Duocon 2024 Highlights

Welcome Message

• Speaker: Luis, CEO and Co-Founder of Duolingo
• Event: Sixth Annual Duocon
• Overview: Exciting new features will be discussed.

New Features Introduced

1. Video Call

   • Practice real-world conversation with the character Lily.
   • Designed to feel like a natural conversation.
   • Lily has memory to remember user interests.
   • Automatic difficulty adjustment based on user level.
   • Focuses on communication rather than grammar correction.
   • Available for Max subscribers on iOS learning English, Spanish, and French.

2. Adventures

   • Video-game-like experience within lessons.
   • Engage in real-world scenarios, e.g., ordering at a café.
   • Combines fun with practical language use.
   • Ideal for beginners and up.
   • Introduces immersive feedback; characters redirect users instead of correcting.

3. Friend Streak

   • Users can share streaks with friends to motivate each other.
   • Encourages daily practice and accountability.

Learning Courses Updates

• Math and Music Courses
  • Over 250 million lessons completed in Math and Music.
  • Math: New real-world applications and gamified learning.
  • Music: Real songs from popular artists, real-time feedback when playing instruments.

Learning Approach at Duolingo

• AI and Human Collaboration
  • AI is guided by human experts to create personalized experiences.
  • Examples of how AI enhances learning: visuals, course content, translations, and personalization.

Importance of Motivation

• Gamification elements keep users engaged.
• Duolingo encourages building a habit of daily practice through fun interactions.

Duo's Personality Evolution

• Duo embraces a duality: wholesome in-app persona vs. playful, edgy social media presence.
• Engaging marketing strategies incorporate user feedback and fun brand moments.

Closing Remarks

• Encourage participants to learn with friends for better outcomes.
• Reminder to keep practicing on Duolingo and enjoy learning.

Summary of Key Speakers

• Zan Gilani: Explained Video Call feature and its benefits for real conversation practice.
• Bozena Pajak: Discussed the role of AI in creating engaging learning experiences.
• Kate Barker: Introduced Adventures and its immersive learning approach.
• Cem Kansu: Encouraged collaboration through the new Friend Streak feature.
• Ryan Sims & Manu Orssaud: Talked about Duo's evolving personality and engagement strategies.
• Emily Li: Highlighted updates in the Math course focusing on real-world applications.
• Jenny Cha: Announced new features in the Music course, including real songs and instrument feedback.