Duolingo Review: Arabic Lessons

If you haven't already heard of Duolingo, we'd be pretty surprised. This language-learning platform has gained tons of popularity and notoriety on social media for the cute little owl that sends you reminders to pick up on your language-learning journey. Duolingo is a program that offers an impressive gamified approach to learning Arabic (among 40+ other languages on its roster). Duolingo has become a go-to resource for numerous language learners, establishing itself as a widely recognized and free alternative to established companies.

Easy to get started

Getting started on Duolingo is simple. You can join 100% for free and start learning right away. All you need to do is pick the language of your choice. Duolingo will start by asking you questions about why you're learning Arabic, what your current level of understanding is, and how many minutes per day you want to spend on your Arabic lessons. Without even needing to sign up for anything, you'll be sent right to your first lesson.

Free trial offers alphabet and vocab

We found during the trial lesson that Duolingo focuses on understanding the Al-abjadiyah alphabet as much as getting you started with your vocab. You can see your progress through the lesson through the helpful top bar that slowly turns green as you answer questions. Anything you don't answer correctly will be returned briefly for a repeat question. The most important feature of the lessons (especially if you're on the free plan) is the hearts. If you make mistakes, you lose hearts. Once you run out (you start with 5 of them), you aren't able to learn any more until they refill. This can be frustrating if you want to keep learning for a long time, but can also help you really focus on learning the words and alphabet characters right away.

Complex listening lessons with gamified fun

As a platform, Duolingo is based on a gamified approach. The goal is to make learning fun with game-like penalties if you make too many mistakes. The program focuses on Modern Standard Arabic, and there is some impressive complexity to the lessons too. In the alphabet lessons, you need to pay close attention to discern various sounds and understand how characters and symbols impact pronunciation. For instance, it introduces symbols with long and short vowel sounds requiring you to listen carefully for the right answer.

Free use or $6.99 per month

Duolingo offers a subscription at a monthly cost of $6.99, and you have the option to explore premium features during a complimentary 14-day trial before committing to the subscription. However, you do need to remember to cancel the premium membership once the trial is over or you'll be charged. Otherwise, you can use the platform entirely for free without ever paying a dime. The benefits of Super Duolingo Include unlimited replays (meaning you won't run out of hearts when you make mistakes) and access to extra practice tools that can help you really nail down some of the tougher parts of the Arabic lessons. Also, Duolingo recently rolled out a Super Duolingo Family Plan that lets you add multiple people to one paid subscription, but they can be literally anyone you'd like to include (friends, roommates). We had a hard time pinning down the price on that, or even finding where to sign up, but our research indicates that you can probably expect to pay $9.99/month for up to 5 users.

Progression requires self-discipline and outside help

Now, one of the downsides of Duolingo is that progressing through a language (to fluency) isn't as easy here as with other companies on our list. While the gamified approach is fun and engaging, it has received criticism as being "too addicting" and taking students away from more helpful learning methods. In the end, Duolingo offers lesson plans, but to actually take away language skills from the experience, you have to be very intentional with your learning. Taking notes, practicing outside of Duolingo, and keeping track of grammar on your own are going to be important if you want to succeed in a language as complex as Arabic. Duolingo offers some great features, but without a dedicated focus on grammar, a complex language like Arabic can become much more difficult to learn for someone who isn't supplementing Duolingo with other learning methods.

No refund policy

According to Duolingo, none of the purchases are refundable. So if you don't pay attention to your 14-day free trial, you'll be immediately signed up. Sometimes this comes as a yearly charge despite being listed in monthly increments on the website. Duolingo is a site where you want to keep a careful eye on the timing if you choose to subscribe (or want to quit).

Mixed reviews raise some flags

In terms of reputation, Duolingo has feedback on both ends of the spectrum. According to the Better Business Bureau, Duolingo holds the lowest "F" rating. There have been 128 different complaints on the BBB in the last 3 years. However, if you check out the app stores where you can download Duolingo, it's a completely different story. On both the Google Play store and the Apple Store, Duolingo holds a 4.7-star rating. Duolingo also won the Editors Choice award on the Apple Store. Reviewers say that they're seeing improvement in their languages of choice and that the program is "fun". Many customers also noted that this app is best for "getting your feet wet" with a new language rather than expecting to learn the whole thing from Duolingo.

Best as an introductory course

At the end of the day, Duolingo is a fun way to engage with Arabic, but it may not be the best option out there. Some customers noted that this app is best for getting started or "testing the waters" of a new language rather than relying on it to teach you from beginner to advanced level. However, with impressive pricing and a fun platform, Duolingo remains a fan favorite with students who download it. Since you can use it totally for free, it's definitely worth a download even as a supplement to other learning programs. For this reason, it gets a solid rating in our review of Arabic lessons.

On the Duolingo website