Users of Babbel reported that 46% of the reasons they study a language are because they enjoy it. 35% of those surveyed claimed they practice it to maintain mental fitness.
Find the responses to the following queries: how to build a language learning app? How can you get through the most typical challenges? How does Duolingo make money when only 2% of its users pay subscribers?
Changes In The Global Language Market
An excellent approach to learning is online. It is accessible, reasonably priced, and convenient. Due to their ability to begin language learning without an instructor, internet language learning apps significantly impact linguistics. The popularity of uncommon and extinct languages like Gaelic and Welsh has also expanded due to the apps.
Now, people can skip classes when they can learn with an instructor on Zoom. They can also take short lessons on Instagram. Find a native language-speaking partner using social media. Or complete a course on a website or app. The pandemic of COVID-19, which is a result of the virus outbreak, has severely impacted all aspects of our lives. The changes have been both positive and negative for online language learning.
- One hand, the people are at home and have to be occupied. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your language skills.
- Why should people learn foreign languages if they have stopped travelling and lost their job?
Language schools and universities also had difficulties in 2023 as they struggled to build specialized language learning websites since they needed an internet platform. Existing eLearning platforms made their courses accessible throughout quarantine to motivate users and draw in new students. Undoubtedly, many new users who enroll will continue to study afterward.
Languages Learning Apps Competition Landscape
It is essential to understand your competitors, their business model, and the success they've achieved before you can create your app.
Language Learning Types Of Platforms
The language websites that are currently available can be classified into two types:
- Language Courses: Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone
- Spaced Repetition Systems: Quizlet, Brainscrape, Memrise
- Educational Games: Mindsnaks, Tinycards, Anki App
- Contextual Reference: Leaf
- Social Media: Tandem, iTalki, HiNative, HelloTalk
How Do Language Learning Apps Make Money?
By 2027, the online language learning market could reach 172.71 billion dollars. Platforms use a mix of business models, including:
- Freemium Model: The app and website are available without charge. However, some additional features can be obtained with a subscription.
- Ads in-app: Users can pass the course for free but must pay to remove ads.
- Subscription: monthly payments or annual payments.
- A complete course can be purchased once.
The use of several platforms is free. Duolingo is one illustration. It is a cost-free application that brings in $6 billion annually. Only a tiny portion of Duo subscribers pay for the application. Other revenue sources include advertisements, investors, and paid English tests.
Top Language Learning Platforms
The most popular language apps in the world:
Duolingo
This platform has the most registered users (over 300,000,000) and the most languages available (36). The fact that the platform's language classes are free is its greatest asset. However, a premium membership option and in-app advertising account for most of their income. The app offers its users a quick way to improve their language skills.
Rosetta Stone
It is one of the oldest platforms for language learning. Initially, lessons were available on CD-ROM. The courses are now only available through online subscription. Rosetta Stone is unique in that it offers online tutoring classes as an addition to its program. These can be group or individual sessions with a teacher.
Busuu
Busuu, a popular language-learning app worldwide, is used by millions of people. The platform claims students can see visible progress in their second languages in just 16 hours. Busuu's app courses were developed with the assistance of a large group of linguists at significant institutions. The service is available in two levels: free and premium. The free option is limited to only one language.
Babbel
Despite having only a few languages available, Babble is well-liked by its users. The main goals of the software are interactive dialogues and communication skills. To help users pronounce words more clearly, the app employs a cutting-edge speech recognition system. Their short lessons are easy to learn, lasting between 10-15 minutes.
Memrise
Memrise is a flashcard software with a mnemonic technique that uses deliberate repetition of words or phrases to help pupils enhance their memory. In addition to a free app and a retiree pay for lifelong premium access, there are four different forms of subscriptions.
FluentU
This popular language learning platform uses native speaker videos from YouTube. The actual videos allow for better immersion in the culture and language through music, talks, and news. The app does not, however, teach you how to speak. There is also no set course. This app can only be used in conjunction with other learning resources.
Mondly
Mondly, an EdTech firm from Romania, has created an immersive way to learn 33 languages. They create a language learning app in real-life scenarios using situational chatbots and AR, VR, and speech recognition technology.
