Redesigning Learning

How to improve User Experience for learning a language

Area of Opportunity

Duolingo is an app known to help people learn new languages daily as easy as only 5 minutes per day.

By completing a lesson every day, the app helps people to learn vocabulary in a new language easily.

But it lacks a key component for effective learning: Human Interaction.

Language learning goes beyond memorizing words—it requires social engagement, contextual understanding, and real conversations, which are limited in the current experience.

As a result, users lack opportunities to validate their understanding and may feel isolated throughout their learning journey.

How can this be accomplished?

In this project, I want to look into how can the learning gap of languages can be filled, by including human interaction and getting users to learn about different cultures to engage their learning.

Simply knowing vocabulary does not guarantee fluency and users might experience gaps in communication

Understanding a language requires understanding its meaning and the way it shapes the countries that use it

Since Duolingo has already tried to implement conversation AI boots, there can be a focus in changing this current feature

Prototypes

Users can still easily keep keep practicing to improve everyday

They keep advancing and unlock the speaking sessions which would improve their fluency

How would this look like?

These prototypes aim to look into ways that the learning gap could be filled.

Making passive learning to interactive

Speaking Sessions would focus on…

  • Practice understanding and meaning of new words

  • Ask questions any questions or clarify any confusions they might have

  • Receive reliable feedback on their speaking skills

After taking speaking sessions they will get a report of their progress and the things they might want to review for next speaking session

And lastly, they can learn about culture on different touristic countries that they might plan to visit

This feature equips travelers with essential cultural etiquette and practical norms before they arrive

How can this be integrated into their existing plans?

Since this would be a feature similar to what the current AI boots aim to do, Duolingo can start giving free trials to their users and then they can decide if they want to upgrade their plan or stay in their previous plan. 

  • 5 free trials on speaking sessions and leaning about culture units

  • Based on feedback of users, there can be adjustments to the types of culture Duolingo users wish to learn