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If you’re interested in studying Albanian, you’ll be in for one exciting ride!
Spoken by 7.6 million people globally, the language is as distinct as it’s historically relevant. After all, it’s an independent linguistic branch in itself, owing much of its existence to the Indo-European language family.
However, once you’re on the hunt for references, you might ask yourself: Is Albanian on Duolingo? I hate to break it to you, but unfortunately, the language isn’t on Duolingo and there’s hardly been any news about it being developed.
If you want to skip the wait and get learning fast, then why not find another Albanian learning app? Who knows, you might even learn more from these Duolingo alternatives!
Why is there no Albanian on Duolingo?
Duolingo has taken the liberty to make courses for difficult, endangered, and fictional languages—so these factors shouldn’t limit their selection.
And yet, Albanian still isn’t available on their app for reasons unknown.
While the company hasn’t given an official response on the matter, here are some possibilities I’ve chalked it up to:
Albanian can be challenging to learn
Albanian is interesting because it doesn’t share many qualities with other languages—making it a standalone linguistic branch! (According to some experts, it can be regarded as a modern representation of an original Indo-European language.)
The language’s vocabulary and grammar rules resemble Greek, Latin, and other extinct Indo-European languages only slightly.
As a result, Albanian can be difficult to teach because its complex structure, inflections, and abundant noun and verb forms might not suit Duolingo’s “playful” teaching standards.
The language isn’t on demand
Duolingo decides on new language courses based on the number of users these can generate. (This explains why fictional dialects made the cut.)
That being said, the developers probably haven’t looked into Albanian because it isn’t as popular as other languages. But even so, the fact that there are active online forums implies that there is some form of interest out there!
Duolingo stopped volunteer contributors
Duolingo ended their volunteer contributor program and shut down the Duolingo Incubator in 2021, meaning that they’ll only rely on their employees, moving forward.
With that in mind, Albanian probably isn’t on the app because they might not have a native speaker or trained linguist on their team yet. Especially for a unique language like this, it’s important to get someone with experience!
While there are no telling signs yet whether Albanian Duolingo will be considered, there are many different apps that have already stepped up and made tutorials of their own!
Apps to learn Albanian other than Duolingo:
There might not be a Duolingo Albanian course, but fear not!
These three alternatives didn’t only take on the challenge of creating a comprehensive language course, but they’ve likewise adapted the light, playful atmosphere reminiscent of their counterpart. (And, between you and me, I’d say they’re even better!)
1. Ling App
Ling has gamified lessons to keep your Albanian studies fresh. Balancing structure with substance, you’ll get dynamic tutorials tailor-fit to your needs—should that be reading, writing, or speaking!
Whether you want to peruse its courses, practice with flashcards or test yourself using word quizzes, this app can support all kinds of fun!
On top of that, it’s equipped with an interactive chatbot where you can practice your dialogue.
Key features:
- Incorporates playful mini-games with its content
- Built-in chatbot for conversation practice
- Has courses for beginners and above
2. Pimsleur
Get FREE access to Pimsleur Albanian
Power through your studies with Pimsleur’s audio lessons.
Based on the proven Pimsleur Method, this platform is determined to effectively teach you Albanian through immersion and repetition. It also contains additional flashcards and speed-round games to keep you energized!
While it isn’t as interactive as Duolingo, it’s perfect for those who want to build their conversational skills quickly and effectively.
Key features:
- Daily, 30-minute audio lessons
- Deep focus on building conversational skills
- Based on the tried-and-tested Pimsleur Method
3. uTalk
uTalk offers a user-friendly and engaging way to learn Albanian, whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to brush up on your conversational skills. This app caters to those interested in Standard Albanian, the official language of Albania.
uTalk’s strength lies in its interactive and gamified approach. Unlike traditional methods that can feel dry, it incorporates games, images, and even music to make learning Albanian enjoyable. By associating words with visuals and catchy rhythms, you’ll find yourself memorizing vocabulary and phrases more effectively.
Beyond memorization, uTalk Albanian prioritizes proper pronunciation. The app features recordings by native speakers and utilizes voice recognition technology. This allows you to practice speaking Albanian and receive feedback on your pronunciation.
Key features:
- Builds vocabulary through engaging games and exercises
- Huge library of words and phrases covering plenty of topics
- Teaches native speaker pronunciation
Other great resources to learn Albanian
In this day and age, you can easily top up your studies through a simple online search. From Albanian learning books to mobile apps, games to online classes, the possibilities are endless!
Preply: For native-speaking Albanian tutors, head over to Preply. This platform connects you to expert tutors offering a variety of courses from beginner to advanced levels at rates that won’t hurt your wallet.
italki: With a wide selection of professional and community tutors, this platform lets you choose your ideal instructor and schedule regular online classes, starting at $7/hour.
Cudoo: Easily start learning the Albanian language with the help of Cudoo’s online courses. The lessons are prepared based on high global standards, which is why the courses come with certificates. There’s a dedicated course for Business Albanian too!
Colloquial Albanian: The Colloquial series is ever-so familiar to the serious language learner—and luckily, they’ve got a textbook for Albanian! Composed of alphabet and grammar lessons, cultural points, and narratives, this reference is your best bet to get ahead!
- Mayhew (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 09/15/2017 (Publication Date) – Hippocrene Books (Publisher)
Beginner’s Albanian: Like the name states, this user-friendly book simplifies concepts for absolute beginners. Using its 13 practical lessons, exercises, culture notes, and online audio—for certain, you’ll get a well-rounded introduction to Albanian!
Discovering Albanian 1: To study Albanian on a conversational level, this reliable, three-part series (consisting of a textbook, workbook, and audio supplement) is easily one of the best places to get started! Browse through its array of dialogues, readings, and review material.
Smart Albanian with Jonis: This YouTube channel puts a lot of love into its videos, as it aims to teach the Albanian language in an easy and accessible manner. Perfect for complete beginners, it guarantees to get you speaking in just 5 minutes!
Clozemaster: This engaging platform provides you with sentences that have a missing word, and your task is to select or enter the correct word from context. This approach, also known as a cloze test, helps you learn how to use words in context, which is essential for effective communication.
Conclusion
Just because Duolingo lacks an Albanian course doesn’t mean you’ve hit a dead end. With these three apps at hand, you won’t just get a grasp of core lessons, but you’ll also have a fun and enjoyable time doing so!
In addition, you have a number of other resources to check out, such as Albanian language games, books, and media.