Why I Use Both Duolingo and Rosetta Stone for learning German.
Hallo! Ich bin Erin. Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.
Hello. I’m Erin. I speak a bit of German.
My Journey:
My first experience with Duolingo was back in secondary school, when I was learning Spanish. It was colourful, fun, and a little addictive. For the past few years, I’ve been using it again, this time, for German!!
At first, the dopamine rush from streaks and XP kept me going. But eventually, that wore off. That’s when I added Rosetta Stone, not to replace Duolingo, but to support it.
Why do I use both?
I’m not here to shame one app over the other. They’re designed differently—and that’s why they complement each other so well. That’s my reason for using both instead of one.
Duolingo: it’s fast-paced, light, and vocabulary-focused.
Rosetta Stone: i’s slower and immersive. It also encourages actual speaking.
Since i’m planning to head to Berlin one day, they help me build both recognition and practical usage of German.
Duolingo Review: Easy to Start, Easy to Fall.
It's pretty well known in the language learning space.
Firstly, the format of the app is bright, colourful, and game-like. This gaming format is seen through its rewarding system by rewarding consistency with XP points, badges, and streaks. You can add your friends as well, which is great in my opinion.
In hindsight (for someone who’s had it for 6 years), the gaming format is great for beginners and people who want a fun experience, yet over time this initial dopamine rush fades. It becomes repetitive, and you can feel a bit guilty if you don’t keep up your streak and do those monthly challenges.
The biggest issue for me is that it's very easy to skip speaking and listening exercises.
Then, I realised that I could understand German in written form, but I couldn’t speak it. My pronunciation was off. Not great. :(
Rosetta Stone Review: Focused
I was on the hunt for the past 6 months to find a good addition to my learning; I tried others, but Rosetta Stone has been the best so far!
In my experience, Rosetta Stone is designed to get you speaking. It trains your pronunciation and makes speaking out loud unavoidable, which is exactly what I needed.
For example, in my first exercise I kept messing up “Frau” (woman or wife). I had to repeat it several times. It was frustrating at the time, yet this format actually helped it stick in my brain—repetition through speaking worked.
This kind of repetition through speaking, listening, and visual cues reminded me of how I used to memorise quotes from Frankenstein or Othello in school.
Repetition trains your brain.
Final thoughts
To conclude, learning a language takes time and figuring out what works for you. Duolingo is a great start to get immersed in a language, but if you really want to work on your pronunciation, use Rosetta Stone as an addition.
They may seem like opposites in format, but they’re better together!
I hope you do well in your journey of learning a language! :)
Danke schön!
— Erin