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r/duolingo · u/jorisfrankeAug 1, 2026, 3:42 PM

Why not use Duolingo?

On this subreddit i see a lot of people saying: "Don't use Duolingo to learn a language". But what other ways do you recommend then? Because some people just want to learn a language and don't really care if it takes a couple of years and only want to do it when they are in the train for example for a few minutes. So please, enlighten me.

137

Comments

u/I_m_Purple21091Aug 1, 2026, 3:50 PM
It's all just because of the funny sentence duolingo has. Duolingo is known for having funny sentences instead of learning. So that's why
- u/Ok-Year48952Aug 1, 2026, 3:55 PM
  The owl's fine for what you're describing, a few minutes on the train and not in a rush People get proper wound up about it because they want to be fluent in three weeks but if you're just chipping away casually it does the job
- u/Unhappy-Package1Aug 1, 2026, 4:31 PM
  Maybe an unpopular opinion but I like the funny sentences. If the sentence is my blue haired cat likes to drink coffee. I know it doesn’t make since but I also know I actually understand the words being used rather than using context clues to guess.
  - u/BackgroundEqual21681Aug 1, 2026, 4:52 PM
u/Ok-Adeptness-37308Aug 1, 2026, 3:52 PM
The value of Duolingo depends entirely on the user. If you are consistent in your practice and incorporate enough rigor (e.g. doing role plays, video chats, and writing exercises), then you will learn the language. If you’re just doing a lesson per day to extend your 3 year streak, it’s not as valuable (although I wouldn’t say completely worthless).
- u/jorisfranke2Aug 1, 2026, 4:03 PM
  Yes sometimes weeks go by that i just do it to extend my streak, and sometimes i have weeks that i do it half an hour to an hour a day (or more). I always say to myself that i have to do it at least 15 minutes a day, but a lot of times i am just too lazy for that. So if you have tips for that. Please give then
  - u/hacool2Aug 1, 2026, 5:16 PM
- u/xxDMLxx2Aug 1, 2026, 4:06 PM
  I have to agree with your take on this. It's an individual issue. Different learning programs will hit folks different ways. Some will take to them rather easily while another person might not be successful with it at all. In the end, it goes to learning style. Duolingo isn't perfect, and it certainly has its problems. But, it works for some folks and doesn't work for others. That's just kind of the way things are.
u/AgentAbyss2Aug 1, 2026, 3:56 PM
I can't speak for all languages, but with Japanese at least, it actually teaches some things wrong. (For example, it sometimes pronounces sounds wrong or splits words up the wrong way.) Also, my friend was once curious about how bad Duolingo was, so they swapped the main app language to the language they wanted to learn and chose English as their target language to study, and every now and then they tell me about how dumb the English is that they get taught and how they'd never say those things and would find it confusing if people used that English to them. That said, there still definitely are things you can get out of Duolingo, just be careful and sceptical. But as for other learning resources, there are tons that you can just do relaxed on a train! But for recommendations, you'll probably need to give information on the language you're trying to learn, since different programs have different areas they excel in.
u/Eleatic-Stranger25Aug 1, 2026, 4:01 PM
Some people just like telling other people that they're doing their hobby the wrong way. Don't listen to them. If you're having fun, and learning a little, that's great. It's a better use of your time than mindlessly scrolling through social media or playing Candy Crush.
- u/jorisfranke4Aug 1, 2026, 4:03 PM
  Wow this actually felt great to read. Thanks
  - u/MountainCheesesteak4Aug 1, 2026, 4:33 PM1 reply
- u/Fish_Learns_Japanese-1Aug 1, 2026, 4:25 PM
  Technically, at least for some languages, it is actually doing it wrong since Duolingo sometimes teaches you incorrect information.
  - u/jorisfranke1Aug 1, 2026, 4:36 PM1 reply
- u/At_the_Roundhouse2Aug 1, 2026, 4:35 PM
  This exactly. I’m not necessarily trying to be fluent in Spanish for a specific reason, I just think knowing it would be useful living in NYC, and to me it’s like playing a game. Might as well learn something while I’m screwing around on my phone rather than mindlessly scrolling or playing a (more pointless) game. If someone really needed to learn the language fluently for their job or something I don’t think Duolingo is enough on its own.
  - u/jorisfranke2Aug 1, 2026, 4:37 PM1 reply
u/Theguy56214Aug 1, 2026, 4:03 PM
