Survey reveals the one habit most language learners have in common

I came to Duolingo’s defense back in April, after many of you told us in a poll that you don’t think language learning apps work. Despite how they divide opinion, the majority of you in that survey did think they offered some benefit, and Duolingo is far from the only option on the market. Whichever you favor, we wanted to know more about your habits, so we polled you again on how often you actually engage with your language learning app of choice.

That question was prompted by Stephen Headrick’s recent article about trying Speak, a Duolingo alternative that takes a very different approach to language learning. Rather than leaning heavily on gamified drills and fill-in-the-blank exercises, Speak puts speaking front and center, using AI-powered conversations to push you to actually say things out loud. Stephen found that focus particularly useful for building his confidence to practice in the real world.

It’s a compelling argument, and I’d probably give it a go if I weren’t so addicted to my Duolingo streak, but at least I’m practising every day in some form. Let’s find out if you’re doing the same.

It turns out that the vast majority of us use these apps the same way. 79% of you said that you use your language learning app daily, and that’s an even bigger portion if you set aside the 6% who said they aren’t studying a second language. A much smaller subsection of you either study on the apps a few times per week or per month.

It makes sense that most people would study daily. Language learning is one of those things that’s easy to put off if it isn’t baked into your routine, and doing a little every day is usually more effective than trying to carve out a big study session once or twice a week. Opening an app for five or ten minutes lowers the mental barrier to starting, which is often the hardest part.

And of course, the apps themselves are very good at reinforcing that behavior. Tools like Duolingo, Speak, and others lean heavily on streaks and rewards to keep you coming back. You might roll your eyes at the gamification, but it works. I just passed the 1,000-day mark on my streak, and while I’m not expecting to be fluent anytime soon, at least I feel like each day hasn’t been totally wasted.