Language Learning Apps - Challenges & How To Overcome With Technology
In traditional education, the teacher encourages the students to learn and assists them in overcoming difficulties. Online education relies, however, on the student's discipline and perseverance. Technology is used to organize self-study and help students stay on track. Online language learning faces a variety of challenges. We'll identify the significant challenges that language learning apps face and find solutions.
Lack Of Student Motivation
Even highly motivated individuals can become bored after a few lessons and find excuses to skip the next one. People may need more than boring exercises. They might also dislike the difficulty level (too simple or too complex), the length of the lessons, the lack of a grammar explanation, or the absence of personalization. Motivate yourself by using some of these tips:
Initial Level Testing
Anyone who knows the basics of a new language will quickly get bored with exercises for beginners and may quit. People who have not studied the language before may need to repeat and spend more time on essential study.
After registering on the platform, you should do a level test. The test results will determine the level of difficulty for the user.
Set Individual Goals
Setting goals is the next step in maintaining motivation. Allow the users to explain why they study. You might study to move abroad or get a job promotion. The app will encourage them to learn more by allowing them to see their goals each time they use it.
Allow users also to set daily goals that can be quantified in the number of points earned for tasks completed. Students will be able to see their daily progress.
Exercises
Duolingo surveyed in 2012 and found that most users quit after only 2 hours! The most common reason for dropping out was boredom from repeating the same exercises.
Duolingo recently rebuilt its most popular courses, creating the famous tree of lessons which gradually increases the difficulty level. The new learning sequence is based on the CEFR, an international standard. Most Duolingo users comment that the new system makes learning exciting and enjoyable. Most people who used the app to learn a new language were surprised at how addictive it was.
The platform owners should gradually introduce new exercises to keep users interested. Duolingo has a list of all the activities.
- Arrange the words in a grammatically correct sentence.
- Completing the sentence by adding the missing word.
- Choose the accurate translation for a correction.
- Match the picture with the word.
- In a sentence, fill in the blank with the missing observation.
- Rearrange the terms of the sentence.
- Speak the sentence or word into the microphone
- Translate the word into its English equivalent.
- Transcribing a sentence is as simple as typing it.
- You can type what you hear on the audio.
- Continue the conversation by responding to chatbot responses.
Reminders For Staying On Track
Setting reminders for a new lesson will encourage users to continue studying daily.
Competition & Gamification
Even if your goal is not to create games that teach languages, you should still include a fun and competitive aspect. In Duolingo, users receive 'XPs (experience points)' for every task they complete. After completing a series of lessons, the user gets a "crown" (or next-level opened) and bonus points. Points can be used to purchase 'lives,' allowing the user to continue a lesson if they make a mistake. The number of points collected also moves the student up the leaderboard.
Those who miss a day of study lose their position on the leaderboard. It encourages them to exercise every day for a set amount of time. Consistency is vital to learning a new language. This has unfortunately turned people into XP-hunters who are not learning but instead trying to win competitions.
Personalization
Not everyone learns in the same way. A tailored education plan is more beneficial to the people. Students may feel left alone if there is no personalization. Add features like the personal vocabulary to your language learning software. Users can add words they learn from the exercises and then review them systematically.
Look at how Busuu manages personalization. Machine learning algorithms were created to track the learning behaviors of each user and identify their vocabulary and grammar strengths and weaknesses. The platform can then complete personalized repetitions of vocabulary to help users remember difficult words and grammar constructions. AI-based language learning can reduce the time required to learn a new language because it is immersive and tailored for each user.
Short-Term Specialization Courses
Students increasingly achieve specific goals through language learning marathons that last several weeks. Students can learn particular knowledge, such as professional slang, or prepare for an examination or an interview.
App Certification Recognized By Universities And Other Authorities
A certificate that is recognized by others can be a powerful motivator. It would be great to have online tests equivalent to the TOEFL and IELTS for students who learn a new language using an app. Duolingo already offers an alternative.
The Duolingo English Test was created. This test is accepted by more than 2000 institutions in the world. Users can take the test for $49 and receive their results in 48 hours. The only thing they would need is a computer with a webcam. Admissions committees can assess the video recordings and written responses at any university. Duolingo's owners hope their test will bring them 50% of their revenues by 2024.
