Globalization allows us to travel with extreme ease and communicate with many people around the world. Although the simplicity of traveling is indisputable, there is often the obstacle of making yourself understood in your own language. Fortunately, technology with many online services allows us to converse in English and learn useful words and expressions when we are traveling around the planet.
One of the most interesting services for learning English and many other languages is Duolingo , which we will explore in more detail in the following lines. We also recommend that you read our guide dedicated to the best online English courses to expand the number of services.
- What is the Duolingo app and what is its study method?
- How Duolingo Works for Italian-English Translation
- How to Get Duolingo Super for Free or Cheap
- How to cancel your Duolingo subscription
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Duolingo app and what is its study method?
Duolingo is an educational platform used for language learning that uses an approach based on short, interactive lessons that cover listening, reading, writing, and pronunciation. Users earn points and progress by completing lessons. The word “ Duolingo ” comes from a combination of the Latin words duo and lingua , with the aim of helping users learn a second language.
You can access the service via web browser from your PC or by downloading the application for iOS and Android . Thanks to the application you can follow courses for more than 40 different languages using a particularly effective method. In fact, the application was developed to be engaging and fun , teaching English and other languages through play. Duolingo is a free service , but it also offers a subscription package with which advertising is removed and new features are added .
The platform uses a very particular learning method, which is based on 5 principles .
- Learn by speaking the language: It consists of interactive learning-based lessons that help the cognitive process.
- Personalization: lessons that adapt to the user’s needs so that they can learn the new language extremely quickly.
- Effective: It provides courses aimed at learning important things while meeting US and international standards.
- Motivation: it is based on the creation of short and game-like lessons, useful for optimising learning and making it habitual.
- Fun: It seeks to generate a playful experience in order to improve not only the learning of terms in other languages, but also to improve self-confidence when communicating in a different language.
How Duolingo Works for Italian-English Translation
In order to use Duolingo , from a web browser or mobile app, you must create an account . Once you have completed registration, you will have to choose from over 30 available courses . The language tools are very simple to use, but before displaying the main dashboard of the platform, the service will offer you an on-screen entry test to check your level of knowledge of the language, English in this case. If your knowledge of English is particularly good, the platform will immediately unlock almost all the courses, so you can start from an appropriate level .
Once you have completed the entrance test, all you have to do is choose the language you want to translate, for example: Italian-English . A window will open where you can choose the dedicated courses and select the one you think is best for you. For each lesson completed, you will earn experience points-ingots in the web version and gems in the App, which will help you improve the ranking and the league , an aspect that we will explore in the following lines.
If you are Italian you can sign up for courses in German , French , Spanish , English , Portuguese , Dutch , Swedish , Irish , Russian , Turkish , Danish , Norwegian , Polish , Ukrainian , Welsh , Vietnamese , Hebrew , Hungarian , Greek , Czech and Esperanto . As you can deduce, you will have the opportunity to choose the best online English course in just a few seconds; but how does the course actually work?
The lessons are structured according to the topics covered , for example, you can follow a lesson on colors , on verbs in the present tense or on lesser-known terms . Then you will have to do translation exercises , translating sentences from Italian to English and vice versa.
In addition to translating, you can also take lessons where you listen , write , read or converse , further improving your language learning. This is then followed by repetitions and practice with the method stated above, which uses motivation and gamification to increase the challenge. Learn English by playing without losing the level of complexity.
How to register on Duolingo
Without registration, however, you will not be able to access the platform and the entrance test. To register, you can download the App from iOS and Android or rely on the official Duolingo website . Click on Register or Get Started and enter your data, email and password, or log in directly with a Facebook account or a Google account . It will take just a few seconds to start the entrance test, both from the App and from duolingo.com . In its basic version, it is completely free .
How the Duolingo App Works
Once you download the Duolingo App from the Play Store or App Store, the registration and operation process is very similar to the web version. In fact, you will have to create an account, choose the language you want to learn or translate and take the placement test. Afterwards, you will simply have to select the interactive lessons and progress in the ranking by accumulating points. The reviews of Duolingo, both in the mobile and web browser versions, are excellent.
Momentum
On the dashboard you will notice the flame icon , also called Momentum . This represents the number of consecutive days in which you have completed lessons on the platform. Setting daily goals allows you to learn better and faster, Duolingo uses this option to motivate you to do more and more.
Leagues
Learning English with Duolingo or using the App in the English language allows you to take advantage of the league system . This is nothing more than a ranking based on 10 leagues : Bronze , Silver , Gold , Sapphire , Ruby , Emerald , Amethyst , Pearl , Obsidian , and Diamond , which testifies to your level. When you sign up to the platform you will be a Bronze league , but by earning points with lessons you can climb the ranking and improve. To move from the Bronze league to the Silver one you will have to reach specific objectives, which will place you in the weekly ranking with the other Duolingo members.
