When von Ahn gushes about his creation, he's less excited by the idea of yuppie professionals in Manhattan brushing up on their Italian and more enthused about folks in Latin America attempting to improve their socioeconomic status.
It's free to download and, according to 34-year-old co-founder Luis von Ahn, it will be free forever. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Duolingo: It doesn't cost a cent. As I recall, these are not the sorts of giddy emotions that were stirred in Mrs. One friend confided that she's stayed up for hours past her bedtime learning German - ja, this fräulein simply can't put Duolingo down. A co-worker likes to crank out French modules on his subway commute. I've lost track of time as I've buzzed through tutorials on Spanish conjunctions and prepositions. The short lesson blocks are painless and peppy, and reaching the next level (and then the level after that) becomes addictive. This is the most productive means of procrastination I've ever discovered. So the app transforms language study into an amusing diversion, replete with points, leaderboards and video game “lives.” At the end of each successfully completed round, we're rewarded with a trumpet fanfare and a delicious sense of accomplishment. It also recognizes that the key to learning a new tongue is repetition. Duolingo recognizes that humans are wired this way.
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