Duolingo
Duolingo was born from the innovative minds of Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, who met at Carnegie Mellon University. Von Ahn, previously known for selling reCAPTCHA to Google, teamed up with Hacker to tackle the costly barriers of language education he experienced growing up in Guatemala. Launched publicly in 2012, Duolingo started as a unique blend of language learning and crowdsourced translation. Today, it stands as the world's most popular language learning platform, with over 500 million users worldwide. Its achievements include numerous accolades such as Apple's iPhone App of the Year and the Crunchies' Best Education Startup (Wikipedia) (TechCrunch) (University Programs).
Differentiation: Duolingo sets itself apart through its gamified learning approach, making it distinct from competitors like Rosetta Stone which focus more on traditional marketing and course sales strategies. Duolingo emphasizes continual product enhancement, driven by a mix of full-time staff and volunteer contributors passionate about the mission. This approach ensures a dynamic, user-focused experience, continually evolving to meet the diverse needs of its global user base (Money Inc).
How to Get Started: To begin homeschooling with Duolingo, simply create a free account on their platform. Duolingo is designed to be highly accessible, requiring minimal setup and no upfront costs. The program recommends regular, short sessions (about 5-20 minutes) daily to maximize retention and progress.
How It Works: Duolingo's user-friendly interface and structured lessons allow learners to start at a comfortable skill level and progress at their own pace. Activities include listening exercises, flashcards, and translation tasks, which are gamified with points, levels, and in-app rewards to keep students engaged. The platform's flexibility allows it to be used as a supplementary tool or a core component of a language curriculum, adaptable to either independent study or parent-led sessions (Money Inc).
Educational Content and Languages Offered:
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and more
Over 30 languages, including lesser-studied options like Welsh and Irish
Special courses on fictional languages for advanced interest (e.g., Klingon, High Valyrian)
What’s Good About It: Users praise Duolingo for its engaging, playful approach that transforms language learning into a fun daily habit. The app's intuitive design, immediate feedback, and personalized learning paths tailored to individual progress are particularly appreciated. The community elements, such as leaderboards and friends' lists, add a layer of social motivation that is often highlighted in user reviews (Wikipedia) (TechCrunch).
What Could Be Improved: While Duolingo offers an extensive range of languages, some users feel the depth of grammar and cultural context could be enhanced. The freemium model, although accessible, can be limiting for those who wish to avoid ads and desire more in-depth features, which requires a paid subscription. Additionally, the reliance on gamification can sometimes overshadow the need for more comprehensive writing and speaking practice (Money Inc).
Advice from Parents: Many parents recommend integrating Duolingo with other educational resources to provide a more rounded language learning experience. Supplementing with books, movies, and conversation practice in the target language can greatly enhance the effectiveness of Duolingo's curriculum. Consistency is key; setting a routine and sticking to daily practice can yield significant progress over time (University Programs).
Ideal Fit: Duolingo is perfect for homeschooling families looking for a flexible, engaging, and cost-effective way to introduce or supplement language education. Its user-friendly approach suits learners of all ages, making it ideal for young children through to high school students.
Not a Fit For: It may not suit those seeking in-depth study of a language, particularly if the goal is fluency or comprehensive cultural immersion. Those who prefer traditional learning methods or in-person interactions might find the app's style too informal or insufficient for their needs.
Grades: K-12
Cost: Free access with optional premium upgrades (Super Duolingo) for an ad-free experience and additional features, ranging from $6.99 to $9.99 per month depending on subscription length.
Ways to Get It: Directly available online via Duolingo's website or through its mobile apps on iOS and Android platforms.
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Duolingo is one of our top choices for Foreign language . It was created by Luis von Ahn . Duolingo is a app designed to help anyone learn a new language. Duolingo was created to make learning fun and universally accessible. They wanted to make language learning a comprehensive and personal experience.
Bon Voyage World Languages Academy is one of our top choices for Foreign Language. Bon Voyage World Languages Academy was created by Elizabeth Porter. It’s a linguistic and global citizenship education program for grades Pk-12, taught by certified native-proficient language teachers.
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For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.
Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.
I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.
I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.
During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.
I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.
In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.
My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.
My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.
I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.
In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.
I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.
And I love to learn!
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