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Nestled in the heart of the South Caucasus and bordered by Eastern Europe and West Asia, Georgia is a charming country that can awaken anyone’s wanderlust. Here, ancient traditions blend seamlessly with modern life, and nature’s beauty knows no bounds.
But before you immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes and rich culture of Georgia, why not study its language first? The good news is that the Georgian language is just as unique as the country, with its artful alphabet, 2000-year history, and melodic sound.
The not-so-good news? There aren’t that many apps with Georgian language courses. If you’re looking for a Duolingo Georgian course in particular, well, that doesn’t exist.
But hey, there are several Duolingo alternatives that can teach you Georgian just fine. Keep on reading to see your best options.
What is Duolingo?
With over 575 million users and counting, Duolingo is undoubtedly the most popular language-learning app today. Launched in 2012, the app became known over the years for its bite-sized, gamified lessons.
These lessons teach vocabulary and a little bit of grammar while boosting your reading, listening, and speaking skills. The exercises are fun but the app as a whole can be quite addicting, thanks to its challenges, badges, leaderboard, and other features that can trigger your competitive spirit.
To date, Duolingo has 100+ courses in over 40 languages, including popular ones like English, Spanish, French, and Italian. But the list also includes conlangs like Esperanto and High Valyrian, as well as endangered languages such as Navajo and Zulu.
There are a myriad of reasons why Georgian isn’t on Duolingo but there have been a few petitions for it. Now that the Duolingo Incubator is no longer live, it’s hard to know for sure when a Duolingo Georgian course will be launched or if the company is working on it at all.
The best Duolingo alternatives for learning Georgian
Fortunately, even without Duolingo, you can still learn Georgian with mobile apps. These three offer courses that target a whole range of skills and can help you whether you’re a novice or an advanced learner.
1. Ling App
For engaging and bite-sized lessons, check out Ling’s Georgian course. This app promises to teach you Georgian in just 10 minutes a day!
With Ling, you can learn tons of Georgian words and phrases, form sentences and understand Georgian grammar, train your ears, and develop conversational skills. And you get to do all these through fun mini-games and quizzes.
One of Ling’s best features is its interactive chatbot which lets you improve your pronunciation. And since Georgian has its own script, the writing (finger-tracing) will help you master Georgian characters in no time. Start learning on Ling now!
Key features:
- Interactive mini-games and challenges for all skill levels
- Relevant vocabulary and useful grammar tips
- Chatbot helps improve conversational skills
2. uTalk
Georgian phonology is a challenge for many English speakers, especially with its consonant clusters and ejective consonants. But it’s also one of the most fun parts of learning this language.
uTalk understands that learning the language requires constant exposure to native speakers. The app features audio recordings of native speakers so that you can hear the correct pronunciation and intonation of words.
As for vocabulary, uTalk is crammed with thousands of Georgian words and phrases across 60+ topics. This means you’ll be learning frequently used terms and more! The exercises are gamified too and far from boring.
Key features:
- Audio clips for improving your listening and speaking skills
- Learn lots of useful Georgian words and phrases
- Games become progressively difficult but rewarding, increasing your motivation
3. Clozemaster
If you’re an intermediate or advanced learner and you want to take your Georgian learning journey to the next level, Clozemaster is the app for you. Not only is it gamified but also more challenging than most apps.
Clozemaster fills gaps in your vocabulary through cloze deletion tests, which are a series of sentences with a missing word. Your task is to select or enter the correct word solely from context. This helps you expand your vocabulary while boosting your comprehension.
What about your conversational skills? Clozemaster doesn’t skip the listening and speaking practice. The app features native-speaker audio clips as well as a text-to-speech function. Plus, with a leaderboard and detailed stats, it’s not hard to stay motivated.
Key features:
- Contextual tests help you learn new words and how they are used
- Real-life vocabulary with audio
- 8-bit, game-like features for a more immersive experience
Other great resources to learn Georgian
Build your Georgian learning toolkit with more useful online and offline resources. Here are some of my recommendations:
italki: Fast-track your Georgian learning with native-speaking tutors on italki. Choose from professional teachers or community tutors who can help you with conversation practice, grammar, spelling, and more. You can even request customized lessons.
Preply: There aren’t that many Georgian tutors on Preply but the platform is still worth exploring if you’re looking for experienced teachers who know the ins and outs of the language. Rates are affordable and scheduling classes is a breeze.
Beginner’s Georgian with Online Audio: Build a strong foundation in Georgian with this course book that comes with free audio files. It features everyday vocabulary, grammar, effective exercises, and an informative section on the language, culture, and Georgian history.
Glossika: Learn from thousands of Georgian sentences to develop your lexicon and comprehension, as well as grammar knowledge. Then, listen to audio from native speakers to absorb the language naturally.
Learn to Read Georgian in 5 Days: A painless guide to mastering the Georgian alphabet, this book breaks down Georgian characters before you proceed to learning essential words.
Tandem: Looking for Georgian native speakers to practice what you’ve learned so far? Tandem has a pool of Georgian speakers and learners who can help you improve your skills through fun, engaging conversations.
Georgian for Beginners (Alison): Master basic Georgian vocabulary and grammar with this free Alison course. This course is easy to follow as it uses simple sentences and common grammatical rules that you can apply when speaking to native speakers.
Cudoo: A beginner-friendly course, Cudoo’s Level 1 Georgian includes 20 interactive lessons on self-introduction, learning numbers, simple greetings, food and drinks, and more. Comes with a certificate too!
Georgian: A Reading Grammar: A clear and thorough introduction to the language, this textbook teaches how to read and understand Georgian. You won’t develop conversational skills here but you’ll acquire vocabulary, learn word usage, and master grammar through its concise explanations.
Hoda-Georgia: Learn Georgian words and explore Georgian culture with Beka and Gvantsa. Apart from the fun lessons, I love that this duo takes you through interesting sights and shares interesting tidbits about the culture.
Conclusion
No Georgian on Duolingo? No worries! Learning Georgian can be an incredibly fulfilling experience all the same with the above apps, courses, and books.
Choose from the recommended tools above, set aside some study time daily, and be amazed at your progress. Have fun and soon, you’ll master Georgian!