The Duolingo application, focused on mathematics at the elementary school level, should be released next year.
Duolingo’s founder and CEO Luis von Ahn wants to use a mathematical version of the popular language learning application to distract kids from TikTok and Instagram.
The company sees all other popular free applications, instead of educational platforms, as its rivals, because they compete for the time the user spends in front of the screen. “Duolingo is known for learning foreign languages, but our mission has always been comprehensive it’s about systemic education,” von Ahn told BBC News.
Duolingo Math App for schools
“Physically building schools around the world would cost billions, and smartphones can reach two-thirds of the human population. However, the problem with smartphones is that they are a double-edged sword they also come with distractions, like TikTok,” he said. is.
Launched in 2012, Duolingo has 40 million monthly users and has been downloaded 500 million times worldwide. “We started teaching the language because there was a huge need to learn English around the world, which immediately increased the income, but we always wanted to teach other things,” says von Ahn. He himself designed the first Spanish course in this application, as a native speaker from Guatemala.
Switching from language to math, however, may not be an easy equation – especially since the new target users will be mostly children.
Duolingo has not yet decided whether to place his math app on schools or individuals, von Ahn says, but plans to follow the same business model as the language app, which is free.
Only 5 percent of users pay a subscription to the premium version, and 75 percent of the company’s revenue comes from that, the rest from ads. “I come from a poor country, Guatemala, and I saw the difference between those who had access to the best education and those who did not know how to read and write, so I wanted to do something that would give people access to education,” he said.
Duolingo Math App Release Date
“In 2021, everyone should have the opportunity for higher education, we still have decades of work left, but I dedicate my time to that,” said the founder. Duolingo Math App release rate should be sometime in 2022.