and a lack of new content. This dissatisfaction led him to uninstall the app, sacrificing a hard-earned streak of over 500 days.
With an upcoming trip to Europe on the horizon, Velasco decided to revisit Duolingo, hoping to refresh his German skills. However, upon logging back in, he was met with an app that felt bloated and cluttered. The introduction of more advertisements and features unrelated to language learning made the experience frustrating. Instead of a straightforward assessment of his German proficiency, he encountered a barrage of prompts urging him to subscribe to the Super version and download unrelated games like Brawl Stars, which offered rewards for completing Duolingo tasks.
Why Duolingo became more of a chore
Velasco’s experience with Duolingo highlighted a significant shift in the app’s focus. The insistence on subscription tiers overshadowed the core purpose of language learning. After navigating through numerous screens just to check his progress, he found himself limited by a new energy system that restricted the number of lessons he could complete. The previous freedom to engage in multiple lessons was replaced by a system that required users to either watch ads or spend gems earned through lessons to continue learning.
Despite attempting a trial of the Super version, which allowed for unlimited lessons, Velasco felt the gamification of the app took precedence over genuine learning. The pressure to maintain streaks and reach higher ranks detracted from the educational experience he once valued.
What I tried replacing Duolingo with
After concluding his trial with Duolingo Super, Velasco turned to Gemini, a language app he had previously enjoyed. He appreciated Gemini’s user-friendly interface and its ability to create personalized study plans based on individual goals and proficiency levels. Unlike Duolingo, Gemini allowed for a more interactive learning experience, where users could ask follow-up questions and adjust lesson difficulty as needed.
Using Gemini Notebook, Velasco was able to tailor his learning experience, focusing on conversational German and gradually building a curriculum that suited his needs. The flexibility of Gemini meant he could learn at his own pace without the anxiety of losing streaks or energy, which had become a source of stress with Duolingo.
Duolingo is in bad shape, but it can be fixed
Despite its shortcomings, Velasco chose to keep Duolingo in his toolkit. He recognized that it offered structured modules that could complement his learning with Gemini. By utilizing both apps, he found a balance that allowed him to benefit from Duolingo’s guided lessons while enjoying the personalized approach of Gemini.
To enhance his experience with Duolingo, Velasco discovered a few strategies. Using the app on a web browser helped eliminate ads and provided a different energy system that felt less restrictive. Additionally, disabling competitive features like leagues and leaderboards reduced the pressure to keep up with other users, allowing for a more relaxed learning environment.
There’s a place for both apps
Ultimately, Velasco concluded that combining the strengths of Duolingo and Gemini offered a comprehensive approach to language learning. While Duolingo provided structured lessons, Gemini filled in the gaps with deeper explanations and contextual understanding. This dual approach allowed him to learn without the added stressors that had previously hindered his progress, creating a more enjoyable and effective language-learning experience.
