Interested to learn a new language and seeing your skills progress in an instant? In today’s post, we will walk you through our personal take on Tandem vs Duolingo, as these two apps are considered some of the best ones out there. When it comes to foreign language learning, there is no limit to the number of other platforms that you can use. However, there are particular reasons why these two apps remain to be the “kings” in the industry, and we will elaborate on all that today. If you are up for that, then let’s dive right into it.
May it be for professional or personal reasons, learning a language is deemed as a necessity, especially in today’s globally connected world. Gone are the days when foreigners could simply interact with you when they visit a country. Today, you can meet tons of people online and even work with them virtually, which is why learning their language can significantly help you out. Think of it this way: having mastery of a new language significantly widens your chances of connecting with others on a whole new level and will help you learn how to appreciate the world around you better.
Now if you’ve got a target language in mind or you are still searching for the best type of language that suits you, we’ve got exciting news for you. You see, you do not really have to pay much to have access to expensive language courses or textbooks. Today, you can simply download the free version of several language learning apps ad get the best type of help for the languages you are trying to learn. May it be Spanish, German, Turkish, or even French, there are platforms that can help you out. Presently, two of the most promising ones out there are Tandem and Duolingo.
Tandem is an application that has a focus on language exchange (where a native speaker can be matched up with other users) and developing confidence in speaking and writing. It has been around since 2014, and its fun community of language enthusiasts is just growing by the day. Through their platform, you can practice and hone your listening, reading, and writing skills in over 300+ languages!
On the other hand, Duolingo is a popular choice for many beginners. It has tons of lessons available for free, and it has a gamified feature in introducing topics and testing your language skills. It was launched in 2011, and it continues to be one of the top mobile apps that you can find in the Google Playstore and Apple Appstore. Through this, you are guaranteed to learn new words and have some idea of the basic grammar rules (depending on the language you are learning).
Could these two apps really be the best? Let’s find out in the section below.
Tandem Vs Duolingo: Which One Is The Best Language App For You?
Allow us to be blunt: There is no best app between the two. You see, you cannot really compare these apps right away since it depends on what type of learner you are. For instance, there are those who learn better when they are actually speaking with someone who truly knows the language. There are also some who learn better by drilling and teaching themselves. If any of those resonates with you, then you can simply choose between the two depending on your goal and learning style:
- Tandem = Best for language learners who are interested to learn how to speak confidently with a native speaker and learning vocabulary and expressions through talk. If you want to connect better, clarify information, and have someone explain to you certain grammatical points, then Tandem is absolutely the website for you.
- Duolingo = Best for those who learn better through games and immersion with the target language. Since it does not have interaction with real people, one drawback of using this app is that the information you will get here may not be as updated as those you can find with other platforms.
When comparing Duolingo vs Tandem, one category you might be thinking about is the foreign language courses offered by the apps. Fortunately, these platforms both offer a wide variety of languages and has even unique fandom/media-based languages in store for you. Their languages are much wider than what Rosetta Stone or Babbel can provide you.
Tandem: Perfect For Meeting Native Speakers
Fancy meeting native speakers and achieving fluency in your target language? No one can deny that practice can literally make your skills perfect, and one way to do that is by speaking directly with a native speaker. By actively putting yourself out there and allowing yourself to feel the pressure, you can see an improvement in how attentive you will be and how fast you can think about the right words to fill the void.
Fortunately, there are tons of language exchange programs, both offline and online. However, with the height of COVID-19, we think that interacting using Tandem is a much safer choice. Here, you can simply connect with anyone and start teaching them about your language while learning from them. Tandem also has a free and premium version ($2.92/month), but you do not need to purchase the premium version since their free one is pretty much packed with features already.
You can also purchase lessons with an actual language tutor, and this feature will somewhat remind you of how Preply and Italki works. However, the bulk of what you will use from this app is the chat feature where you can interact with as many people as you want.
Duolingo: An All-In-One App For Language Learning
Duolingo has always been one of the most raved-around platforms since it is available for free, and it has a cute owl mascot that almost everyone can easily recognize. What makes it interesting is that it doesn’t have a tutor section or a language exchange feature like Tandem, but it does have games, quizzes, and flashcards which are guaranteed to help you learn something new every day. Each language lesson also comes with an example which is totally great for beginners and intermediate learners.
There’s also a pro version for Duolingo, which is called Duolingo Plus. The premium version paves the way for you to start learning without ads and unlock mastery quizzes which can help in estimating how much you really learned. At present, Duolingo has 94+ languages under its belt, but it does have an incubator program where you can see that numerous languages will be made available soon.
Wrapping Up
As we reach this point of the post, we hope that you were able to identify what services you can get from these two amazing applications. As we have stated before, it is truly up to you to decide which one will fit your needs and are perfect for your language learning style. If you enjoyed this post and figured you want to discover other websites and applications for learning, then be sure to read our previous posts here.
Additionally, don’t forget to check out the Ling App by Simya Solutions. This language learning app is built to help learners like you discover a fun and motivating way to master over 60+ foreign languages. With its flexible platform (which you can access wide the site or from your mobile device), you can easily access high-quality resources. From lessons, videos, quizzes, and games, we got you covered. Joining our growing community of Ling learners today!