hollaaaa ๐
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did you manage to catch any of Duocon 2024? ๐ค
it finished a couple of hours ago and I'm still trying to catch my breath
they covered so much in such a short space of time
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it was definitely one of the best Duocons they've ever done
really clear, concise, to the point... and loads of cool features to chew over
there wasn't really much of a preview for what's to come ((at times they were talking as though some of these features hadn't been out for months already!))
but it was still a great dive into the world of Duolingo, and we learned a lot more about why they've introduced these features and how they're designed to help
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there's loads we could talk about
but there are four things in particular that really stood out to me...
1. video call is WAY better than we thought
so the star attraction of this year's Duocon was undoubtedly the new Video Call feature...
well, I say 'new' -- it's something I shared with you a few months ago
only now Duolingo is rolling it out to more courses... and it's undergone a HUGE improvement since it first launched ๐
to recap: Video Call allows you to have a fluid, spontaneous, free-flowing conversation with Lily ((the moody purple-haired Duolingo character that everyone loves)) ๐โโ๏ธ
she'll ask you a question in your target language, and you respond as you like
it's pretty cool, and, up until now, has done a reasonable job of addressing one of Duolingo's weakest areas -- speaking.
however...
Duolingo dropped a couple of game-changing updates during today's demonstration
the first is that Lily now remembers what you've said in previous video calls ๐ง
so if in a previous call you discussed visiting London, she can bring it up for further discussion -- adding massively to the authenticity of the conversation ๐ฎ
the other thing is that Lily automatically adapts to your level and ability
((I think this was the case before but it's been confirmed now))
this means whatever your level, you can jump in and start speaking
she give you a bit of sass, but, as Duolingo confirmed, this is all about getting you ready for real-world encounters, cus not everyone is gonna be patient
Duolingo announced Video Call is currently available for Max subscribers on IOS learning Spanish, French or English. although this morning I checked my app and saw it was also now available in the following languages as well:
๐ฉ๐ช German
๐ฎ๐น Italian
๐ง๐ท Portuguese
๐ฏ๐ต Japanese
๐ฐ๐ท Korean
๐จ๐ณ Chinese
I'm absolutely gassed about this! this might be the feature that finally makes Max worth the money ๐
2. adventures has huge potential
like Video Call, Adventures isn't a new feature
it was actually announced at last year's Duocon and has been available on some of Duolingo's most popular courses for months now
however, it was good to go under the hood of Adventures and see what Duolingo's thinking is here...
again, quick recap: Adventures is a game-like mode in which you take on the role of a Duolingo character and complete various tasks in various scenarios ๐น๏ธ
they put you into authentic, real-life situations and get you interacting with the environment to build you vocabulary
just as in Video Call, it allows you to put everything you've learnt in your standard lessons into practice
the more Duolingo discussed it, the more I could see the potential
'immersive feedback' was the big buzzword here -- rather than getting a question right or wrong ((as in the normal lessons)) Adventures nudges you in a different direction if you make a mistake... just like in real life ๐
it's engaging, fun, and, most of all -- totally practical
the sooner this comes to more courses, the better
3. Duolingo is becoming even more social
the social side of things has been a big focus at Duolingo over the last year or so
recently we looked at the new Friends Clashes ((which, oddly, they didn't discuss at Duocon...)) and we've also looked at Friend Streaks
well, this was actually one of two new features they discussed today
the idea being that you're more likely to stick to something if you do it with a friend
((they've got scientific data to support this apparently))
hence why Duolingo now wants you to start a streak with up to five of your Duolingo buddies -- so you can all hold each other accountable
((for what it's worth, i've got a few of these on the go at the moment and I can't say they've made much of a difference. after all, we've all got pretty big personal streaks as it is -- so I can't see any of us missing a day any time soon)) ๐คท
but still, nice idea
then came the second new feature...
they're calling it themed leaderboards
until now, the weekly leaderboards were determined by which league you're in (Diamond, Obsidian, Peal etc), how much XP you earn each week, and how active you are on Duolingo
but now, Duolingo is planning on grouping you all by the language you're learning and the country you're based in ๐
they gave the example of a leaderboard filled with users all learning French and living in Japan
sounds pretty cool in theory
although i'm not sure how feasible it is yet, given the hyper specific criteria and the fact people often dip in and out of different courses, so we'll have to wait and see. but it's definitely a neat idea and should make the weekly leaderboards a little more relatable
just a shame they've taken away the custom profile pictures really ๐
4. math and music are getting better
away from the language courses, Duolingo's other two babies have been receiving some much needed love ๐ฅฐ
now, I can't say I've spent much time with either one to be honest, other than going hard on the music course when it first launched last year
since then, they've both had a bit of a glow up ๐ช
the math course, for instance, is now more story- and game-focussed
it puts you into authentic scenarios in which you have to help the Duolingo characters solve problems
could be money, measurements, how long a flight will be, calculating store discounts, etc
it's like a mix of stories and roleplay from the language courses, which is a cool touch
and yeah, they've also introduced 4 new mini-games to help you flex your math muscles:
- cash dash
- magic squares
- secret equation
- math paths
and as for the music course, we got the lowdown on several new updates:
- classic songs have been reimagined to make them more engaging
- pop songs have been added thanks to a partnership with Sony Music
- soon users will be able to use real instruments with the music course ((this was a hugely needed feature!!))
- the curriculum is being improved, introducing more complex rhythms and ear-training exercises
Duolingo is also launching it's very own physical piano, which you'll be able to buy from the Duolingo Store
although, i've just had a look, and it ain't cheap -- coming in at a cool $249... and that's not including shipping ๐ณ
so i'm hoping you'll be able to use unofficial instruments with the app as well, cus you can get some decent MIDI keyboards for a hell of a lot less than that.
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oh, and the other big takeaway for both math and music is that they're both finally coming to Android devices ๐ at bloody last ๐
so yeah, a pretty meaty event
it definitely would've been nice to get some more information about upcoming features
as well as a timeline for when Max features are coming to other courses ((pretty sure I said this a year ago as well ๐คฆ))
but all in all it was a good watch
was nice to see it back in front of a studio audience again
((and if you didn't catch it, the closing interview between Luis von Ahn and John Batiste was amazing ๐คฉ))
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โdefinitely worth a watch if you get chance!โ
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