Duolingo alone is not likely to teach you an entire language, even with dedication. It’s not bad as a little practice source here and there, but if you actually want to learn to speak a language, you’re going to need to supplement duolingo with another source of learning. The best practice, is actually talking with a native speaker. But if you can’t or don’t think you’re ready or otherwise don’t want to, you can also do things like watch children’s cartoons in the target language, the simple words and grammar they use are intended to be easy to understand.
- u/jorisfranke2Aug 1, 2026, 4:04 PM
  Yes i want to complete Duolingo and then begin to really learn the language by reading books, watching the news er cetera.
  - u/Bluevette14371Aug 1, 2026, 4:58 PM
u/ithinkiamparanoid1Aug 1, 2026, 4:07 PM
The thing is if someone really wants to learn a language to speak fluently, a few minutes a day of Duolingo won't teach much. Maybe one or two new words a day to memorize. You also need Grammar, listening actual people (not Duolingo robots), watching movies in the target language, reading books, etc. Duolingo is good for keeping track of your progress but it's not an actual way to learn a language. It's for getting familiar with the language.
- u/jorisfranke1Aug 1, 2026, 4:09 PM
  Yes that is why i do it. Just to get a strong basis. And then to actually do something with it. Because right now i can't understand shit of the news or books.
  - u/ithinkiamparanoid2Aug 1, 2026, 4:13 PM1 reply
u/ereminium1Aug 1, 2026, 4:14 PM
duolingo is fine for a while and is the best option for some folks, but in my opinion, has been going downhill with each update, constantly changing and eliminating features in ways that set me back, and i’d rather not learn from ai. i’m not sure if your question was rhetorical, but i have lots of recommendations for spanish, and a few for other languages if you want to tell me what you’re learning!
u/vidalotus0Aug 1, 2026, 4:21 PM
I recommend using a magazine instead. You can become conversationally fluent in just 2 weeks using just one magazine.
u/longtimelondoner1Aug 1, 2026, 4:24 PM
I use it and practice 30 mins a day. It has helped my Spanish because I now know the correct grammar structures. My plan is once I’ve got enough vocab, I’ll listen to podcasts or watch things on Netflix that are Spanish language.
u/-_Lucyfer_-1Aug 1, 2026, 4:25 PM
Duolingo is good to learn some vocab and fixate repetition. i treat it as like a flashcard game, but there's lessons you can't learn from gamified 5 minute lessons. you can learn a language in duolingo, it's totally possible. just not the best option.
u/Unhappy-Package1Aug 1, 2026, 4:28 PM
I already speak Spanish and have been doing the Portugese for like a year and a half. I think it has helped me learn Portuguese quite a bit. A few months ago I made a friend and we meet weekly. He practices English and I practice Portuguese. I’m able to hold a 30 minute conversation fairly well. So I had a romance background but knew absolutely no Portuguese. I do about 15 minutes a day and have noticed quite a bit of improvement.
u/Careless-West14282Aug 1, 2026, 4:34 PM
I actually think Duolingo is worth it if you’re using it to learn and not just play the game. I do like the gamified aspect, as my attention span tends to be short, but I’m fairly competitive, so it keeps me engaged. I have no problem spending an hour a day and like using the practice session. I do think it’s hard to learn a language only using Duolingo, so I like watching (very slowly) German TV shows (Dark and Berlin Babylon) and also a good grammar text (especially needed for a language like German) and am lucky to have a very good friend online who tolerates me practicing my German.
u/Educational_Green2Aug 1, 2026, 4:35 PM
Couple of things. Duo is number one app so “growth markers” from other companies love to knock the app. They usually use multiple profiles, one to say something innocent about how they are frustrated and then another account to suggest an alternative. Duo doesn’t enforce any level of “intensity” Language learning takes a decent amount of time, lets say 500-2000 hours to achieve B2 level. So if you are doing 15 minutes a day we’re talking like 5+ learn a language. Finally the famous straw man - if you just use duo you won’t be fluent. Well sure, but you won’t be fluent using any single method. Any learning method is going to require supplemental work. Personally, I think duo is not perfect but I think it’s a lot faster than any other method mainly because I have found it’s a lot easier for me to be consistent with duo than with pimsleur, busuu, dreaming in, podcasts, YouTube, etc.
u/number9dream91Aug 1, 2026, 4:35 PM
