The core value of Duolingo, the world's leading language learning platform, is that it offers completely free courses in more than 40 languages. Developed by the team of Luis von Ahn, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, the platform is based on the concept of "democratizing education" and eliminates the cost barrier of traditional language learning through technological innovation. The free version covers all courses from mainstream languages such as English and Spanish to endangered languages such as Navajo, and only generates revenue through advertisements. Compared to paid software such as Rosetta Stone, Duolingo realizes the feature of zero cost for the same teaching effect, and the data of 2021 shows that its monthly active users have exceeded 500 million, which verifies the feasibility of the free model.
The platform guarantees the quality of the free service through the following mechanisms: adopting an AI-driven dynamic difficulty adjustment system to automatically generate personalized exercises for learners of different levels; continuously optimizing the design of the courses through the big data of user behaviors; and collaborating with language experts to develop CEFR-compliant courses. These technological innovations enable the free service to maintain the teaching quality of commercial language software, which is especially suitable for students with limited financial conditions.
This answer comes from the articleDuolingo: an interactive tool for learning more than 40 languages for freeThe
