Duolingo
Bridging Language and Culture
An experience strategy project connecting personal interests, culture, real-world media, native speakers, and practice.
Language learning doesn't only occur through structured textbook techniques but also through conversing with natives, watching videos, and repetitive exposure to vocabulary. We aim to explore new ways of learning that can enhance the Duolingo experience.
Traditional language learning is strong in structure and repetition, but often lacks real cultural context and engaging content, making long-term immersion difficult. A new learning experience was needed—one that linked the learner’s interests with real content.
- —5-week project with a team of five designers
- —Led experience strategy, high-fidelity prototypes, and UI/UX design
- —Proposed a direction that linked language learning with cultural experiences
Diverse way of learning language
Language learning doesn't only occur through structured textbook techniques but also through conversing with natives, watching videos, and repetitive exposure to vocabulary. We aim to explore new ways of learning that can enhance the Duolingo experience.
Learn with a language partner
Learn vocabulary quickly with visuals
Video based learning from native speakers, offline access
Focus on learning through immersion, never using your native language
motivation & guidance, having a community
vocabulary learning through story and repetition of words
video based learning from experts
on the go and real time translation
- —What’s your feelings about learning a new language?
- —What were the reasons you started to learn a new language?
- —What methods do you think worked the best for you? Why?
- —Is there anything that didn’t work?
- —What keeps you motivated in a long term?
- —Do you have any memories you’d like to share about this?
Language learning gets boring without context
We conducted interviews with 12 individuals who are currently learning or have learned various languages through Duolingo or other language learning tools and discontinued using those for specific reasons. The main takeaways were: everyone has their unique motivation and reasons for starting to learn new languages; Duolingo doesn't effectively address the varying starting levels of learners; cultural context enhances the learning experience for vocabulary and phrases; learning is more effective when there is a strong necessity; immediate or positive feedback serves as a motivation to learn more; and a disconnection is observed between listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Hobby/ interest · Different starting
Necessity · Social aspect · Cultural context
Feedback · Use the language · Hands on experience
Gets boring · Disconnection: 4 pillars · Lack of exposure
Contents that were not tailored to their interests or levels caused them to lose motivation easily.
The practicing methods provided by Duolingo, such as following along with pronunciation or reading sentences, were insufficient for developing the language skills they desired.
They wanted to learn vernacular words and phrases used by native speakers, but Duolingo primarily provided textbook-like contents.
Key insights
People tend to learn and remember a new language more effectively when they have more exposure to it in a real world setting and opportunities to practise it by speaking. There is scope for including social media, interaction with native speakers, local news and AI as part of learning content.
Customized selection during onboarding to tailor users' interests to the learning content.
Users become more engaged as they learn and practice within content that aligns with their interests.
They begin with an AI chatbot and gradually become independent of the app as they practice more.
Media provides real-life examples and aids understanding of the cultural elements behind the words.
How might we afford language learners easy access to target language’s multimedia content in order to retain more of the language?
Find your interests
Capture learner interests during onboarding and use them to shape personalized content throughout the learning experience.
Captures Interest for our AI
Personalized content based on learner interests
Media Content within course
Users learn from content within the app, which is community-based, bringing media directly into the course experience.
Learn from native speaker
Use native-speaker media to expose learners to vernacular expressions and the cultural context behind the language.
Dictionary helps learning even better
While learning, users can save words in their personal dictionary, which will be used during the practicing stage.
Practice with AI chatbot
In the practicing stage, users can start by practicing with a chatbot and later progress to conversations with actual people.
Completing the learning cycle
Our new Duolingo goes through a cycle of stages: onboarding, learning, and practicing. During the onboarding stage, Duolingo will ask questions about interests, and based on these interests and AI, it will create personalized content to assist in the learning and practicing stages. Users will learn from the content within the app, which is community-based. While learning, users can save words in their personal dictionary, which will be used during the practicing stage. In the practicing stage, users can start by practicing with a chatbot and later progress to conversations with actual people.
Captures Interest for our AI
Personalized content
From content · Community based · In the app
Save words and phrases from learning
Start from chatbot and later move on to chat with actual people
- —Viewing language as a part of culture and giving language learning a context, making it easier to remember new words
- —Create fun and engaging language learning experience starts from individuals’ interest
- —Give Duolingo users the ability to practice what they’ve learned
- —Create learning and practice loop cycle with social media contents that gives cultural touch on words and phrase
- —Users experience more tailored language learning contents
- —Have more enhanced understanding of the cultural meaning behind the language
The proposed experience captures interests during onboarding, serves personalized content, saves language to a personal dictionary, and moves practice from an AI chatbot toward conversations with actual people.
Connected interest, learning, and practice into one continuous language-learning cycle.