[abhaynayar]

Finally a good critique of Duolingo, couldn't have written it better myself. A fresh take separate from the cliche everywhere on the internet that you can't learn an entire language on Duolingo itself which I've heard a thousand times at this point. (Currently "learning" French on it, but going to quit cause have been guilty of cheat-streaking myself).

Yes, the social aspect is trash. The "path" is trash. The leagues/incentives don't make sense. It's just a bad app. This blog made me realize that it could possibly be better in concrete terms. And without even going against their bottom-line. Like, it could still be gamified and what-not, but BETTER. But it isn't. It is just a poor design. YES, language-learning takes effort and many different sources, and YES Duolingo-like apps can only hope to be like a SNACK, but they could still be much better, ugh.

[agnishom]

Yes, indeed most of the top level comments on this post seem to be repeating this cliche. They are not wrong, but this doesn't mean there aren't interesting (even if negative) things to say about Duolingo.

It feels like this: Suppose I write a detailed critique of phone cameras, and everyone says "Well, professional photographers would be using a DSLR anyway"

[abhaynayar]

Actually, I take back quitting French. I will keep consuming it like a snack, with perhaps short (or long) bursts of more than a snack intensity in between, when I get the time/motivation. But would also ideally like to join a language-class when I get time.