Chances are if you‘ve wanted to pick up a second language lately, you‘ve heard about the popular language learning app Duolingo. With over 300 million total registered users as of 2022, Duolingo makes learning new vocabulary, grammar concepts, and pronunciation into a fun daily habit powered by machine learning.
Unlike traditional classroom curriculum, Duolingo uses spaced repetition algorithms to serve personalized lessons that reinforce material right as you‘re about to forget it. This mastery-based progression focused on active recall has proven remarkably sticky – with 37 million monthly active users spending an average of between 5 to 15+ hours learning on the platform each month.
But life has a habit of getting in the way on the road to fluency. Missed lesson reminders quickly stack into failed streaks. BuzzFeed even poked fun at Duolingo‘s notoriously persistent mascot owl named Duo who tries to guilt trip you into keeping your streak alive. Burnout inevitably sets in for many who fall off track.
If this sounds like you, take heart. Duolingo offers tools for removing a chosen language course entirely or wiping your progress slate clean to start lessons fresh from scratch again. Here‘s a comprehensive guide to painlessly deleting and restarting languages using Duolingo‘s mobile app.
Step-By-Step Guide to Removing a Duolingo Language
Due to functionality limitations currently, removing a language is only possible on Duolingo‘s mobile app, not desktop site. Here‘s how to do it in 6 easy steps:
- Launch the Duolingo app on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. Log into your profile if not already opened.
- Tap on your account avatar icon in the bottom navigation bar. This opens up your user profile and settings.
- Scroll down and tap the "Settings" gear icon.
- Choose "Courses" from the menu list under Account.
- Locate the language you want to delete. Tap the "More" three dots icon.
- Confirm removal by tapping the red "Remove" button.
That‘s all it takes! This removes the language from your list of active courses. All previously earned skill points (Called "XP") will vanish too so be certain before deleting.
Why Removing Duolingo Languages Isn‘t Possible on Desktop
Early versions of Duolingo only offered web browser access on desktop and not apps. Over time, mobile platforms have eclipsed website functionality – with app-exclusive features not always making their way over to the legacy Duolingo.com lessons.
Deleting languages falls into this technical gap for now. However, Duolingo‘s CEO has committed to developing features in lockstep across platforms moving forward. So in another year removing languages via desktop web may be supported.
Resetting Progress to Restart a Duolingo Language Course
What if instead of fully removing a language, you wanted to simply start lessons over from the beginning again? This resets all your XP to zero while letting previously completed skills become review material once again.
Resetting progress functions similarly to removing a language by following the steps below:
- Open your profile tab in the Duolingo mobile app.
- Tap into Settings and select Courses.
- Choose the language course you wish to restart.
- Tap the "More" three dots icon.
- Choose "Reset progress" instead of Remove.
And that‘s all it takes to wipe your slate clean! Duolingo also suggests fully removing the language first, then going back to re-add the course so everything reverts to default.
Here are two reasons why you may want to intentionally restart a Duolingo language from scratch:
Overcome Early Learning Gaps: Beginning lessons often gloss over fundamentals that become barriers later. Resetting strengthens pronunciation and vocabulary essentials.
Regain Motivation: Restarting lessons activates the fresh start effect – spurring renewed excitement to form a habit…without losing over a dozen hours of progress.
The Forgetting Curve Phenomenon
Learning science reveals we forget new information on a predictable decay timeline based on disuse. As this chart shows, nearly 50% of material is forgotten after just 1 day without practice or exposure.
| Hours After Learning | % of Information Forgotten |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 50% |
| 1 day | 70% |
| 1 week | 90% |
Duolingo‘s spaced repetition algorithm tries to serve flashcard-style lessons right as you reach the forgetting threshold for previously learned material. Repeating courses undertakes this from the start.
Should You Upgrade to Super Duolingo?
While Duolingo will always offer its core lesson content free, a paid subscription called Super Duolingo (formerly Duolingo Plus) unlocks premium features.
Super Duolingo removes the dreaded heart system that caps daily mistakes before locking lesson progress. Instead you have unlimited attempts to complete activities. Other perks include:
- Personalized Recommendations
- Advanced Challenges
- Ad-Free Experience
- Offline Access
Priced at $7 USD per month, is upgrading worth it for most learners?
