In a society where time is of the essence, and being quick is more important than ever, many of us find ourselves trying to save time in any way possible- even if our chances of success seem slim. Such is the case for those who attempt to learn a new language through apps such as Duolingo.
I have no doubt that you’ve seen this ominous green owl lurking somewhere on your social media feed, and perhaps you’ve been tempted by his seemingly miraculous claims. In fact, Duolingo’s own website claims that studies show you can learn up to five semesters of university instruction in a mere five sections of their app. And in a video on their webpage, professional soccer player Tommy Thompson shares how his use of Duolingo allowed him to talk to his teammates in the locker room. Another showcases a man named Peter, who learned French and used it to talk to his French homestay parents years later. However, one must at least ask the following questions instead of taking this information at face value; were the “real learners” in the videos influenced to speak highly of the app due to receiving payment? Was Duolingo their only source of learning a new language? Could the participants truly have fluent and natural conversations, or could they only get by in a pinch?
These questions and more are what led me to wonder about the true nature and success rate of learning with apps such as Duolingo. After all, learning with Duolingo is much different from learning in a classroom setting. Exercises include completing sentences (either by typing in words by oneself or selecting from a word bank), repeating what was said, “interacting” with stories (by filling in the blanks with words from word banks) and choosing, from two audio prompts, which word fits into a blank. While these study methods may sound helpful, and perhaps may even be helpful, they surely cannot compare to the experience gained by learning a language in a university or other academic setting. It is my belief that apps such as Duolingo teach language in a fragmented way, keeping participants from learning how to truly speak a language. Sure, maybe that charismatic green owl taught you how to say a few words, and ask where the bathroom is, but can it really be as magical as the company says it is?
To answer this question, I met up with Rebecca Case, one of RVCC’s Spanish professors. Case studied Spanish for 4 years in high school, but 19 years after she graduated, decided to study at a college, more specifically Raritan Valley Community College for the first time ever, as a full time, daytime adult student. Professor Case said she had to choose a language course to fulfill her requirement for a liberal arts degree, and so she chose Spanish in 2002. She later began teaching the language at RVCC in 2009 as an adjunct professor, but transitioned to being a full-time professor in 2015.
She has also had many experiences with native Spanish speakers, having been a part of a homestay (a program which allows students to live with families in other countries that are native speakers of the language they are learning) in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, she has also studied in Madrid, Spain. Due to Case’s vast knowledge of and experience with both learning and teaching the Spanish language, I wanted to get her opinion of the use of language learning apps such as Duolingo.
Johnson: What is your general opinion of apps like Duolingo?
Case: I think if they truly worked, people would use them. They are selling people a bill of goods, and while it’s good for supplementing language study, practicing vocab and learning some simple phrases and colloquialisms, you will not become conversational from one of those apps.
Johnson: What do you believe are the main issues with how Duolingo teaches language that keep participants from truly being successful?
Case: From my perspective, language is learned in context. If you think of how you learned English as a native speaker, you didn’t learn all the grammar and then were expected to speak the language, as these apps teach, but rather you learned it the opposite way.
Johnson: Have you ever known someone who successfully learned a language through Duolingo?
Case: No. Even with Babbel, I myself didn’t fully learn a language. Recently, my wife and I went to Italy and I needed a quick way to learn Italian before we traveled. I used Babbel, and it worked for me because I had also been practicing Italian with friends of ours that didn’t speak English, and that gave me a foundation. Without a foundation, I don’t think it would’ve been a successful endeavor. The reason I had some success with Babbel, is also because I knew how to learn a language. I also already knew Spanish, which shares some similarities with Italian, and I knew the context of the dialogues and situations given to me in the app.
Johnson: Based on what you’ve seen, what value does Duolingo hold for someone who wants to learn a second language? Is it a waste of time, or can it be helpful in certain situations?
Case: I don’t think it’s a waste of time at all. It’s a great supplement. Some of the foreign language textbooks have begun to include Duolingo subscriptions as a supplement for students, which I think is fantastic. Duolingo is good for vocab reinforcement. The more expansive your vocabulary is, the easier it will be to speak the language, but you also need to be able to put the language into a contextual practice. When you start believing it is a substitute for a true language class, that’s where you run into problems. Duolingo can help you learn to order food, get a hotel room, ask where the bathroom is etc. but you can’t have conversations about current events or society. If you only speak one language and want to learn another in 3 weeks, you won’t be able to become conversational in that time
Johnson: Do you think Duolingo could ever become a replacement for learning language in the classroom? In fact, do you think it will ever become more efficient than it currently is?
Case: It will never substitute for a language class taught in the target language, but as I don’t know the plans for the app I can’t say if it will or won’t become more efficient than it currently is.
Johnson: What advice do you have for those who, because of whatever reason, cannot attend a university class but want to learn a language?
Case: The best thing would be to immerse yourself in the language in the best way you are able to. Sometimes it can be helpful to watch television programs you’re familiar with, in that target language. Watching the news in the language can also help, but only if you already know what’s going on in the world. If you have an idea of what the world news already is, watching the news in another language can certainly be a helpful learning tool.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
