Dear DuoLingo Team,
I signed up in July of 2012, back when Rosetta Stone still ruled the shelves and the idea of learning a language for free on your phone felt like something out of a mildly optimistic sci-fi novel. But then there you were. A green owl, no ads, no gimmicks, just a steady stream of vocabulary and oddly memorable sentences about animals doing suspicious things.
I don’t think I fully realized at the time that I was getting in at the start of something big. Over the years, I’ve watched DuoLingo evolve from a sleek little app into a full-fledged language-learning universe. Stories, leagues, podcasts, characters with distinct personalities, daily quests, legendary ranks, and more encouragement than I probably deserved. Somehow, you made it all feel inviting without being overwhelming.
And yes, I stuck with Spanish. Still am. I’m not fluent, but I’m a lot closer than I would have been without you. More importantly, I’ve enjoyed the journey. I’ve laughed at your example sentences, replayed certain soundbites more times than I’d care to admit, and felt a genuine sense of accomplishment with every milestone. You made learning fun, consistent, and just structured enough that I kept coming back.
Not many apps stay on someone’s phone for more than a few months. You’ve been with me for over a decade. That says something. Thank you for sticking with your mission, for constantly improving, and for finding ways to keep people like me learning year after year.
Gratefully,
James
P.S. If there’s a secret badge for being here since the beginning, I won’t say no.