Hitting All Four Linguistic Skills
The mastery of four skills - Speaking, Listening, and Writing and Reading - is used to measure plain language knowledge. The owner of a language-learning app must cover these four skills. Grammar explanation is the first and foremost problem with online learning.
Most apps focus on communication and do not require lengthy explanations about grammar rules. In a game, the user can learn intuitively by making mistakes and memorizing different constructions. After that, the user can use the same structure to construct other sentences. Each language has its unique peculiarities and exceptions that require clarification. The user will make the same mistakes if they need help understanding the grammar rules.
Busuu's 2019 survey found that 20% of users would like to see more grammar lessons. When grammar is simple, and education focuses on vocabulary, intuitive learning can be beneficial. When the topics are more complex, users require more explanation. Here are a few app ideas to help you solve this problem:
- Integrate dictionary articles and tips that are opened by tapping on the word or hovering the cursor over it. They can also show possible word forms and remarks about usage. Busuu, for example, has a basic feature called Grammar Review. The app predicts what students need and can help them improve their weaknesses.
- Use the video to explain the rule before each lesson. Then, practice it with the exercises.
- Some online platforms have forums and chats where users can get clarifications from natives or peers.
- You can also combine live sessions and exercises with a teacher who can coordinate the learning process according to student needs.
A second problem is the pronunciation. Apps usually pronounce words in a computer voice without intonations or explanations on articulating sounds correctly. Users need help to listen and speak. It would be best to consider hiring native voice artists to record dialogues and exercises.
Memrise provides short videos in which locals speak definite phrases. This helps students to develop their listening skills and understanding of accents. The app must have a sound speech recognition system to evaluate and understand users' pronunciation.
Knowledge Retention
A typical Duolingo class introduces learners to 2,000 words. According to the app, 34 hours of Duolingo is equivalent to one semester at a university. All newly acquired information can be easily forgotten if it is not repeated. Here are some tips on how to make sure that students remember what they've learned.
Retaining Knowledge Tasks
Students need to review the material periodically, or else they'll need to remember it. This can be achieved by using spaced repetition exercises. Duolingo, for example, has five levels of difficulty on each topic. The topic will be highlighted in gold when the user has completed all five classes. After a while, the icon for the level will be shattered. This means that the content should be reviewed.
Periodic Assessment
It is best to pass a test to determine your progress. The app should allow controlled checks at the beginning and end of each part. The app will either convince students they're doing well or show them they need to take the material more seriously.
Overcoming The Language Barriers
Many students fear making mistakes in traditional education and getting bad grades. After the course, when students meet with natives, they are still unwilling to try out their skills.
Chatbots To Help Overcome Language Barriers
Chatbots can simulate conversations and encourage fearless speech. Duolingo used to have a popular chatbot, but it was removed by the company. Users still hope the feature will be brought back and integrated with intelligent speakers so that users can earn XPs through Alexa or Google Home. Creating a chatbot capable of supporting live conversations, not just 'canned answers,' is the main challenge that companies face now. We are on the cusp of a new era in technology.
A Japanese startup is testing an AI-powered application that lets Japanese students learn English to speak to a conversational agent that will replicate an actual situation. The app can understand what the student is saying and provide feedback. This type of conversation with a chatbot helps students overcome their shyness and fear of making mistakes when speaking to natives.
The latest app LanguageChat is another project. It uses Cloud Natural Language APIs from Google, AWS, and Azure, allowing users to create their content by selecting topics of interest. The project has been presented on Kickstarter, and its first subscribers have already signed up.
Immersive Learning Through Ar And Vr
Language learning platforms are now incorporating virtual and augmented reality. Mondly's use of VR technology for language immersion can be seen here. Students can virtually enter everyday situations such as airports, hotels, or zoos to learn and practice new words and phrases. It's not only fun, but it is also practical!
Communication Between Peers
Students can gain confidence by participating in forums and chats. This will help them when they begin to communicate with foreigners. This is a great way to show the level of proficiency in a language and remove barriers to communication.
How To Make A Language Learning Website
Let's now move on to the technical side and see how to create an app similar to Duolingo or Babbel. How can you structure your development process for the best results? We will give you a strategy.
