Move aside, Rosetta Stone, there’s a better way to learn languages.
Duolingo launched in 2012, but it was not until this year that it became the premier language learning service. The free app is available on both iOS and Android and turns language learning languages into a competitive game. This was Duolingo’s model for years, but just last month it reached a milestone when it added a feature that lets users text in foreign languages with chatbots.
Up until now, chatbots have only served advertising purposes, and those have not been very successful. But Duolingo’s new feature takes chatbot technology and one of the essentials in learning a language and combines the two so people actually have the chance to speak their new language in simulated conversation. Users can only text with the bots right now, but that’s subject to change soon.
To give users the full experience of conversation, Duolingo has designed different bot characters. For example, there’s Chef Robert, Renée the Driver, and Officer Ada. They all respond as a real person would in their social role. Different characters occupying varied social roles gives users the full depth of what real conversation is like in a foreign language.
Right now, Duolingo users can only talk to the bots in French, Spanish and German. The company says it’s working on adding other languages soon. Unfortunately for Android users, the Duolingo bots currently are only available on the iOS version of the app.