Busuu vs Duolingo, best language learning app?

[d0v4hk1n]

Hi there Sbenny users,

I spent roughly 30 minutes each day for two weeks using both Duolingo and Busuu to study 4 languages: Japanese and Chinese (from a beginner level) and Russian and Spanish (from an intermediate level with the objective of achieving an expert level on both). Given that I've been an English teacher for almost 20 months, I'll also be considering which app best replaces the classroom.

The short answer is: Busuu wins. (Download link )

The long answer is:

Duolingo: (19 languages)

• Has separate tabs for alphabet in some languages (no option for Chinese). You can spend days learning a lot from studying each character and learning its pronunciation and some words that employ it to enrich your vocabulary at the same time. Unfortunately though, you'll have to be taking a lot of notes since it doesn't seem like you can reuse older lessons or quizzes. Once it's gone, it's gone for good.
• Has confusing progression that focuses on memory instead of actually teaching you anything substantial over what you're studying. There were many times where I wanted to ask myself why do I have to do it this way and not the other way? The app offered no answer.
• The app also does not employ any videos. It's mostly sounds (and not all of the highest quality) that make you often feel confused and lead you to make mistakes.
• The UI is good, no problems there.
• You'll enrich your vocabulary more but you'll have no idea where or how to use said words.
• Some features exclusive to desktop version (such as Grammar explanations)

Overall note if you're looking to learn Asian languages: 6/10, you'll learn the basics, but don't count on it to learn grammar.
Overall note if you're looking to learn Latin or Russian (assuming you're a Latin language native speaker), is about an 8/10.
Conclusion: Duolingo is good if you're looking to learn the basics of a language before travelling to a country.

Busuu: (12 languages)

• Busuu is on a whole other level. While it offers less languages it makes up for it by teaching you better. It not only progresses through actual lessons, it also offers you tips to make you understand why some things are the way they are or helps you by actually giving you both visual and audio examples. You'll also have dialogues between natives and you can even send your exercises to natives so that they may correct you if you made a mistake. Not only that, there are different options in learning each language.
• Busuu follows the CEFR levels language curriculum. This means that Busuu’s language courses are way more structured vs Duolingo.
• On Busuu, each lesson is broken down into several steps. First, they teach you new vocabulary. Then they show you how the word fits in a dialogue or a sentence and then they’ll have reading, listening or writing exercises to help you memorize it. But the biggest difference between Busuu vs Duolingo, is the fact that Busuu’s language learning content is applicable to real-life situations whereas Duolingo’s does not.
• The Busuu app, on the other hand, uses more complex, longer sentences vs Duolingo. This is very useful for learning how to join two sentences with conjunctions and helps you articulate better-constructed sentences for both writing and speaking.
• You will progress faster with Busuu.

Overall note for Asian languages: 8/10.
Overall note for Latin languages (or Russian): 9/10.
Conclusion: see the short answer (Busuu wins).

You can find the most recent MODDED premium version of Busuu right here.

 

[Mdl82]

Thanks for this. I don't like the changes that Duolingo made to their free version.

 

[dakih8]

Thank you, important infos!

 

[seferadn]

Duolingo

 

[urhexgirl]

Thanks for this! Duolingo has never helped me really so I’ve always given up.