Published
Aug 30, 2026 8:03 AM EDT
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For the last five months, I’ve had a daily date with a little green owl. It cheers me on when I finish a language lesson and sends passive-aggressive reminders when I put it off.
A few months in, I was thrilled to realize I could follow bits of a German conversation I happened to overhear. But I still wondered: If I keep using this app, will I actually be able to understand entire conversations and express myself clearly? So I asked some experts.
Apps like Duolingo and Babbel, which break a language into a sequence of bite-size, gamified lessons, have several strengths, says Dr. Luke Plonsky, a professor of applied linguistics at Northern Arizona University. They combine audio, written text, and visuals, which helps learners connect how new words look, sound, and what they mean.
They also enable something called “spaced practice”—going back to what you’ve learned several times over a longer period. Several studies show this leads to better memory of the new material than cramming.
For example, if students spend 30 minutes learning vocabulary, they remember the words longer if they break that into three 10‑minute sessions spread over several days or weeks, instead of doing all 30 minutes at once.
In fact, “language apps tend to do a good job with vocabulary, short phrases, and other concrete material that benefits from repetition and memorization,” says Dr. Gillian Lord, a professor of Hispanic linguistics at the University of Florida.
Researchers at Duolingo published a peer‑reviewed study claiming that finishing certain parts of their French and Spanish courses gives learners reading and listening skills similar to those of students who have taken four university semesters—and in much less time. But it’s important to note this study didn’t compare speaking or writing ability.
On the practical side, apps are often free and “very convenient since they’re on our phones and can be accessed 24/7,” Plonsky says.
Another strong point is their emotional appeal. “Duolingo’s character Lily [a teenager known for her sarcastic comments] is funny. The Owl is charming. The sounds and haptics are pleasing and rewarding. And the apps are gamified by features like streaks and hearts, which motivate us to keep going,” Plonsky explains. Starting a new language can feel intimidating, and—by making the process more playful—these apps lower the barrier to entry, says Lord.
Dr. Daniel Isbell, an associate professor in the Department of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, points out how these apps help make learning a habit by sending reminders and using gamified elements like experience points (also known as XP, points you earn when you finish a lesson) or streaks (number of days in a row in which you’ve completed lessons). That consistency matters because language learning is “more of a marathon than a sprint,” and it can take several thousand hours to reach high proficiency, he says.
The bad news for language app learners like me is that an app alone may not equip you with the skills you need for real-life communication.
“Even when they incorporate speaking practice, it is usually highly controlled—repeat this phrase, pronounce this word, give the expected answer,” says Lord. “Someone can perform quite successfully in an app and still be entirely unprepared for a real, unscripted conversation!”
