Learning languages has never been more fun, but as things stand, there is no Lao on Duolingo. Unfortunately, the little brother of Southeast Asia has found itself marginalized by the language learning app giant. Today we’re going to look at why that might be and what alternatives you could use.
Why Should You Learn Lao?
History
The country of Laos is steeped in history. In many ways, the ancient history is just as fascinating as the modern history. Fossils have been found dating back 50,000 years, painting a fluid picture of human migration you don’t see in many other places in the world.
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The amount of kingdoms that have dominated Laos at one time or another is astounding and includes the Funan, Champa, Chenla, Khmer, Dvaravati, Lan Xang, and Siam, each leaving its mark on the region. Any student of archaeology or history needs to visit the country and learn the language.
Business And Economics
Much is made of China’s economic miracle, but little is said of how this has affected Lao’s economy. As discussed in a previous blog post transportation in Lao, there are several giant infrastructure projects(with the support of the Chinese government) bidding to bring this once reclusive jungle kingdom into the 21st century.
The new railway line is expected to double tourists from China from 800,000 to 1.6million. Just think how many investment opportunities there are when the amount of tourists is going to grow so exponentially.
Laos grew at 6-7% a year through the 2010s, but that pace has not held. The World Bank puts real GDP growth at 4.1% in 2024, with public debt at roughly 99% of GDP, and expects growth of about 4% as tourism, energy and mining recover. According to the Bangkok Post, yearly Lao exports to China are valued at $1.7 billion.
Transferability
To learn Thai is remarkably similar to learning Lao (something akin to the relationship between Dutch and German). When you learn Lao, you’re not just learning one language; you’re learning Thai as well as Shan.
Lao is also a tonal language much the same as Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese. Although the Lao tones are different, it allows you to get used to a language that otherwise seems daunting. This is particularly prescient for any investors looking to expand into the booming Asian market. Speaking 1 or multiple languages is vital.
The Lao People
The Colonial French had a saying: “The Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians watch the rice grow, the Lao listen to the rice grow.”
This is another way of saying that Lao people are more spiritual and laid back(something that’d make sense given its relationship with Theravada Buddhism). Career and capitalism come very much second to family and community. The Lao people didn’t have to break their backs and fight disputes with neighbors because of the country’s sheer size in relation to its population. 237,955 km² with a population of 7.87 million.
Compare that with Vietnam that has a size of 331,212 km² and a population of 102 million.
Why Is There No Lao On Duolingo?
- Duolingo would have to input the Lao script, which is a massive undertaking. Google’s machine learning algorithm has a version of the Lao alphabet, but I’ve found it contains some bugs when I’ve personally used it.
- Its neighbors, particularly China, dwarf Lao. Interestingly, there’s also no Thai on Duolingo either, which is surprising since Thailand has a population of 70million.
- Online courses are expensive to make, and finding content creators in Laos is difficult, especially from a headquarters in Pennsylvania. Note: This is why we feel Ling has done such an excellent job with Lao because our headquarters is just over the border in Chiang Mai.
- In recent years Duolingo has focused on the following two languages: Navajo and Hawaiian because they are currently going extinct. Something more widely spoken like Lao is not at the front of their mind yet.
What Are The Alternatives To Duolingo?
For me, YouTube is always a good way to learn languages, especially if the content is high quality and the delivery style is good. The best free Lao content comes from the Vanida WP channel on YouTube.
Whenever I’m learning a language, I always take a multi-faceted approach, so here are the apps worth putting alongside each other.
uTalk
uTalk is one of the few apps that covers Lao at all. It is vocabulary-first and practical, working through beginner topics like first words, food and drink, colours, numbers, parts of the body, telling the time and shopping, all recorded by native speakers. Think of it as a phrasebook you can drill rather than a full course.
That makes it a good companion for a trip to Laos, but you will still want something that teaches you the script and how sentences fit together.
HelloTalk
HelloTalk is a language exchange app rather than a course. It matches you with native speakers so you can practise by text, voice or video, and its Moments feed and voice rooms let you see how Lao is actually used day to day rather than how a textbook says it should be.
It is the fastest way to get real Lao input, though you are relying on other people’s time, so it works best once you have enough vocabulary to hold up your end of a conversation.
Learn Lao With Ling
Ling has a complete course on the Lao language, including writing practice to learn the script, basic grammar that won’t overwhelm you, and tips on how to read Lao.
There are 50 units with four lessons in each unit. Not forgetting our Chatbot feature that allows you to practice your speaking with an A.I companion
For English speakers like me, you can learn from your native language, or if you want a real challenge, you can learn an L3 from an L2. There are over 60 other languages.
The best thing about Ling is the gamification elements of the platform. In the past, I tried audio CDs, weekly lessons with a tutor, and news articles, and I couldn’t make the gains stick. There is something different about learning when you’re comparing yourself to other people, as well as your past self.
Ling is the only player in town in terms of quality language learning apps currently on the market. We also have a weekly updated Lao blog that covers everything from Lao names and nicknames to happy birthday in Lao
No Lao On Duolingo: Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is There No Lao On Duolingo?
Duolingo would have to build support for the Lao script first, which is a large undertaking. Lao is also dwarfed by its neighbours in market size, Duolingo has no Thai course either, and finding Lao content creators from a headquarters in Pennsylvania is difficult. Duolingo has also put effort into endangered languages such as Navajo and Hawaiian rather than more widely spoken ones like Lao.
What Is The Best Alternative To Duolingo For Learning Lao?
Ling has a complete Lao course with 50 units of four lessons each, writing practice for the script, basic grammar, and a chatbot for speaking practice. uTalk is worth adding for practical travel vocabulary, HelloTalk for practising with native speakers, and the Vanida WP channel on YouTube is the strongest free Lao content.
Does Learning Lao Help You Learn Thai?
Yes. Lao and Thai are remarkably similar, roughly the way Dutch and German are, so learning Lao gives you a head start on Thai and Shan as well. Lao is also tonal, like Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese, so it eases you into tones.
Duolingo may never get around to Lao, but you do not have to wait for it. Ling has the complete course, the script practice, and a chatbot you can talk to whenever you like.
Come over, join us on the website and start learning Lao language today.
