Why you should read Duolingo's blog
It’s not only the place for language nerds but also a masterclass in branding
As a language learner with an 1112-day streak on Duolingo (not to brag or anything…), I was surprised to only recently discover its blog. This site is a hidden gem packed with interesting information that will complement your language-learning journey. But beyond that, it’s also a great example of how brand-building doesn’t have to be boring and promotional but fun, informative and inspiring. Here’s why:
It gives the behind-the-scene looks at Duolingo’s innovation
Having used Duolingo for a long time, I knew AI was a big part of the learning experience but never understood the science behind it. Then Duolingo Max was rolled out in early 2023 and after a vicious cycle of being fleetingly hooked by the ads during my daily practice but forgetting about it the moment my lesson ended, I finally tried this new AI-powered feature last week.
Duolingo Max comes with two AI features: Roleplay, which allows you to talk to Duolingo’s characters in specific scenarios, and Explain My Answers, which gives you analysis of your answers in lessons. It is basically ChatGPT for language learning, but the characterisation and gamification make the learning process much more enjoyable. Still, I didn’t know how these features worked until I stumbled upon Duo’s blog:
introducing duolingo max, a learning experience powered by gpt-4
at duolingo, humans and AI work together to create a high-quality learning experience
If you are curious about AI integration in language teaching, these posts are a great place to start. From breaking down the functionalities to addressing some common concerns, such as whether there is human oversight for the AI-generated content, the posts introduce you to the behind-the-scene of their features. Beyond AI, the blog also serves as a platform to announce Duolingo’s new features and initiatives, but unlike how it feels openly promotional in many corporate blogs, Duolingo maintains an educational and engaging voice that makes it a joy to read.
A platform to reinforce its well-known ambition
If you have ever used Duolingo, you probably have seen one of the loading screens with the well-known statement: “Our mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available”.
At first glance, you’d probably raise an eyebrow. How do you even define and become “the best”? But maybe that’s exactly the point - setting an ambitious goal holds you accountable and prompts continuous innovation. Of course, your services need to sufficiently back up that claim, and so far, Duolingo does live up to its ambition, offering free language courses (with opt-in paid features) with continuous improvements and course updates. Reading their blog, I certainly feel the presence of this ambition. In a way, there’s something nice about seeing a company trying to achieve universal quality education - although we also need to acknowledge the less shiny aspects that don’t get discussed as much, such as the company’s layoffs.
It’s accessible, fun and surprisingly addictive
Another thing I like about the blog is that I just have a really nice time reading it. Unlike many other blogs, it doesn’t feel overly promotional and is superficially engaging. As a language enthusiast, you cannot help but fall into a rabbit hole. Come into the blog and you see interesting posts from “do some languages have 10 words for snow?” to “interesting engineering problems you could only solve at duolingo”, accompanied by great UI/UX design (I especially take a liking to their illustrations). But the best part is the content - cheerful, easy to understand and full of content that sparks your curiosity. Through the blog, Duolingo isn’t just feeding information but also inspiring people to learn languages.
Conclusion
Reading Duolingo’s blog gives me a new appreciation for the app as a language learner and app user. More than just a “side hustle”, the blog is a platform to give insights into the company and its ambition as well as an enjoyable place to learn. It captures the same fun, accessible and educational spirit that makes Duolingo so popular. It’s well worth a read.
Cover image: appshunter.io