Pimsleur vs Duolingo (Which Language App Is More Effective?)

CHECK OUT THESE LANGUAGE APPS ↓↓
➡ Pimsleur: bit.ly/3UgO4eg
(7-Day Free Trial w/ Pimsleur)
➡ Duolingo: bit.ly/324kcdM
🚨 Watch Our UPDATED Duolingo vs Pimsleur Comparison: • Pimsleur vs Duolingo (...
▬ ABOUT THIS VIDEO ▬
Pimsleur vs Duolingo (Which Language App Is More Effective?). In this video, John from the Test Prep Insight team (along with a polyglot who is fluent in five different languages) compares Duolingo vs Pimsleur. These are two of the most popular language learning programs on the market. Whether you're trying to learn Spanish, French, Italian or German, it's important you select the best language app to help you become fluent. Luckily, John talks about the major pros and cons of both Pimsleur and Duolingo. He discusses lesson format and what types of drills and exercises make up each company's learning framework. Overall, John thinks Pimsleur is the more effective language learning app. The Pimsleur lessons are much more robust than Duolingo's and place a greater emphasis on conversational practice. Thanks for watching this language learning reviews guide. Hopefully it helps you decide whether Duolingo is better than Pimsleur or whether Pimsleur is any good for your specific learning preferences. Learning a new language such as Chinese, Japanese or Russian, both of these language apps are viable options. We'll see which one makes the list for best language learning apps of the year.
▬ ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE ▬
Test Prep Insight may have received the study products featured in this video for free. We retain full editorial control over the content in this video and have not accepted any monetary compensation from the brands featured to produce this video. However, in order make our business sustainable and keep our content free, we use affiliate links. That means if you make purchases through certain links at the top of the description of this video, we may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you). We appreciate your support and we look forward to continuing to provide entertaining and informative videos for you to enjoy.
▬ RELATED CONTENT ▬
Full Pimsleur vs Duolingo Review:
testprepinsight.com/compariso...
Pimsleur Spanish Review:
testprepinsight.com/reviews/p...
Duolingo Spanish Review:
testprepinsight.com/reviews/d...
Pimsleur vs Babbel Review:
testprepinsight.com/compariso...
Pimsleur vs Rosetta Stone Review:
testprepinsight.com/compariso...
▬ MONTHLY GIVEAWAY CLUB ▬
We give away a FREE language course every month to one of our subscribers. Here’s how to enter:
(1) Subscribe to the channel
(2) Like one of our videos each month (Hit the 👍 button)
(3) Comment on one of our videos each month
Want to enter more than once for a better chance to win? You can! More details here: • How To Enter Test Prep...
▬ FOLLOW US ▬
Twitter: / insight_prep
Facebook: / testprepinsight
Instagram: / testprepinsight
▬ VIDEO CHAPTERS ▬
0:00 - Introduction
0:40 - Pricing & Subscription Options
3:21 - Pimsleur Language Lessons
4:15 - Duolingo Language Lessons
5:10 - Why Pimsleur Is Better Than Duolingo
8:38 - Why Duolingo Is Better Than Pimsleur
11:04 - Verdict: Pimsleur vs Duolingo Review
#pimsleur #duolingo #pimsleurvsduolingo

[@TestPrepInsight]

🚨 NEW VIDEO 🚨 Watch Our UPDATED Duolingo vs Pimsleur Comparison Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYOZlqmFrtqNoMU 🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨 We're giving away a FREE language course every month to one of our subscribers. It takes less than 10 seconds to enter! More details can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5nbaXiiZcafZqc

[@khanshwathsaw8198]

As a Duolingo user, I would agree with a lot of your points. Duolingo isn't a great app for striking up conversations in the language. It will help you develop core grammar concepts though! Thoroughly enjoyed the review!

[@TestPrepInsight]

Totally agree! Thanks for watching!

[@deboman81]

You hit this review right in the nail with the Duolingo. I’m like on a 700 day streak for Duolingo and still feel like I haven’t accomplished a lot. I’m going to give Pimsleur a try so I can get more of a situational and conversational aspect of the language I’m learning.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Good call! Let us know how it goes

[@ginnafreehling2283]

This is super helpful thanks!

[@janekendall2631]

So glad I watched your comparison videos before making a selection. Thank You!!!

[@TestPrepInsight]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching Jane!