You can earn points by performing the following actions:
- Complete the lessons.
- Review the lessons.
- Complete tests and quizzes to skip levels.
- Complete the placement test and read the stories.
How to Get Duolingo Super for Free or Cheap
As mentioned, the basic version of the Duolingo app is free, but you can also access Duolingo Super , which enhances your gaming experience. The premium subscription eliminates ads and corrects your mistakes much more efficiently and accurately. With this specific version, you can add an additional level, legendary , which allows you to eliminate the use of gems to purchase the most relevant courses .
You can get Duolingo for free with a 14-day trial , then you’ll have to invest €89.99 per year (€7.49/month, with an annual charge) excluding taxes. The service also adds Duolingo Max , a new subscription that combines all the benefits of Duolingo Super and adds new features based on artificial intelligence .
If you want to have Duolingo at a low price you can take advantage of the GamsGo shared subscription service and the Back to School & Work promotion . Offer available until September 27 with which you can sign up for subscriptions at advantageous prices for Duolingo , Office 365 , Canva and much more. With GamsGo, Duolingo costs only 3.75 euros per month . To learn more, take a look at our guide on how GamsGo works .
How to cancel your Duolingo subscription
If you want to cancel your Duolingo subscription from the Web you must:
- Access from your browser on the official Duolingo website.
- Click on your profile picture and choose Settings.
- Select Super Duolingo.
- Click Cancel Subscriptionand confirm.
If you want to cancel your Duolingo subscription from the App you must:
- Open the Duolingo appfor iOS or Android .
- Tap the Supericon at the top of the home page.
- Tap settings(gear icon).
- Tap Manage Subscription.
- Select Cancel Subscriptionand proceed with cancellation.
From GamsGo instead, all you have to do is access the profile of the subscribed services and cancel the subscription.
What happens after I cancel my Super Duolingo subscription?
- Your progress and learning pace will not be affected.
- You will be able to continue using Super Duolingofeatures until the end of your paid period.
- Once canceled, your subscription will no longer automatically renew.
- You can reactivate your subscription at any time.
- Canceling your subscription does not result in a refund of any previous payments.
- Subscription fees already charged for the current period will not be refunded if you cancel early.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is Duolingo free?
Yes, the Duolingo app offers most of its content for free , but it also has a premium subscription called Super Duolingo that offers additional features. You can sign up for multiple language courses and switch between them freely.
2. How much time should I dedicate to Duolingo each day?
There is no fixed rule, this teaching method suggests studying at least 5-20 minutes a day to get good results. In total, it takes about 40 to 54 hours to complete a course depending on the language selected.
3. Is Duolingo effective and reliable for learning a language?
With the Duolingo app you can build your language foundation and practice daily but it should be integrated with other resources for complete competence.
4. What can I earn gems on Duolingo?
Gems (called “ lingots ” in the web version) are Duolingo’s virtual currency . You can earn them by completing lessons and daily quests . If you don’t have enough gems to purchase an item, you can buy gem packs directly from the Shop.
5. What happens if I run out of lives on Duolingo?
When you run out of lives, you can’t continue doing lessons until they automatically regenerate, which takes time. Alternatively, you can use gems or ingots to buy extra lives.
6. What level can I reach with Duolingo and what happens when I finish?
On Duolingo, you can reach up to level 25 for each language . This level does not correspond to any specific skill, but only represents the amount of experience acquired. You can continue to practice advanced exercises and perhaps invest around 49 dollars to take the language certification, also called Duolingo English Test .
7. What are leagues on Duolingo?
Leagues are weekly leaderboards where users compete with others to earn XP (experience points) and level up.
8. How do I see the leaderboard on Duolingo?
You can see your standings on the leaderboard by tapping the Trophy or Podium icon in the app’s navigation bar, which will show you your league and how you rank against other users.
9. How do I abandon a course on Duolingo?
To leave a course, go to the app settings, select Manage Courses , and click Remove next to the course you want to leave. From the website, go to Show More > Settings > Courses and tap Reset next to the course you want to leave.
10. Does Duolingo work offline?
Super Duolingo subscribers can download lessons to study offline . The free version requires an internet connection.
11. Does Duolingo have an age limit?
Duolingo is suitable for all ages, but users under 13 must have parental approval to use the app.
12. How can I contact Duolingo customer support?
You can contact support by going to Show More > Help and then clicking on the Submit Bug Report button and describing your problem. Alternatively, you can use the Duolingo Forum .