Let‘s compare the core differences in this table:
| Feature | Standard Duolingo | Super Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $84/year ($7/month) |
| Personalized Lessons | ❌ | ✅ |
| No Heart System | ❌ | ✅ |
| Unlimited Mistakes | ❌ | ✅ |
| Legendary Challenges | ❌ | ✅ |
| Ad Free | ❌ | ✅ |
Unlimited attempts without fear of freezing progress removes a major frustration point – especially for vocabulary heavy languages like Japanese or Korean written in new character systems.
And Duolingo cites that 93% of surveyed users feel the tailored recommendations engine offers faster proficiency gain in testing groups. So while expensive for a mobile app, Super Duolingo may be worth investing in for more dedicated learners.
Over 300 universities and institutions use Duolingo‘s paid services for large scale language education. Ford Motor Company had employees take lessons, boosting confidence to conduct international business. So the premium model clearly drives outcomes.
Tips for Using Duolingo Effectively Within a Broader Immersion Strategy
While Duolingo offers a wealth of baseline grammar and vocabulary content, achieving fluency requires full immersion through reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The app can provide strong scaffolding – but should be combined with other activities for well rounded comprehension.
Overcoming Barriers Adults Face Learning Languages
Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a 12 year study on language acquisition in childhood through adulthood. Surprisingly they found no meaningful cognitive differences in rates of proficiency through age 17 once exposures were equivalent.
However around 18 years old, real challenges emerged. Adults needed much more time input to reach late teenager proficiency levels. So while fully capable of achieving fluency, adults learning a language require more volume of active input compared to children.
This means adding ancillary immersion habits like reading books or watching shows in your chosen language is essential.
3 Tips to Complementing Duolingo Lessons
Here are expert recommendations for bolstering Duolingo learning:
Connect with a language partner locally or virtually: Set a recurring schedule to video chat, text or call for 30-60 minutes practicing conversational dialogue. Speaking aloud and responding in real time is vital.
Passively listen to foreign language playlists: Put on music, radio broadcasts or podcasts in the background while cooking, cleaning or commuting to juice passive comprehension. Work up to watching shows and films.
Install a foreign language browser extension: See Google auto translate site text in your target language for a quick boost of daily reading. Install keyboard for typing practice.
By blending formal Duolingo curriculum with real world applications, you‘ll accelerate beyond textbook content.
Duolingo Community Tips on Avoiding and Overcoming Burnout Plateaus
Learning a language takes years before truly feeling comfortable. Progress can seem glacial at times, leading to frustration plateaus. We asked Duolingo community members for their tips on pushing through points of stagnation:
"I set mini milestone goals each week like memorizing 20 new words or finishing a lesson without looking anything up. Small wins renew motivation." – Conor, Learning French
"When I feel an urge to quit, I remember why I started. Tap into that inspiration, play some upbeat music and push through one more lesson. Momentum builds again." – Julia, Learning Arabic
"I mix self-study up by reading bilingual children‘s books and finding video penpals. It feels less repetitive and I learn regional expressions missed on Duolingo." – Alex, Learning Italian
The key insight? Variety prevents boredom. Regularly introducing new forms of practice makes progress enjoyable again. So explore fresh immersion outlets before frustration calcifies. Your future fluent self will thank you.
The Future of Duolingo Products Powered by AI Advancement
Constant app updates reveal Duolingo plans to remain at the cutting edge of adaptive learning technology – with AI under the hood personalizing curriculums further.
Some potential features we may see in the next 3 to 5 years include:
Speech recognition assessment – Analyze vocabulary and grammar during spoken conversations, highlighting areas to improve pronunciations or common mistakes.
Automated writing corrections – Upload samples of writing in your chosen language for AI review of errors, suggestions for improvements and examples of proper conventions.
Lifelike conversational bots – Practice scenarios like ordering food, making travel arrangements or small talk chit chat with AI personalities.
While a bit unnerving, automated tutors scaled for millions of learners could make fluency exponentially more accessible. And augmented lessons using data-driven insights would reduce frustration blending classroom learning with independent study.
For now taking advantage of existing Duolingo features, combining with other immersion activities and leaning on community tips during plateaus offers the most pleasant path forward. But the future of AI-augmented language mastery already looks bright. Just don‘t forget to thank Duo the owl.
