C'est Magnifique: Learning A Different Language Just Got Easier With Duolingo

The highly-rated language-learning app Duolingo has received another significant update. The latest update to Duolingo, which my colleague Lory noted as being an app that "makes learning a different language fun," makes learning a different language even more fun and easier to boot. Beginning with the new version of Duolingo, short explanations will now appear every time you come across a tricky language concept. For example, just a while ago I incorrectly answered with "le femme" instead of "la femme." Duolingo then urged me to pay attention to the gender and explained that:

In French, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. The articles le and un are used with masculine nouns, whereas la and une are used with feminine nouns.

Got it, Duolingo. Now if only I could be reminded of how to pronounce all of those hard-to-pronounce French words that I keep encountering. Well, as it happens, the new Duolingo update also adds the ability to tap a word to hear its pronunciation. Sacrebleu! Oops, pardon my French. I mean, sweet! Furthermore, the update brings a new exercise type. In this new type, you're asked to tap on the photo that matches the given word, thereby strengthening your visual connection with the language you're learning. Moreover, the update adds a secret award for finishing the whole skill tree. Hmmm, I wonder what that is … Optimized for iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 5.0 or later, Duolingo is available in the App Store for free. Note that Duolingo offers lessons in English, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, in addition to lessons in French, which I'm currently studying. Merci beaucoup, Duolingo! [gallery link="file" order="DESC"]

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