Research Shows Duolingo Teaches 5+ University Semesters
January 20, 2023
Keep going! Doing more lessons leads to better learning
New research shows completing intermediate content has incredible benefits!
Language learning is all about sticking with it! It takes a long time to build up proficiency in a new language, so it's important to develop good study habits and stay motivated.
How much can you learn by sticking with your Duolingo lessons? A lot! Previous research showed that our Spanish and French courses effectively teach beginner reading and listening skills, so our next project tested how much more beginners could learn if they stuck with their lessons and completed intermediate content, too.
Our new study shows great results for learning:
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Learners who completed the first sections of our intermediate content had reading and listening scores comparable to 5 semesters of university classes!
- Who were the learners? We tested 273 learners in our Spanish course for English speakers who hadn't already studied Spanish and who only used Duolingo to learn the language.
- Where were they in the course? We compared learners at the end of the A2 content with learners who completed half of the B1 content. These levels are from the international language standard that Duolingo uses to design our courses (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR).
- How did we test them? Learners took an independent language assessment to test their reading and listening abilities, and we compared the scores of learners after the A2 content and halfway through the B1 content.
- How did they do? After completing the A2 content, learners' scores were comparable to 4 semesters of university language classes, and after half of the B1 content, their scores were comparable to 5 semesters!
These findings provide strong evidence that finishing more course sections leads to significantly higher proficiency in reading and listening! With these results, our learners can be confident that if they keep moving forward in their course, their skills will keep improving. So remember to stick with it! 💪
TAGS
Research
Language
Learning
Efficacy
Motivation
Spanish
Reading
Listening