Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal tries Duolingo to learn Spanish: '100 days and I still couldn't speak or write'

'Duolingo does not teach you basic concepts of grammar,' Gaurav Munjal said.

Gaurav Munjal, the CEO of Unacademy, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience with Duolingo and highlight the shortcomings of the popular language learning app.

Despite achieving a 100-day streak on Duolingo for Spanish, Munjal confessed that he was unable to speak or write the language fluently. He attributed this to the app's oversimplified approach and lack of focus on fundamental grammar concepts.

"Duolingo does not teach you basic concepts of grammar. It just makes you do the exercises with the hope that you’ll learn them on your own," Munjal explained.

The first problem with Duolingo is the over simplification of the problem statement. Duolingo does not teach you basic concepts of grammar. It just makes you do the exercises with the hope that youll learn them on your own.
Gaurav Munjal (@gauravmunjal) November 28, 2024

To address these shortcomings, Munjal launched Airlearn, his own language learning platform. He believes that Airlearn offers a more comprehensive and effective learning experience by prioritizing grammar and cultural context.

"Airlearn not only teaches you the grammar concepts, it teaches you about the culture of the people who speak the language you’re trying to learn," he said.

Munjal shared screenshots from Airlearn, showcasing its focus on foundational grammar concepts. He also highlighted positive user reviews, with one user praising the app's unique approach and suggesting it should be entirely free. Another user, who had previously used Duolingo, expressed preference for Airlearn.

"Everyday we are making more and more people switch from Duolingo to Airlearn. It’s time for you to make the switch too," Munjal wrote.

Earlier this month, Munjal announced that Airlearn had surpassed one million completed lessons in October. The majority of users on the platform are from the United States, with Spanish and French being the most popular languages.