Duolingo has encountered criticism following its announcement a few days back about becoming an “AI-first company.” In an email sent out by the CEO, Luis von Ahn, this message was also shared on Duolingo’s platform.
LinkedIn
The account mentioned that Duolingo planned to substitute “slow, manual content creation” with artificial intelligence. Despite acknowledging potential negative effects on quality, Von Ahn believes in acting swiftly. He stated, “It’s better for us to act urgently and occasionally experience minor setbacks in quality than to proceed cautiously and risk missing our window of opportunity.”
Whether
AI represents the future, or merely a fleeting trend?
remains under discussion. Nonetheless, numerous users,
on Reddit
and elsewhere, are taking this as a cue to leave the app and kiss goodbye to their streak score. “Language learning is about good content, not mass content,” said one disgruntled Redditor. Another poster commented, “AI is not advanced enough for what Duolingo needs.”
If you’ve also decided to say goodbye to the green owl, you might be wondering what other language learning apps are popular with users. We’ve taken a look at four apps that score highly on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. You can read more about how they were selected in the methodology section at the end of the article. Where possible, we have tried to find out how much AI different apps use, but we can’t guarantee that any of the apps listed are AI-free. In fact, some of them proudly boast of their AI credentials.
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Language Maestro Allows You to Play Games While Studying
Lingo Legend
has a user review score of 4.7 on Google Play Store and 4.9 on Apple’s App Store and combines gameplay with language learning. The game has two adventures, so you can choose between helping out on a farm or battling monsters. Naturally, when I tested the app, I opted for the monsters. Who wants to grow crops when you can battle sentient tree stumps? I actually found the game quite distracting and would rather focus on language learning when I only have a few minutes each day to do it. However, that just shows that I’m not Lingo Legend’s target customer. The game is what sets it apart from its competitors. It’s not a gamified learning tool, it is an actual, playable game that also teaches you a foreign language.
A
reviewer
on the App Store described it as a “fun little game with an easy-to-understand combat system, nice character design and animation, and a good soundtrack.” Another reviewer wrote, “I am obsessed! I used to use Duolingo all the time, but it eventually became very repetitive, and it wasn’t as fun anymore. This game is continuously fun as there is so much to do. I love how they turned learning a language into an RPG battle.”
It only supports 10 languages, which is fewer than many other apps, and is available on Android and iOS. You can get about five lessons per day for free, and you can subscribe to get more gameplay. It costs $9.99 per month, with savings if you sign up for a three-month or yearly subscription. You can also purchase a lifetime subscription for $89.99.
Mango Is A Straightforward Learning Tool
Mango
The app has earned a rating of 4.7 on Google Play Store and 4.8 on the App Store. This stands in stark contrast to the vibrant, fantastical game environment found in Lingo Legend. Mango offers a simplified approach to learning languages without unnecessary frills; hence, it’s ideal for those who might be overwhelmed by elements like animated characters seen in apps like Duolingo. Unlike these more gamified experiences, Mango focuses solely on providing direct language and grammar instruction through your smartphone. In addition to building vocabulary, the application gradually introduces essential linguistic concepts, including pronunciation changes that occur with word combinations and phrases.
Mango is supported by libraries, schools, and other institutions, so if you’re in the U.S. or Canada, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to access it for free. You can check if you can access a free version from within the app by providing your location. You can also pay for a subscription. It costs $11.99 per month, with reduced rates for longer time periods, and special deals for multiple languages. Your first lesson is free and paid subscriptions include a 14-day free trial. It offers courses in 70 different languages and is available online and on Android and iOS. A reviewer on Google Play Store commented, “Mango is the best language learning tool I’ve found. The spaced repetition works even when you don’t think it does. I’m surprised at my retention.”
Although Mango doesn’t entirely rely on artificial intelligence, it did announce in August that after 15 years of utilizing only native-speaking individuals for recording all audio content, they were integrating AI-driven text-to-speech technology into certain sections of their application. However, as things stand now, both course development and quality assurance remain tasks handled exclusively by people.
LingoLooper Offers AI Avatars for Conversations
If you prefer an app with less AI involvement compared to Duolingo, then
LingoLooper
might not be your ideal option. The application prominently showcases its artificial intelligence features. Developed by the Swedish firm Lumi Labs, they present LingoLooper as “the premier fully immersive AI-driven language learning tool.” However, their promotion seems geared towards (human) content producers, indicating it might involve more human interaction compared to Duolingo.
LingoLooper is an emerging app currently in its early access stage. With just 50,000 installations on Google as opposed to Duolingo’s impressive 500 million, LingoLooper excels among users who rate it at 4.8 stars each on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively. This application recreates authentic dialogues through interactions with virtual characters; offering 20 distinct languages for selection. During my trial run, I conversed with Nora based out of Berlin. Users have the flexibility to choose topics they wish to discuss from a provided catalog—such as beginner German phrases involving self-introductions, familial relations, and writing skills, which happened to be one of my chosen areas of interest. Additionally, there’s a spontaneous chat feature available too.
The greatest aspect of using LingoLooper is that you have the freedom to discuss anything you like, and the avatar will reply courteously while attempting to steer the conversation towards relevant topics. Nora found it “sehr interessant” that I possess three elephants. You can utilize LingoLooper for an initial trial period of seven days at no cost; beyond this point, subscription is required. The service charges $14.99 each month, though subscribing yearly offers a discounted rate. A user commented on the App Store stating, “This tool is incredibly useful for swiftly formulating replies and expanding my vocabulary. Plus, since it’s powered by AI, there’s zero pressure to get every word right. This helps me become more confident when speaking with actual people!”
Airlearn Helps You Learn Both Grammar and Vocabulary
Airlearn
It is the item most akin to Duolingo on this list. Both share a comparable lesson format and feature a mascot—a blue cat that’s somewhat less irritating than
Duolingo’s green owl
Unlike Duolingo, Airlearn dedicates time to instruct you on the fundamental grammar of the language you’re studying. It has earned user ratings of 4.7 stars on Google Play Store and 4.8 stars on the App Store. However, similar to others, it also incorporates artificial intelligence technology. Notably, Airlearn is developed by Unacademy, whose leadership includes their CEO.
said
On LinkedIn, they stated, “We think AI will revolutionize personalized tutoring. However, this transformation won’t merely involve gamification or having you complete drills. Instead, it’s about instructing you as an actual tutor would when seated before you. This guiding concept shapes our development process at Airlearn.”
You get five free lessons per day, or you can sign up for the Pro version for unlimited lessons. It costs $4.99 per month, and there are also yearly and family subscription plans. The monthly subscription comes with an introductory free seven-day trial. You can do the lessons in the order they’re presented or skip ahead to a different chapter.
You just scroll down the Learn page to see what’s available. When I tested it, I found the app engaging and easy to use, and I whizzed through my five free daily lessons in no time. Like Duolingo, it encourages you to keep going by giving you points and counting your streak.
One Redditor said
, “It has gotten me farther in just a couple of weeks than Duolingo has gotten me in months.”
You Can Use An App To Find A Real-Life Tutor
A couple of other highly rated language-learning apps are
italki
and
Preply
Unlike the other applications listed here, these platforms assist you in finding a personal tutor who can teach you in your preferred language. It received top ratings with an average of 4.8 stars from both Google and Apple users. In comparison, Preply boasts a score of 4.7 on the Google Play Store and 4.8 on the App Store.
Each application prompts you about the language you wish to study and your current skill level. Afterward, you can explore various instructors and review their rates and schedules. Instruction sessions take place through video calls, allowing you to pick either certified professionals or everyday native speakers who focus more on conversation skills. Communicating with an actual person is likely the most effective method to confirm that the feedback isn’t computer-generated.
Italki offers lessons in a vast array of languages, some quite obscure such as Bugis, Cebuano, and Niitsi’powahsin. However, please be aware that not every listed option comes with accessible tutors.
Preply also boasts an exceptionally extensive selection of languages.
including American Sign Language
, whereas italki specifically concentrates on foreign language acquisition, Preply can link you with tutors for other disciplines such as computer skills, mathematics, and marketing.
Methodology
For compiling this list, we selected the top-ranked language-learning applications according to their ratings on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Each app included here has achieved a minimum score of 4.7 stars. Currently, Duolingo holds a rating of 4.6 on Google and 4.8 on Apple; therefore, every application featured does not fall below Duolingo’s lowest recorded rating. Keep in mind that user evaluations may fluctuate with additional feedback, which means although these figures were accurate when written, they could shift over time.
The sole criterion for our selection process was ensuring that the included apps offered support for multiple languages. While there are numerous top-rated applications tailored to individual languages—such as those designed specifically for Japanese—we found it impractical to directly compare these with apps aimed at different languages like French. Therefore, each distinct language might require its own separate compilation of recommended apps.
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Original Article from Vmeetsolutions News
.