Duolingo vs. Busuu (Which app should YOU use??)

Summary

In this video, Genevieve compares Duolingo and Busuu, two popular language learning apps, focusing on three key factors: how well they teach a language, their engagement levels, and their value for money. Duolingo offers a gamified experience with fun, light lessons but lacks real-world application. Busuu, on the other hand, provides practical phrases and allows interaction with native speakers, making it a better option for serious learners. While both have free versions, Busuu's premium features offer more flexibility and community engagement. Genevieve also shares tips for maximizing language retention, like speaking out loud and avoiding rushing through lessons.

Takeaways

• 😀 Duolingo offers a gamified language learning experience with points, badges, and leagues to keep users engaged.
• 😀 Busuu focuses on teaching useful, real-life conversation phrases, making it more practical for actual communication.
• 😀 Duolingo's lessons are often dry, with phrases like 'I have a hat' and 'My horse has a hat,' which may feel less relevant for real conversations.
• 😀 Busuu allows you to get feedback from native speakers, adding a motivational element to your learning experience.
• 😀 Duolingo is ideal for casual learners looking for a fun way to practice language basics through game-like elements.
• 😀 Busuu offers more flexibility in its lessons, allowing users to choose what they want to study next, unlike Duolingo which requires lesson completion to progress.
• 😀 Duolingo is a free app, making it accessible to all, but the quality of language material is not as strong as Busuu.
• 😀 Busuu’s free version offers better quality content and allows you to unlock lessons immediately, while Duolingo locks lessons behind progress.
• 😀 The paid versions of both apps provide additional features, but Busuu Premium stands out with its native speaker feedback and structured study plan.
• 😀 Busuu Premium helps learners stay motivated and on track by providing a personalized study plan and native speaker interactions.
• 😀 Duolingo Plus removes ads and offers unlimited hearts but does not provide as much flexibility or community interaction as Busuu Premium.

Q & A

How does Duolingo approach language learning, according to the script?

Duolingo teaches basic phrases and random words, but its delivery can sometimes feel dry and disconnected from real-world conversations. Examples like 'I have a hat' or 'My horse has a hat' illustrate this approach.

What makes Busuu’s language learning approach stand out from Duolingo?

Busuu focuses on teaching practical phrases that are useful for real conversations with people, not just robotic examples or irrelevant scenarios like Duolingo's horse and hat phrases.

What feature of Duolingo makes it appealing to users who enjoy gaming?

Duolingo incorporates gamification by giving users points, leagues, and badges, making learning fun and motivating learners to continue using the app.

How does Busuu engage learners differently from Duolingo?

Busuu allows learners to receive feedback from native speakers after completing lessons, offering a more meaningful connection and a sense of progress, which is motivating in a different way than Duolingo’s gamified experience.

How do Duolingo and Busuu compare in terms of free access to lessons?

Duolingo offers more languages for free, but Busuu provides better quality lesson material. Additionally, in Busuu, all lessons are unlocked immediately, while Duolingo requires completing previous lessons to unlock the next one.

What are the advantages of Duolingo’s paid version (Duolingo Plus)?

Duolingo Plus removes ads and offers unlimited hearts, which means users aren’t penalized for mistakes, allowing them to continue learning without interruptions.

Why does Genevieve prefer Busuu’s premium version over Duolingo Plus?

Genevieve prefers Busuu Premium because it includes the ability to connect with native speakers, offers a study plan, and focuses on real-world language learning, which she believes is more valuable than Duolingo’s focus on avoiding mistakes.

What is Genevieve’s opinion on Duolingo's approach to penalizing mistakes?

Genevieve feels that penalizing mistakes isn’t helpful for language learners, as making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process and shouldn’t be discouraged.

What types of learners might prefer Duolingo over Busuu?

Learners who enjoy gamification and want to casually build vocabulary through fun, game-like features might prefer Duolingo over Busuu.

What language learning tips does Genevieve suggest to improve retention?

Genevieve suggests speaking out loud whenever possible, avoiding looking at multiple-choice answers to encourage recall, and taking time to thoroughly learn the material instead of rushing through lessons.