[@veravanheusden473]

Thank you so much for all your review videos! Today is New Year's Day.. 🎉 One of my goals for this year is to speak perfect German by the end of 2024. That's important to me because I moved to Germany. A lifetime membership with a language app would help me enormously in achieving my goal, so I would like to participate in the raffle. Thanks again & all the best for 2024! ❤

[@backtworeality]

Great video! Not close at all, but still nice to see the differences side by side.

[@caprilemons]

Thank you so much!

[@AbhiyanSingh]

An Informative comparison executed well! Great work TPI and coming towards the language, I would definitely have a try on Spanish! :D

[@TestPrepInsight]

Thanks for watching!

[@CoreyReacts]

Have been using duo for a while and having done the audio lessons on duo it’s very similar to what Pimsleur is doing. However trying pimsleur now

[@TestPrepInsight]

Let us know which you like better

[@Jim10082]

like it. great review

[@summerholloway5833]

Thanks TPI for a great review! I’m a fan of Pimsleur.

[@moody-Bayonetta]

Thanks for the information!

[@TestPrepInsight]

You bet! Thanks for watching!

[@andrewross6060]

Great comparison

[@kennybania5177]

Fantastic review. I’d go with Pimsleur. It seems like the better language learning option.

[@JD-yu3dk]

Duolingo is better to learn how to read the language, particularly Arabic which is what I’m using.

[@alainar6674]

This is a great review! Thank you! Pimsleur sounds like the best option to me.

[@eduardocorrochio3132]

Really appreciate your thorough comparison of Pimsluer and Duolingo John. I'm leaning towards Pimsleur. I like their native conversational approach. I need to improve my Mandarin for work. Thanks.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Mandarin is tough. Best of luck!

[@grasshopper1950]

This was really an excellent video that really helped me decide which learning app to get to learn another language. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this video.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kamronmardonov3032]

Thanks for your points bro

[@TestPrepInsight]

No worries! Thanks for watching!

[@parthwagh3607]

I really appreciate all that you’ve done. Thank you! I will forever be grateful to you for your help. Thank you for all you do! No words can convey my gratitude for the support I received from you. Just take my heartiest “Thank you.” Some people deserve more than just a thank you. Just like you! Thanks for everything. 😀😀😀👌👌👌🤝🤝🤝🙏🙏🙏

[@TestPrepInsight]

Thanks for watching!

[@nourkhaled7098]

Really helpful, I’ve been using Duolingo for a while I love it but I don’t feel it’s giving me the conversational fluency I desire, so Pimsleur might be it for me!

[@TestPrepInsight]

Try combining both! That might help

[@wellcoachlynell]

Your insights on Pimsleur and Duolingo help people make easy decisions. I appreciate the work and details you put in all your videos.

[@supernova1234uk]

When I tried a language that I was completely new to then I did see the value of Pimsleur. For example, I tried Hindi and I can see the listening method is better than being forced to first learn the alphabet and script before learning to listen and speak in context. I believe duo forces you to learn the script before learning simple words.

[@Crystal_Starheart]

I am using Duolingo free right now because of the economy of this program, the gaming-style lessons, and the short lessons in the training plan. Pimsleur is better for the audio focus learner and gives you the freedom and flexibility to not be tied to a device as much.

[@13SoccerMessi13]

Good review John! Pimsleur wins in my book, even with the subscription. I cant believe Duolingo hasn't fixed their translations! Learning German for work.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Nice! Thanks for watching Josh. German is tough, but has a ton of application once you learn it

[@menosscott]

I'm a Duolingo user. I've used it to learn Chinese and Japanese. From my experience learning those two languages I think it's abit difficult to say if they're suited to everyone. Duolingo not only focuses on the speaking and pronunciation of the language (Chinese pin yin tones) but also reading and comprehension of both languages' writing system. The Chinese course is in full Chinese characters which means if you're not familiar with the characters you'd have to click on the character bubbles one by one and listen to get it right. Over time you'd start to learn the characters and eventually recognise them but it'd take time and effort. Japanese on the other hand is insane. You have to learn to recognise all 3 writing systems: Hiragana (the main one especially for pronunciation, Katakana (simpler form compared to Hira mainly for borrowed words from other languages) and Kanji (basically Chinese characters to me. Shorter form of words). But unlike Chinese every section of the lesson there's alphabets for you to easily read if you can't remember the Hira / Kana symbols. As for the ads and stuff I've only used the app so I don't know what the desktop experience is like but I can go hours on the app without watching a single ad. You can easily fill up hearts by practicing and I think that's also a fine way to learn.

