No Urdu On Duolingo? Discover The 2 Best Alternatives For 2023

No Urdu On Duolingo

Urdu is definitely a language I’d love to learn! I’ve been looking for a place where I can learn at least a few words in this interesting language, and I can’t believe there is no Urdu on Duolingo. I wish to learn how to say at least a few introductory phrases, but I’ve had no luck finding any possibility for that.

I was very disappointed when finding out that there is No Urdu on Duolingo. So I decided to look into this a bit more. There is a better alternative that you can use, such as the Ling app, that will help you memorize vocabulary words while you’re on the go.

I heard that language learning apps can help me with that. So, I did some research and found out that Duolingo is one of the most popular in that field and decided to try it and see for myself if it is a really good tool the language learning. 

About the Urdu Language 

Where Is Urdu Spoken?

Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mostly in South Asia. It is the official national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. In India, Urdu is an Eighth Schedule language whose status, function, and cultural heritage are recognized by the Constitution of India. It has some form of official status in several Indian states.

Urdu has been described as a Persianised standard register of the Hindustani language. Urdu and Hindi share a common Indo-Aryan vocabulary base and very similar phonology and syntax, making them mutually intelligible in colloquial speech. Formal Urdu draws literary and technical vocabulary and some simple grammatical structures from Persian, whereas formal Hindi draws these from Sanskrit. 

Is It Difficult To Learn Urdu?

The learning curve is steeper than that of English but lower than that of Chinese or Arabic. According to the available data, it takes a minimum of 720 hours of dedicated study to reach a conversational level in Urdu. In addition, it takes a total of 1100 hours of work to become fluent in Urdu.

Duolingo Review

If you want to learn a new language quickly and easily, look no further than Duolingo. There are some excellent courses on Duolingo, but it might not be enough to get you to a native level in a language. Although Duolingo is helpful for beginners in learning the basics of a language, more is needed to achieve higher levels of proficiency. Moreover, there is currently no Urdu language course available on Duolingo.

Looking for Duolingo details? For more, check out “Massive Duolingo Review: 8 Efficient Duolingo Features.”

Why is there No Urdu on Duolingo?

That’s a mystery to me and to many people that are writing to Dualogo’s staff on forums. In my opinion, there’s a serious problem with Duo not respecting its own users enough to reply to their questions. That’s a big problem. I really don’t know what the criteria are while choosing which course it wants to let come into life. 

I mean, if there’s a valid reason why Duolingo won’t even start an Urdu incubator and yet do have Klingon and High Valyrian language lessons, I’d like to at least know it.

I recently read on one of the posts that the option for contributing was there, but apparently, the Duolingo team removed it. I have a friend who has also sent a request (a few times) and would be willing to contribute alongside other people. It shouldn’t be that difficult for Duolingo to organize, having in mind that Hindi is already available and Hindi and Urdu are really similar, and it’s mostly a matter of converting from the Hindi script to the Urdu script.

I wonder if Duolingo considers Hindi and Urdu the same language since, technically, Hindustani (Hindi+Urdu) is a single pluricentric language. Even native speakers of Hindi or Urdu agree that they have pretty much the same language, save for the writing system and religious-based preferences in formal speech (Urdu prefers Arabic words, Hindi prefers Sanskrit.) Personally, I would love to have a course for just Urdu and take the Hindi course separately because I love Urdu a lot, and I feel like it should be treated separately from the equally lovely but different Hindi.

What’s more, the Hindi tree is still very short. And there are many languages in the queue that are more requested than Urdu.

No Urdu on Duolingo What Are The Alternatives
What Are The Alternatives To Duolingo?

Ling

I am glad you asked. There is one very obvious recommendation that can be made here, and that is the Ling app. It uses native Urdu speakers to help you learn Urdu, just like it will sound in the country. 

The gamification of learning also makes the whole process much more engaging. You can see yourself progress as you make your way through the different topics and tests that come along with it.

Then there is the chatbot feature that simulates conversations and makes for great practicing of your Urdu language skills. For an introvert like me, it helps to build up my courage to eventually feel confident enough to use it when out and about.

While these mobile apps do share a common goal of making language learning fun and accessible, what sets Ling apart is the focus on practical vocabulary, sentences, and phrases that you will use in everyday speech. 

Simply Learn

This one is actually a part of the same family as Ling. Simply Learn Urdu is a phrasebook in app form, giving you all the benefits that come with that. You can listen to the words and phrases being spoken by native Urdu speakers, along with the Urdu and phonetic spellings of the words. 

It makes for a great companion both when practicing and when you are in Pakistan. It makes use of flashcards and the spaced repetition learning technique that is said to really improve language learning.

It may not be the top choice if you want a deep understanding of the language, but it helps you start out with pronunciation and basic grammar like word order. 

Other Resources To Learn Urdu

There are quite a few different apps and websites that work great with helping you to learn Urdu. Each one goes about its own way to replace the hole made by the lack of Tagalog in Duolingo. Ultimately, it is a case of finding which option works best for your case.

As we said before, it is good to make a language learning plan and mix things up if you are serious about learning Urdu. If you are just looking for a more casual experience to learn a few phrases before traveling, then apps like the Ling Urdu app might be the best option for you.

What Are The Chances Of Urdu Appearing In Duolingo?

It’s a fact that many people would like to see Urdu on Duolingo. However, as of now, the chances of having Urdu on Duolingo are slim.

Like in any other international service, Urdu is not a very common language to learn. The frequent answer to that situation is that Slovaks understand Czech, so they can use that language in conversation with foreigners.

However, there’s a great option to jumpstart your way of studying th Urdu language.

Ease Your Way In Learning Urdu With The Ling App

It is a shame that Duolingo doesn’t offer Urdu as an option.  However, this is a great opportunity for you to consider trying out some of the other options you can find on the market. While we highly recommend you try the Ling app, we understand that everyone has their own preferences. There are many great resources for learning Urdu available, so have a look around. Try some of them out, and you may just find your new favorite language-learning app.

The Ling app offers some lessons for free to let you try them out. Download the app on the Play Store or App Store today.

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