Im lucky in that I have to regularly communicate with my grandson’s abuela. I say what I can from what I’ve learned from Duolingo, and the rest I use the translator. I can understand a lot of what she says, too. Last week she invited me to a birthday party where I was the only English speaker and the lessons I had learned that week helped me tremendously. Admittedly, they looked at me a couple of times like they had no idea what I said. Lol
u/wannabe_lbe1Aug 1, 2026, 4:37 PM
for me duolingo is ok 👍
u/Fish_Learns_Japanese1Aug 1, 2026, 4:41 PM
In my opinion you shouldn't use Duolingo to learn a language, only to supplement language learning. There are a lot of benefits of Duolingo. It's very accessible, it addictive, helps you stay consistent, allows you to practice making sentences, etc but it also has many flaws. I can't speak for all languages especially considering the fact that some were made by volunteers and some have been primarily made by AI but for Japanese which is what I'm learning there are several issues. Duolingo doesn't really teach grammar. It mainly just expects you to understand it through memorising sentences which means that you don't learn the nuances of how things like particles or conjugations work. Duolingo would be significantly better if it had a grammar section similar to how it has a section for different alphabets in various languages. This probably isn't as much of a problem if your target language is close to your native language in terms of grammatical structure but Japanese is completely different to English. The pronunciation of almost every word is wrong. Not teaching beginners what pitch accent is a major issue with most Japanese beginner learning materials but they at least still have it because they use native speakers. Duolingo just doesn't have it so the pronunciations are wrong. Also Kanji in Japanese have multiple pronunciations based on context and sometimes duo will just pick the wrong one. I think for Japanese the best way to use it is ignoring all speaking and listening exercises whilst also using textbooks, an SRS and native content for studying.
u/DistinctCar67671Aug 1, 2026, 4:42 PM
Without DuoLingo I would never have talked to the Mexican workers at my work. Now I can talk with them. Not perfect but I have conversations with them and we speak back and forth in Spanish and English. They also have the Duolingo app to learn English.
u/pbl1161Aug 1, 2026, 4:47 PM
I love Duolingo. I know I’m not going to be fluent if that’s all I use, and I use a couple of other resources in parallel because I like to have a few different learning approaches, but I find I’m learning a lot and making good progress better on Duolingo, and it’s fun too.
u/davebodd1Aug 1, 2026, 4:51 PM
Depends on the course and your own dedication. The big courses like for French and Spanish, are pretty massive. Do at least a couple of lessons daily and you will make progress. I often screenshot many of the lessons to revise them later and do some vocabulary/grammar research when i feel the app isn't quite making things clear. Still, even squeezing all the app for all its worth, there are gaps. I mean, it's good to learn how to construct sentences but often, i feel you're missing out on some fixed expressions that make life so much easier. Also, do not underestimate regional dialects and how fast native speakers can really speak. You need to train your ear for this, outside of Duolingo.
u/pickleparty161Aug 1, 2026, 4:58 PM
Duo is crap for explaining grammar, listening to real speakers, and having an actual conversation in the language. Its benefits are getting you engaged in learning and getting some foundational vocabulary and sentence structure
u/Cephalopirate1Aug 1, 2026, 5:04 PM
I’m in section 5 of Japanese. Anyone who completes the course and claims they haven’t learned enough is just being obtuse. I’ve read Genki 1 and found it entirely redundant with Duolingo through section 2 or so. People keep recommending textbooks and videos over Duo and there’s just not the same variety of input and output. Sure you might be able to specifically plan a better tailored course by combining the best of all other input and output methods, but that’s not practical for most. I think that energy is better spent just seeing how far you can get in Duo. Duo’s Japanese course sucked half a decade ago, but it’s seen MAJOR overhauls. The reputation seems to have stuck though. I suspect the same of the other top 5 courses. It’s $120 for a year and I’ve gotten more out of it than my high school and college’s worth of Spanish courses.
u/yuqilea1Aug 1, 2026, 5:06 PM
My app! @worlds\_app on IG. Experiential learning. Launching soon.
u/hacool1Aug 1, 2026, 5:10 PM
I use Duolingo to learn German because I like it and I am making good progress with learning German. I am retaining vocabulary more easily than I have in the past with other methods.

