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You’ve probably come across the term Duolingo Max and found yourself scratching your head, wondering, “Wait, isn’t Duolingo just Duolingo?” Or maybe you’re curious about what sets Duolingo Max apart from the regular app, especially since there seem to be so many versions floating around.
Honestly, I was in the same boat. After using Duolingo for months and even exploring its premium offerings, like Super Duolingo, I stumbled upon Duolingo Max and initially thought it was a whole new app. But after diving into it, I realized there’s a lot more to this version than meets the eye. So, let’s unpack what makes Duolingo Max stand out from the other “Duolingos” and how it’s changing the language-learning game.
Duolingo Max Overview
So, what exactly is Duolingo Max?
Well, here’s the twist: it’s not a brand-new app, but rather an upgraded subscription plan that takes your language-learning experience to the next level. Think of it as a premium tier that sits above the already popular Super Duolingo. If you’ve been using Duolingo for a while, you’re probably familiar with its regular free version and the premium options like Super Duolingo, but Duolingo Max steps things up by offering even more advanced features designed to supercharge your learning. It’s the perfect fit for those who are looking to improve their speaking skills without having to switch to a whole new app.
What sets Duolingo Max apart from the other subscription options?
While Duolingo Max includes all the perks of Super Duolingo, it goes a few steps further by adding three main features: Explain My Mistake/Answer, Video Call, and Roleplay. These aren’t just any regular features, they’re powered by cutting-edge AI, specifically GPT-4, which brings a whole new level of interactivity and personalization to your learning experience.
Explain My Mistake/Answer
Explain My Mistake/Answer gives you the ability to dive deeper into your responses, offering detailed explanations for why certain answers are correct or incorrect. This feature helps clarify tricky grammar points or vocabulary choices, making your learning journey feel more like a personalized tutoring session.
After each question, you’ll have the option to get an explanation of your mistakes or answers. Additionally, you can revisit the “Mistakes” section at any time to go over your recent errors, where this option will also appear as you review them or you can go to the Duolingo Max home page and select “Explain My Answer”.
Video Call
Video Call is one of the new Duolingo features that allows you to engage in a conversation with Lily, a Duolingo character. It is designed to help you practice speaking. Instead of just listening or repeating phrases, you can have an actual back-and-forth dialogue with her, simulating a real-life conversation. By interacting with Lily, you can practice forming sentences, responding to questions, and understanding context—skills that are crucial for having conversations with real people.
After the call with Lily ends, you have the opportunity to review the entire conversation. You can also listen to the audio of her messages, allowing you to assess how everything was communicated and how the tone and delivery of her words sound. This gives you the chance to reflect on the discussion and ensure you fully understand the nuances of her speech.
Roleplay
Roleplay takes language practice to the next level by simulating everyday situations. Whether you’re ordering coffee at a café or introducing yourself to your new classmate at school, this feature lets you practice speaking and responding in various scenarios, all powered by GPT-4’s natural language processing.
Roleplay is similar to a video call in that it allows you to engage in a conversation with Lily but with the added flexibility of both audio and chat options for your responses. This feature enables you to choose how you’d like to communicate, whether by speaking or typing. Another key difference between Roleplay and the Video Call feature is that in Roleplay, you can read Lily’s messages in text form, which allows you to follow along with the conversation more easily.
Additionally, translation options are available, so you can quickly understand the meaning of words or phrases you might not be familiar with. This is in contrast to the Video Call, where you can only hear Lily’s voice, making it harder to keep track of what’s being said or to reference anything that’s unclear.
After completing the roleplay session, you’ll be given an opportunity to review feedback on your performance. This feedback includes helpful corrections and suggestions on how to improve sentence structure, offering you valuable guidance on how to enhance your communication skills for future interactions.
What languages are available?
Duolingo Max doesn’t provide access to every language for all users. For instance, if you’re a Spanish speaker, your language options are currently limited to learning English. On the other hand, if you’re an English speaker, you can choose to learn from the following languages:
- French
- Italian
- Spanish
- German
- Portuguese
- Japanese
While these are the available language options at the moment, Duolingo may expand its courses in the near future, adding more languages to its platform for users to choose from.
Pricing
The pricing for Duolingo Max differs depending on your location. For example, in the UK, the cost for an Individual annual subscription is £119.99, while the Family plan is priced at £179.99 per year. In the US, the Individual plan costs $168 annually, and the Family plan is available for $200 a year. I noticed that there wasn’t an option for a monthly plan, which was a bit surprising!
I’m not sure if it’s a bug or if it has to do with my location but according to other users, the monthly cost for an Individual plan is £19.99 in the UK, and $29.99 in the US. To get the most accurate pricing, it’s best to check directly within the Duolingo app, as prices may vary based on your location.
To view the pricing and upgrade options, you’ll need to use an iOS device. Additionally, you must already be subscribed to the Super Duolingo plan, as the option to upgrade to Duolingo Max will only appear for users who are not on the free version of the app. If you are using the free version, you will not see the option to upgrade to Duolingo Max.
Some users mention there’s no free trial, but when I subscribed to Duolingo Max, I actually got a 7-day free trial. It might depend on the promotion or offer available at the time.
