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April 22, 2025
Language learning apps like Duolingo are enjoying increasing popularity. Now, Duolingo is further integrating artificial intelligence into its learning process and, with the new subscription tier "Max," offers AI-supported conversations with the character Lily. This article examines the functionality of this new feature based on a practical test.
Duolingo Max expands the app's familiar learning methods with a new component: simulated conversations with an AI avatar named Lily. This feature is intended to give learners the opportunity to apply their language skills in an interactive scenario. Access to this feature, however, is tied to the paid "Max" subscription tier and is currently only available for a limited number of languages and platforms.
In the test, the interaction with Lily proved to be surprisingly natural. Lily asks questions, reacts to answers, and guides the conversation within a thematic framework. The speaking speed is pleasantly slow and clear, and the avatar's facial expressions support comprehension. The conversations are short and thematically linked to the respective lesson, which makes sense in the context of the Duolingo learning path.
The AI-supported conversations offer the opportunity to practice learned vocabulary and grammar in an applied context. This is an advantage over traditional exercise formats like translation exercises. However, the test also revealed weaknesses. There is a lack of systematic error correction following the conversation. Learners receive no feedback on grammatical errors or incorrect pronunciation. Also, the lack of an option to look up individual words or characters limits learning progress.
The integration of AI-supported conversations is an interesting step towards more interactive language learning. The feature offers the chance to apply what has been learned and to train speaking skills. The currently existing gap in error correction and word explanation should, however, be closed in order to fully exploit the potential of the feature. Whether the feature justifies the price of the "Max" subscription tier depends on individual learning needs and expectations.
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