Of course how much one learns really depends on the effort one makes and which course one takes. You can't learn very much Latin on Duo as it is a very short course. German however finally got a long-awaited update this Spring and now goes through B2.

I try to make consistent progress on Duo each day. I currently do 1.5 mini units per day plus extra listening lessons in the practice area.

I write down words I don't know so that I can look them up in Wiktionary. I look up grammar questions as needed. It is however worth noting that that the updated course now has more grammar tips built in.

I also try to consume German content in various formats each week. I could probably stand to do more of that.

I should also try to keep a journal in German. I do however talk to the dog in German for practice.

So I do more than some people and less than other people and find that I am making progress. I am not in a particular hurry and I am well aware that it takes a long time to learn a language.

So long as I keep learning I will keep using Duo. And it is far more entertaining doing this than staring at Anki decks.
u/QueenFurina1502Aug 1, 2026, 5:24 PM
I think it depends on your goal. If someone wants to become fluent as fast as possible, then yeah, Duolingo alone isn't enough. But if someone just wants to spend 5-10 minutes a day learning during a commute, building a habit, or getting a basic foundation, it's honestly pretty good. The best learning app is the one you'll actually keep using. Later on, you can add things like YouTube, podcasts, books, or talking to native speakers if you want to go further.
u/Tyrnis1Aug 1, 2026, 5:28 PM
If Duolingo keeps you motivated, you absolutely should use it. Duolingo has flaws, sometimes serious ones, but ultimately, the tool you use is the best tool for you - most people who start a language will quit before they get very far. Personally, I find it enjoyable enough that I keep using it, particularly since I’m on a friend’s family plan and don’t have to worry about ads or energy. I use other resources (textbooks, graded readers, etc.) as my primary learning tool, and Duolingo to supplement and reinforce what I’m learning.
u/jl23521Aug 1, 2026, 5:37 PM
If you wanna use Duolingo, then use Duolingo. Go ahead. It’s your life and you are free to do it your way. To answer your question: \* buy a kids book (so low level) in your target language, and start translating. \* go to classes \* get a tutor \* buy a text book, and go through it \* chat to ChatGPT in the speech mode and try that as a tutor All of the above, including ChatGPT, I have found vastly more effective than Duolingo.
u/davemacdo1Aug 1, 2026, 5:49 PM
Duolingo is a language-learning-themed game. If learning is your main goal, take a class.
u/paved_wave1Aug 1, 2026, 5:50 PM
Hating on Duolingo has become an influencer’s clickbait cash cow. It’s profitable to make splashy complaint videos about it - guaranteed clicks and new subscribers. Duo is an industry leader and the top dogs are always a target from both competitors and disgruntled former users. There’s ample anecdotes about what is “wrong”, some objectively bad business decisions like their adoption of AI and firing of native speakers, and many more subjective arguments against their teaching methodology or lack thereof, and gamification. There’s also a huge variance of user impressions depending on the target language. My experience is mainly Japanese and while I used to spend around 15-20 minutes a day on Duo, now I’m only in and out to briefly do Kanji reviews / like spaced repetition, around 3-4 minutes a day max. I still find it highly useful as a kickoff / motivation point to other JLPT studies, reading novels, etc. For Spanish and French I have heard completely different criticisms mostly around the voice recognition, something that doesn’t even apply to me. Duo should just be one tool in the giant toolbox of language learning apps/books/media that we use to learn. Some competing apps want users to think they should only rely on their app as a “all in one” but that’s a unicorn idea and goal of the seller, not the student. Students should use Duo aggressively with specific purpose in mind, then get out and move to another tool, otherwise it really can just be a waste of time to get sucked into the points and gaming aspect.
u/mikew12002Aug 1, 2026, 6:04 PM