Development is usually gradual. MVP (minimum viable product) is the first thing that's made. Most startups start with this to test the Product-Market fit before investing in development. To create an MVP, you need to identify the critical features of your website and the unique value proposition. You will then add new features to your platform and make adjustments based on the feedback you receive from the first users.
The steps involved in developing a language learning application are listed below. Most of these steps are done in parallel, speeding up the language learning app development process.
Create Content
The main focus is on the content- exercises, grammar tips, and illustrations. Create content that is relevant, current, attractive, and even funny. You can hire language teachers, students, actors, and graphic designers. The Babbel development team is composed of more than 150 professional linguists. You can hire a small group after a while. This is how Duolingo began developing its content.
Duolingo founders read many books about language teaching before creating their first course. They built simple courses for English-speaking learners of Spanish and German. They translated the most common 3,000 words from each language into English to do the exercises. Based on this, they developed an algorithm for lessons.
They engaged qualified linguists and second-language acquisition researchers to produce grammar hints and conjugation tables two years after they started the website. Duo's owners added new languages as revenues increased. They also recruited native speakers to develop a vocabulary for the new courses.
Create A Design
The core purpose of your platform and the user's workflow should be considered before you design. An appealing design and a well-thought-out UX are significant for language learning. Flashcards and picture connections are the foundation of many workouts.
Select The App Platform
Only 20% of the traffic is generated by desktop users, and 80% comes from mobile. Therefore, it is essential to adapt your app to all popular platforms. This includes iOS and Android users.
Create The Front End
The client side is where the users interact with your application by clicking buttons and filling out text boxes. The front-end developer will need to animate the layout created by the web and graphic designer to connect it with the back end. The user's input will be sent to the back end for processing, and the results will be returned. Front-end developers typically use HTML+CSS, JavaScript, and other technologies.
The back end is what is not visible to the user. The magic is done on the server: the user enters the request into the browser, and the data is returned to the backend. Program algorithms then process the data to determine what to do. A variety of technologies is required to create a backend. The complexity of your project will determine which technology you choose.
- The 47 technologies used by Duolingo are Objective-C, jQuery (Javascript), Nginx, Bootstrap, Amazon S3, and Amazon CloudFront.
- Busuu is built on PHP, Java, and other technologies, including Nginx (Nginx), PostgreSQL, AngularJS, Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Amazon Elasticache, Objective-C, Ruby Symfony MemCached SDK for Android, Objective-C, Ruby, etc.
- Python, Nginx, Django, Amazon Cloudfront, and Headlebars.js were used in the development of Memrise.
You can see that there is no formula for creating a platform. It is best to trust the focused team of expertise and judgment.
Integrate The Latest Technology
Imagining a language-learning platform with Voice Recognition, AR/VR, and Machine Learning (ML) is more accessible. Cloud Natural Language Processing is also crucial, allowing machines to read and analyze the text. Developers don't need to create something entirely new. They can easily integrate their platform with Google or Amazon solutions via API.
The Duolingo English Test is an example of ML and NLP being used to define the language level following international standards. According to research, the DET scores are highly correlated with the TOEFL and IELTS scores. Duolingo's ML and NLP technology helps them:
- Create thousands of DET Tests automatically.
- Assess and grade complex answers following CEFR language proficiency level (A1-C2).
- Add up all the information and calculate the final score.
- Increase test security with biometrics and Computer Vision.
How much does it cost to create a language-learning app? The complexity of the project and the country in which you outsource development will determine the cost. Also, consider the experience level of your contractors. For example, developers from Eastern Europe and Asia cost half a quarter as much as those in the US or Western Europe while providing high-quality codes.
How To Apply This To Your Business
This report should have helped provide some valuable insight into how to build mobile app for learning language. Creating Duolingo and Busuu copies is unnecessary, as these apps are already perfect at what they do. Find out what gaps remain and find a way to fill them.
We can help you with the technical aspects of your project, including identifying requirements and developing it from scratch. We are experts in developing eLearning platforms, educational games, and other tools for businesses, universities, and conferences. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions. We're excited to launch a brand-new online learning site!