The Good Stuff
- I like that Duolingo Max helps reinforce learning by reminding you of key takeaways from previous roleplay scenarios. When you revisit the same scenario, a message pops up highlighting any mistakes or areas you struggled with last time, ensuring continuous improvement.
- During roleplay exercises, you can reply in English, and your response will be automatically translated into the target language you’re learning. I think it’s super helpful for those intermediate learners who want to practice speaking as this reduces stress and helps you focus on understanding language structure and vocabulary.
- The app is very simple to navigate, allowing you to switch between lessons, roleplay scenarios, and other features without any confusion. Its intuitive design makes it accessible for learners of all levels.
- I have not encountered any glitches while using the app, which is surprising, as most apps tend to have occasional technical issues or bugs.
What’s Not So Good
- I’ve noticed something with the Roleplays—whether you stay on topic or not, the conversation with Lily always ends pretty quickly. You don’t get much of a chance to extend it or keep chatting. It kind of reminds me of the video calls with Lily in a way. I feel like they aren’t all that helpful because you can only respond a couple of times before Lily says goodbye, even if you haven’t really learned much or finished the conversation. It feels like the whole thing is sort of programmed to stick to a script.
Unlike French Together, where you have the freedom to respond to the AI Speaking Partner however you like and can end the conversation whenever you choose, Duolingo Max feels a bit more restrictive. In French Together, you’re not forced to follow a strict script, and you can decide how long you want the conversation to last. If you’re not ready to wrap up, you can keep going, giving you more control over your learning experience. It’s a lot more flexible and less structured, which makes it feel more natural and less like you’re being rushed.
When I tried Duolingo Max’s video call, Lily asked me a question, but instead of answering her, I asked her something totally different to see how flexible the AI is. And guess what? She gave a very generic answer and then redirected me back to the original topic, not really allowing me to steer the conversation where I wanted to go. It’s kind of rigid that way.
Here’s the transcription of our conversation from the review page. I’ve added the English translation since it’s not provided in the review.
- Duolingo’s Lily often gives short and minimal responses (both in roleplays and video calls), which can make it difficult to practice asking more complex or open-ended questions. There are other tools that offer more detailed, constructive feedback, simulating real conversations. For example, In French Together‘s AI Speaking Partner, both the questions and answers are longer and make more sense compared to Duolingo Max. These conversations feel more like you’re interacting with an actual person, allowing you to practice a wider range of sentence structures and get richer responses, which can be much more helpful for advancing your language skills.
Just to give you an idea, I tried out the roleplay feature on both apps and asked the same question in French: J’ai étudié dur, mais j’échoue toujours à mes examens. Que dois-je faire? (Sorry, my French is still a work in progress!) It was something like this in English: “I studied hard, but I always fail in my exams. What should I do?”
In the first screenshot, you’ll see how brief Lily’s answers are. But in the second one, it feels like a real person is responding, giving me actual suggestions on how to improve and solve the problem.
- Also, it would have been nice if there were another Duolingo character (not that I dislike Lily, she’s fine) to chat with during Video Calls and Roleplays. Since Lily is a female character, it would add some variety to have a male character as well. It could help diversify the interactions and give users the chance to practice conversations with different types of voices and personalities. Having a mix of characters could make the experience feel more dynamic and realistic, especially if you want to simulate different types of real-world conversations. It’s a small addition, but it could make the learning process more engaging and well-rounded.
- It’s only available on iOS devices. If you’re using the Android or web version of Duolingo, you won’t be able to upgrade to Duolingo Max.
The Verdict: Is paying for a Duolingo Max subscription a smart choice?
Well, it really depends on your level and what you’re looking to get out of the app. If you’re a beginner or intermediate learner who’s starting to get bored with the basic lessons on Super Duolingo and you’re craving something a bit more challenging, then Duolingo Max could be a good fit for you. It offers features like Roleplay and Video Calls that add variety to your learning and make it feel more interactive. Plus, you can still dip into the regular lessons when you need them.
However, if you’re an advanced learner, you might find Duolingo Max a bit underwhelming. While it’s marketed as being suitable for advanced learners, the actual tools, like the Video Calls and Roleplays, can feel pretty basic. They aren’t as flexible or dynamic as you’d expect from a platform designed for more experienced speakers. The conversations are short, scripted, and lack the depth needed to really help you fine-tune your speaking skills or pronunciation. If you’re looking for a more immersive, complex experience to challenge yourself further, Duolingo Max might not provide the level of practice you’re hoping for.
For me personally, I don’t think Duolingo Max is worth the extra money, especially for just a few additional features. One of the main things I was hoping for was an activity focused on helping me practice and improve my pronunciation, with real feedback on how well I’m doing. I get that being able to respond quickly and fluently is important, but pronunciation is just as crucial, and it’s something that I want to be able to work on more effectively.
Other apps, like French Together, have this feature where your pronunciation and accent are actually scored, and you get feedback on how well you’re pronouncing each word. That kind of immediate correction really helps you improve.
If you’re looking to practice speaking with 90 real-world scenarios, plus get cultural insights and AI-powered feedback on your pronunciation and accent, you can try out French Together with a 7-day free trial.