Duolingo Opens Advanced Language Learning Content to Free Users
Online language learning platform Duolingo announced this Wednesday that it will open advanced language learning content, previously only available to paying subscribers, to all users for free. This covers nine languages – English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese – and users can access the courses via web and iOS and Android clients.
The advanced content now available corresponds to the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a standard widely recognized by schools and employers for measuring language proficiency. The B2 level learning materials emphasize moving away from translation environments, training learners to understand and express themselves in real-world contexts through complex scenarios and more specialized vocabulary. Duolingo states that this means free users have the opportunity to move from basic communication skills to an “independent user” level.
The newly offered content will include features such as “Advanced Stories” to strengthen reading comprehension skills, as well as an audio experience similar to a podcast, DuoRadio, to help users improve their listening comprehension. With these tools, users can train around more complex language contexts, such as preparing for job interviews, planning to study abroad, or attempting to read news reports, watch films, and read books without relying on translation.
Duolingo claims that it will be the only app offering a free learning path at the advanced level for the aforementioned nine languages. In contrast, competitors such as Babbel and Busuu also offer advanced courses aligned with the CEFR, but require a paid subscription for full access. For example, Busuu also offers courses up to B2 level, but the free version has significant limitations in terms of course quantity and functionality, excluding detailed grammar explanations, and users need to upgrade to a paid account for complete learning.
Prior to this adjustment, Duolingo’s free courses typically capped out at A2 or B1 level, focusing primarily on basic communication in everyday scenarios, making it difficult to systematically cover more advanced language skills. The company emphasized that opening up advanced content for free is, on the one hand, to extend users’ learning path on the platform, and on the other hand, to strengthen its differentiation in the language learning market by improving overall learning depth.
Duolingo also positions this move as a tool to help job seekers improve their competitiveness, attempting to more closely link language learning with employment prospects. The company points out that, against the backdrop of slowing global labor market growth and increasing competition, mastering a second language is seen as a realistic path to improving job opportunities. Research by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages shows that learning a second language can increase an individual’s employment opportunities by as much as 50%.
Bozena Pajak, Duolingo’s Head of Learning Science, stated in a statement that in the past, achieving a level of foreign language proficiency suitable for work often required years of expensive courses or immersive learning experiences, which was a high barrier to entry for many people. By opening up advanced courses for free, the company hopes to reduce learning costs and allow more people to approach a “work-ready” level through online learning.
From a business perspective, the move is also seen as a strategy for Duolingo to continue expanding its free user base. In its latest fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report, Duolingo disclosed that its daily active users reached 52.7 million, a 30% increase year-on-year, significantly higher than its 12.2 million paid subscribers. However, after the company predicted a slight slowdown in year-on-year growth in booked revenue in the second quarter of 2026, Duolingo’s stock price came under pressure, indicating that the market is still observing its strategy of “prioritizing user growth over short-term monetization.”
Duolingo clearly hopes that by extending the learning lifecycle of free users, improving learning depth and a sense of accomplishment, it can drive user conversion to paid subscriptions and other value-added services in the long run. In the context of increasingly homogenized language learning products and increasingly diversified charging models, balancing expanding user coverage with achieving sustainable revenue will be a question that this online education platform needs to continue to answer.