Duolingo updates Android and iOS apps with new language courses and more

Duolingo, a language-learning service, has updated its Android and iOS apps, and announced the Duolingo Test Center.

The update to the Duolingo app for Android (now up to version number 2.40) is minor when compared to update for the Duolingo app for iOS (now up to version 4.0). The Android app gains performance improvements, as well as the inclusion of an English course for Hindi speakers, a German course for Russian speakers, and a French course for German speakers.

On the other hand, the Duolingo app for iOS, apart from the above new features in the Android app, gets some other additions - a new navigation bar, redesigned course selectors, cleaner UI, new lesson end screens with more statistics, and Duel. The 'Duel' feature enables users to challenge their friends or compete with an AI-powered robot in language challenges.

During the TNW Europe 2014 conference in Amsterdam, Luis von Ahn, co-founder of the Duolingo app, announced the Duolingo Test Centre. Scheduled to roll-out in the next three weeks, the $20 language certification test can be taken via the mobile app. He pointed out that similar in-person certification cost around $300. As a part of the test, the app will have the access to users' smartphone's camera and mic, and requires the test taker to stand in a corner, making sure than no one is feeding them answers from behind while giving the test.

At the conference, von Ahn also explained how Duolingo generates enough money to keep the service free for users. The content that users translates in order to learn different languages is taken from publishers who want their content translated. In this manner, the users get to learn the language free and the publishers also get their content translated at a nominal price, becoming a source of revenue for Duolingo.

Duolingo first arrived in 2012, and quickly won many accolades, being awarded 'Google Play's "Best of the Best" 2013' and 'Apple's 2013 App of the Year'. Its co-founder, Luis von Ahn, is best known for inventing the Captcha and reCaptcha, and the latter is now under Google.

The Duolingo app is available to download from Google Play and App Store, and the web service can be found at www.duolingo.com.