[@supernova1234uk]

I took the Pimsleur trial and I only see 5 levels for Spanish. When I listened to the last lesson, lesson 30 they are still speaking a lot of English and going over words like good morning. Is Pimsleur better for beginners A1-A2 level? Would I be better off just listening to learning Spanish podcasts and going through the transcripts? Thanks for your help.

[@matthewandrew]

If you use both, you’ll be fluent in no time.

[@TestPrepInsight]

It is a good combo

[@HydrogenheadsWife]

I love the Pimsleur feature that allows you to use it while driving or walking. The look and feel of Duolingo is very engaging. Tough choices!

[@TestPrepInsight]

Very tough! Thanks for watching!

[@twinkleeapen]

Thank you for the review! I would stick with Pimsleur because of its great lessons and flexibility that it offers

[@TestPrepInsight]

Good call!

[@bruceyboy7349]

In terms of reviewing the review I think there is a little too much emphasis on the negative points of the free version of Duolingo. You could completely ignore the fact there is a free version given that (as far as you say) there is no free version of Pimsleur. Therefore the existence of the free version it Duolingo can only be a positive.

[@AVPIChannel]

Does pimsleur teach you how to read/write? That is a benefit I've gotten from duolingo so far.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Hi Andrew, yes it does. Pimsleur is pretty good about incorporating writing exercises.

[@AVPIChannel]

@@TestPrepInsight thanks for the reply! I'm definitely going to research pimsleur some more!

[@jeffrose5636]

I have used them both. Duolingo is clearly inferior.

[@sinintro4316]

I use pimsleur I’m very happy I can speak and that make me be able to learn new vocabulary by myself and then if I use Duolingo I understand better.

[@lenr.1719]

Thank you, Pimsleur seems more like a better option if you're more committed to learn conversational language.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Agreed Len! Thanks for watching

[@shaunaneal627]

I want to learn Spanish!

[@tammy-cuisineexplorer2749]

I'd love to use Pimsleur and have cds from a friend but he doesn’t have all of them 😢. i am also doing duolingo because it's free. i just can't afford the subscription!

[@TestPrepInsight]

Yeah cost is the one big downside with Pimsleur

[@darrenbernat7349]

But… Duolingo is a great way to get introduced to a language. It costs nothing and it helps to build an understanding of how the language works.

[@mauriciodeer]

When I enter the Pimsleur site it only gives me the full 30 lesson per level option with the price of 150USD, where can I get the monthly subscription? Wanna learn German

[@TestPrepInsight]

Thanks for watching! Here's a link to the Pimsleur direct monthly subscription page: testprepinsight.com/go/pimsleur-comparison/

[@mauriciodeer]

@@TestPrepInsight thank you so much!

[@leeleptus]

The biggest problem with Pimsleur in my opinion is it doesn't give you enough time to respond. If you can't instantly translate in your head what they want you to say and say it as quickly as a native speaker, you are going to get interrupted with the answer, which can be frustrating. I always feel rushed with pimsleur. Even when I know the answer I find myself getting it wrong because I am just trying to translate it/say it as quickly as possible. It has definitely made me rage quit a few lessons.

[@fwfeo]

just press pause! when I feel overwhelmed or stumped, that's what I do!

[@windhamtravaris993]

just like in you real you can't always wait and think in real world first

[@mm-pl2os]

I think using them in combination is probably more effective. Duolingo is better for learning reading and writing and pimsleur is better for speaking and listening the language.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Yep, in combination this would be a good duo. Best of both worlds

[@ernestrodgers789]

I really can't stand the Duolingo update. Already purchased a subscription plan for Pimsleur and will be canceling my Duolingo Plus at the end of the month.

[@TestPrepInsight]

Everyone is saying the same thing. We need to update our Duo videos to talk about the new issues

[@ernestrodgers789]

Looking forward to viewing your video on the update. I read somewhere online that this is like the "New Coke" controversy of the 1990s when Coca-Cola finally admitted defeat and went back to the "Classic Coke" formula.

[@TestPrepInsight]

It very well could be that type of situation. All new Duo videos coming in Jan!