No Latvian on Duolingo? Here Are 3 Great Alternatives

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Latvian is certainly interesting to learn! Not only is it very old, but it’s also one of the only two surviving languages of the Baltic branch (next to Lithuanian).

However, before you hit the app store and start studying this, know that Duolingo doesn’t offer Latvian at this time. In this case, you ought to find yourself a Duolingo alternative—and lucky for you, we’ve got three great ones in mind! 

Why is there no Latvian on Duolingo?

Is there Latvian on Duolingo? As of this writing, Duolingo shows no signs of a Latvian course for English speakers. Nor is Latvian available on Rosetta Stone.

If you’re also wondering why Duolingo hasn’t considered working on this language, we’ve chalked it up to the following reasons: 

The demand is low

Approximately 2 million people speak Latvian—1.3 million of them being native speakers, and the remaining 100,000 coming from abroad.

With that in mind, Duolingo might not have Latvian at the moment because it isn’t being sought out internationally. The app caters largely to native English speakers, so if there isn’t much of a demand on their part, then such lessons will be put on hold. 

However, the company has also expressed interest in making courses for “smaller” languages, so really, Duolingo Latvian isn’t too much of a long shot!

The language is hard to teach

Nearly as old as Sanskrit, what makes Latvian unique is that it preserves a lot of its original form. That being said, Duolingo probably hasn’t made a Latvian course because the language is difficult to teach.

Since it’s very old, a lot of its characteristics—such as its inflections, complex grammar rules, and broad vocabulary—could intimidate new learners, as it vastly differs from English. 

But on the contrary, Duolingo has taken on harder languages before, so I suppose it boils down to our final guess:  

Duolingo stopped working with volunteer contributors

In 2021, Duolingo announced the end of its volunteer contributor program due to management and financial concerns. Instead, Duolingo will be handling all course creation internally.

Granted, it’s likely that Duolingo Latvian hasn’t been made because they don’t have a trained professional and/or native speaker on their team. Given the language’s difficulty, it’s only fitting that the company invests in qualified tutors!

Apps to learn Latvian other than Duolingo

If you’re wondering how to learn Latvian by yourself, then fortunately, there are a lot of Latvian learning apps that can help you—and we’re not just talking about Duolingo!

To get quick and engaging lessons, head on over to these amazing alternatives:

1. Mondly

Get short and easy lessons on Mondly, an app that’s full of bite-sized fun and games! With courses for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners, just about anyone can start studying Latvian here.

This platform maximizes interactivity by giving you gamified tutorials, a hands-free speaking feature, and a competitive leaderboard where you can track your learning progress! And, to top it all off, its audio accompaniment sounds as if you’re listening to native speakers.

Any user can get the basic lessons for free, but if you subscribe to Mondly Premium, you’ll gain access to more content! Yes, it’s worth it.

Key features:

• Teaches vocabulary, grammar, and speech for all levels
• Hands-free integration that lets you speak into your device
• High-quality audio

2. Glossika

Learn Latvian on Glossika

If you want to become more conversational in Latvian and learn vocabulary that sounds natural, Glossika is for you.

This app provides customized content based on your level, using full sentence practice in context, meaning your vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar acquisition are more natural. You also hear native speakers’ voices, which immerses you in correct pronunciation and accent.

What’s more, you can use Glossika hands-free when you’re commuting or working out. No excuses for skipping lessons!

Key features:

• Learn thousands of Latvian sentences
• Audio recorded by native speakers
• SRS-based review methods

3. Talkpal

Skip the predictable drills and start chatting your way to fluency with Talkpal!

This GPT-powered AI tutor specializes in immersive, real-time conversations that make learning Latvian feel fun and natural. It covers everything from reading and listening to speaking, providing instant feedback on your grammar and pronunciation as you go.

The app keeps things fresh with game-like elements, fun challenges, and questions that actually make you think. You can explore different modes depending on your goals, whether you want to dive into a specific role-play scenario, debate a complex topic, or just have a relaxed, casual conversation.

Key features:

• Real-time feedback on your grammar and phrasing
• Immersive roleplays
• Conversational approach to help improve your speaking and listening skills

Other great resources to learn Latvian

The best way to learn a new language is to maximize different resources—such as Latvian learning books, games, media, and the like! Here are some of the best ones we’ve found for Latvian: 

Preply: This tutoring platform connects you with Latvian tutors who can teach you just about anything you need to improve your Latvian skills. The best part? You can take lessons that fit your schedule and budget!

uTalk: This app offers a user-friendly approach, emphasizing practical vocabulary and phrases through interactive games. This focus on real-world communication is ideal for travelers or anyone wanting to grasp the basics for getting around in Latvia. With audio from native speakers, you’ll pick up correct pronunciation right from the start.

Udemy: This popular site offers a variety of video-based courses where independent instructors break Latvian down into manageable lessons. It’s perfect if you want a structured, self-paced approach that covers everything from basic survival phrases to essential grammar and pronunciation tips.

LSM Bērnistaba: A website for children and early learners, this one introduces the Latvian language through immersive stories, web-based games, activities, audio and video files, and the like!

italki: On italki, you can get a personal Latvian tutor, customize your lessons, and schedule regular online classes. It’s the best place to practice speaking!

Lasāmkoks: This neat website was developed by the Latvian National Library. Here, Latvian-language books are digitally stored and arranged by age group—making this perfect for all learners!

Cudoo: Learn Latvian at your own pace on Cudoo. The courses teach not just vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation but also essential culture points that’ll give a holistic and contextualized journey.

Clozemaster: Play by yourself or compete with friends on Clozemaster, an interactive learning platform! Made for intermediate learners, this app makes use of games, media files, and its iconic Cloze Test to teach you Latvian.

Forvo: This website hosts a broad library of audio files recorded by native speakers. If you’re struggling to pronounce certain words in Latvian, just look them up and hit play to give them a listen!

Complete Latvian: A beginner’s reference, this easy-to-follow book is packed with vocabulary lessons, grammar tips, real-life dialogues, assessments, and complementary audio files.

Colloquial Latvian: This introductory textbook will provide you with a step-by-step approach to learning Latvian. Comes with extensive tutorials, exercises (with answer key), and online mp3 audio.

Conclusion

You don’t need to wait on Duolingo before learning a new language, for there are many alternative platforms you could try out. With these three awesome Latvian apps, you’ll get the light, fun, and playful lessons you deserve!

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