I think Duolingo is a great tool, it helps you form the habit of learning a language, teaches you a ton of vocabulary and has some very solid lesson types (video calls, role plays). However, if you really want to learn a language, you’ll need to supplement with other sources like watching films, reading books and most importantly, real world practice. I also had to buy a book on grammar while learning Spanish as I found Duolingo wasn’t great in explaining and drilling a lot of grammar rules.
u/drLoveF1Aug 1, 2026, 6:23 PM
You need to supplement with other sources and eventually leave Duo altogether, but it’s a pretty good tool to get you somewhere in B level for the major supported languages, especially if it’s time you would otherwise not have spent learning a language.
u/CreativeMap47232Aug 1, 2026, 6:23 PM
it's a brillant, low commitment entry drug. My mom at 70 wanted to start on French but the idea of signing up to a call was overwhelming and she was embarrassed how poor she would be in the class. So she started in Duolingo. After 400 days, she was ready to get into the class - and surprised how many words she actually know. But also - her pronunciation was horrid, and the teacher has a lot to fix now, so there is that.
u/JJCookieMonster1Aug 1, 2026, 6:57 PM
I think learning a language requires more than a few minutes. Those people likely are not good at all four: reading, writing, listening, and speaking if they dedicate so little time. Plus they have to review and not just study new things. It will take way longer than a couple years to learn the language at that pace. Duolingo is good for starting, but to have more expansive, knowledge, they would have to learn from natives too like watching/listening/reading their content.
u/Canmak1Aug 1, 2026, 7:14 PM
I don’t think Duolingo is really a bad way to learn a language inherently, but it needs supplementation to effective, and the free version probably isn’t that effective because you can only do a few minutes worth of exercises. I accidentally forgot to cancel my free trial when I started a few months ago, and it was helpful and remembering German and Spanish I hadn’t used in a while and along with talking to myself in the languages, I got back to intermediate pretty quick. I recently started learning Japanese. It was great for learning hiragana and katakana (Japanese phonetic alphabets). It’s been pretty helpful in learning new vocabulary and getting reps in the language. However it doesn’t really seem to teach or explain grammar. I often encounter new grammar from other sources (eg youtube, instagram reels etc) and learn them outside of Duolingo
u/snoopy050520261Aug 1, 2026, 7:38 PM
To be honest a good Anki and comprehensive input will getfrom beginner to intermediate level a lot faster than duolingo. Its just anki and beginner ci can be boring Like if you want a fun way to learn the language duolingo is good but if you want a more efficient way then the above is better but its less fun.
u/cadillacmike1Aug 1, 2026, 7:48 PM
Most the people complaining haven't made it very far in the actual course, they just have a streak. Duolingo has said the streak is just to keep you engaged and the level is what is important
u/Special_Pattern_89501Aug 1, 2026, 7:50 PM
I’ve been using it for several years and it has really helped me stay consistent. It’s great to supplement with reading, podcasts, shows, lessons, and language exchange. I’m at a high B2 or low C1 and I know it’s in part because of Duolingo.
u/wrightflyer19031Aug 1, 2026, 8:02 PM
I've been using Duolingo to learn Irish for about 1.5 years and while not perfect I could probably say hello and order a coffee and sandwich. So I wouldn't believe all the negative comments. Having said that I actually abandoned my first account after 365 days and (overlapping for a few months) now use a second account that's up to 250 days. On the first account I got dragged into the whole streak/XP/League Table competitive stuff that saw me race through levels just to achieve targets/goals but it eventually got me to a place where I'd been given 100s of new words without being properly taught their use. So on the second account I've ignored the competitive stuff and just concentrated on actually learning and advanced at my own, much slower, pace. If starting out do the same. (having said that I do get #1 in Diamond League every week but that's because I really do know all the words presented and can race through lessons ;-)