Source: Gigaom
Duolingo’s iPhone app just replaced Scrabble as my go-to mobile time-killer. The startup, which was created by Recaptcha founder and Carnegie Mellon professor Luis von Ahn,launched a Web service this summer that helps people learn languages while also translating real-world content from the web. On Tuesday, it announced that it had landed on mobile with a free iPhone app.
The app mirrors the website with skill-based, game-like lessons, but they’re optimized for a smaller screen and compressed chunks of available time. Each lesson is a bit shorter – so they’re easier to consume while you’re waiting at the dentist’s office or during other little breaks – and they require less typing, so you can progress quickly without a proper keyboard.
I’m only four days and six lessons into it (I can just barely say that I drink wine and read the newspaper in Spanish). But I’m getting hooked. The lessons are quick enough that they don’t feel onerous, but they’re repetitive enough that I remember the content. And, so far, the daily email reminders are keeping me on track.
There are plenty of other (free and paid) language-learning mobile and web apps out there (in addition to the higher-end Rosetta Stone-type programs). And those trying to learn a language for a specific event or trip might need a program that can move them along more quickly. But, for a casual student looking for a meaningful way to use down time, Duolingo’s app is a great option.
Read more: Gigaom
Filed under: Translation news
