My summary of Duolingo Max before using it — Duolingo using generative AI to help its users learn new languages.
How does Duolingo Max explain itself in the first minute? — The Duolingo blog post that announced Duolingo Max talks about “a learning experience powered by GPT-4”. Duoling Max is a new subscription tier that gives users access to two new features: “Explain My Answer” and “Roleplay”. Both are based on OpenAI’s GPT-4.
“Explain My Answer” is a new feature that aims to give users more insight during a lesson. Similar to common chatbot functionality, learners can enter a chat to get a simple explanation about why their answer was right or wrong, and can ask Duo to elaborate or provide more examples.
“Roleplay” lets users practice real-world conversation skills in the app. Users can order a coffee in French from Oscar, for example. Because these conversations are powered by AI, conversations will feel dynamic and different each time one uses the roleplay feature. I particularly like Duolingo’s “Roleplay report” capability which wraps up the conversation the user has just had and offers additional tips.
Main learning point: With AI-based features like “Explain My Answer” and “Roleplay” Duolingo Max moves on from highly scripted conversations and fixed learning scenarios. Instead, users can now engage in much more interactive conversations and learning experiences.
Related links for further learning:
