@willemvdeijkel, many apps lack contextual learning, making it hard to apply new languages in real-life situations. An adaptive approach that tailors content to individual interests could bridge this gap and enhance engagement.

DuoLingo is not bad for drilling/review, and according to them, I'm close to B2 in French, but I find myself wondering if what I'm learning is particularly relevant to how real people communicate. Like, one of the hardest parts of mastering the language is keeping up with native speakers, who break rules, speak fast, and use slang, and while I genuinely feel DL helped me master, say, the subjunctive, it doesn't much help with listening since they always perfectly enunciate.

That said, the gamification means that I actually do it every day.

I love Duolingo but I miss being able to practice (Spanish) with someone. You can't practice with other users on the app.

One of the biggest pain point I found is the functions in most of language-learning apps are not centralized; most language-learning apps tend to focus on vocabulary and grammar learning, while features like article reading and conversation listening are relative scarce. Therefore, I have to downloaded different kinds of apps on my phone to satisfy my learning needs.

I would like to share what I found frustrating using DuoLingo:
– it doesn't support Slovak language when I learn French and Spanish (so I need to have English – French or English – Spanish version) – I am okay with that but imagine someone who doesn't have proficient English. In that sense he/she cannot learn French or Spanish and learning is less accessible. I understand that DuoLingo is primarily for EN speaking markets but they have big enough to expand to other languages too.

It would be great if I could have simulation conversations with AI based on specific scenarios, I could suggest a topic, and AI could randomly recommend three options each day for me to choose from.

I have been looking for a good language learning app. But currently, most language learning apps don’t provide users with a scenario learning. Even after learning vocabulary and grammar for a period of time, I still find it difficult to speak a complete sentence casually.

@willemvdeijkel I echo similar sentiments to what others have mentioned around popular tools focusing more on memorization vs contextualized learning. I love your approach. I agree that the biggest challenge is that these existing solutions aren't able to tailor each individual’s learning pathway based on their goals and learning style and preferences (which for people like me, differ for each language I'm learning). There are a couple different buckets I see:

1. Tourist / Casual Beginner – Someone with little to no long-term goal of fluency, just interested in basic communication and cultural understanding where the focus is learning the most common words and phrases and pronunciation to navigate basic interactions.

2. Beginner Learner – Ranges from a complete novice (never has learned another language before) to someone who already speaks multiple languages and can pick up patterns quickly but is committed to learning the language quickly. I think this is the hardest group to get right because their needs vary based on their prior language learning experience, capabilities, and preferred learning style.

3. Intermediate to Advanced Learner – Already comfortable with day-to-day conversations but ready and committed to deepen fluency and engage in more nuanced discussions (or even gain official certification to teach or for other professional settings). For this group, if someone's goal is mastery or fluency in a language, there really isn't a replacement for immersion/conversing with a native speaker.

Personalized classes are more expensive but more effective IMO and it wasn't until@ISSENlaunched last month, that I considered trying out a language learning app for languages where I've moved beyond the basics. I am still finishing up some credits on iTalki with my current teacher before buying Issen but my family and I have tried all the apps including Rosetta Stone, DuoLingo and Babbel and nothing really replicates the experience of practicing with a native speaker 1:1.

I'd be interested to see what you're working on and happy to act as a beta tester!

Most language-learning apps feel too repetitive and focus on memorization rather than real-life usage. They also assume you need to know how to read first, which can be frustrating for beginners who just want to focus on speaking and listening. For example, i've tried to study Hebrew in Duolingo and it teaches by showing words in the Hebrew alphabet right away without offering transliteration, making it difficult for those who don’t know the script but want to learn how the language sounds first. On top of that, many apps don’t adapt to individual learning speeds—they follow the same rigid program for everyone, forcing users to repeat things they already know instead of letting them progress faster where they excel. That was my case with Duolingo again when i was studying French, i've studied it before and wanted to refresh my memory, so it took me ages to get to the level when it was really interesting to me

Personalization is definitely a key gap in most language-learning apps. While many claim to be adaptive, they often rely on rigid structures that don’t truly cater to individual learning styles, pacing, or real-world application. The biggest frustration? Contextual learning is often missing apps focus on vocabulary drills but rarely help users navigate actual conversations with cultural nuances.

Would be interesting to see how your app tackles this challenge! Are you thinking about incorporating real-life dialogue simulations or dynamic feedback loops based on user behavior?

So many things to learn and digest, but so little chance to actually speaking the language IRL.