Earlier on Wednesday, Duolingo announced that it is providing advanced language learning materials in nine languages, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, for free. This information is available to users via iOS, Android, and the web.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), an international benchmark for language proficiency that is accepted by both companies and educational institutions, places this advanced content at the B2 level. Learning materials lacking translations, intricate scenarios, and specialized vocabulary are referred to as B2 level content.
The B2 level is the fourth CEFR level, which is also the B2 Upper Intermediate, which describes a self-support, self-sufficient user who can develop detailed material on a wide range of themes, with the ability to comprehend complicated, technical literature and converse fluently. This level of proficiency is the norm for worldwide employment and academic study since learners can converse naturally with native speakers without any difficulty.
Back to the features onboarded, like “Advanced Stories,” which aids with reading comprehension, and DuoRadio, an audio experience akin to podcasts for listening comprehension, will be included in the new offering.
The fact that Duolingo users now have free access to this advanced learning material, they can improve their abilities, whether they’re preparing for a job interview, getting ready to study overseas, or taking on challenging news stories, movies, and books without the need for translations.
The business makes this, making it the only free software that provides advanced language instruction in all nine of these languages. Advanced courses are offered by rivals like Babbel and Busuu; however, they usually require costly subscriptions. For example, Busuu offers certain CEFR-aligned courses up to the B2 level, but users must pay for full access because the free version is somewhat limited and does not include lessons like grammatical explanations.
In recent times, Duolingo played a little role by only offering free courses that focused mostly on fundamental communication skills and were limited to A2 or B1 levels.
By presenting language learning as a useful means of enhancing employability in a workforce that is becoming more and more internationally recognized, the corporation is pitching its free advanced learning program as an alluring possibility for intending job searchers around the world.
This is coming at a time when overall growth has slowed and the labour market is still quite competitive. Also, learning a second language has the potential to increase a person’s employability by up to 50%, based on research, according to research from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
Bozena Pajak, head of learning science at Duolingo, said in a statement that “most people used to be out of reach for reaching job-ready proficiency in a new language.” “Years of costly classes or immersive experiences that not everyone could access were necessary.”
Another tactic to grow its free user base is Duolingo’s choice to provide advanced learning for free. The company reported 52.7 million daily active users in its Q4 earnings report, a 30% increase over the previous year. Its paid subscriber base of 12.2 million is less than this figure. However, Duolingo’s stock dropped as the business predicted a little drop in the year-over-year bookings growth rate for Q2 2026.
Duolingo has advised that its users can access the advanced learning content, which is available to all users on the web, iOS, and Android versions of Duolingo, and while the lessons themselves are free, the standard “Hearts” system still applies to free users, meaning frequent mistakes at these more difficult levels may require you to pause or practice older content to continue.
Additionally, subscribers to Duolingo Max can gain access to AI-powered conversational tools like Video Call with Lily, which allows for real-time dialogue practice tailored to these higher skill levels.