What Is a Lingua Franca, and How Does It Improve Communication?
Lingua francas are used by people who don't have a language in common—and they have a long, complex history! Here are some lingua francas you'll find around the world.| Duolingo Blog
Lingua francas are used by people who don't have a language in common—and they have a long, complex history! Here are some lingua francas you'll find around the world.| Duolingo Blog
Being left-handed used to be taboo, and that changed how languages talked about “left”! Here's how cultures avoided saying this forbidden word.| Duolingo Blog
Learn more about language families and what makes Zulu unique!| Duolingo Blog
You might have seen “1st person” or “2nd person” before, but what do they mean? Here’s how grammatical “person” works and when you’ll use it.| Duolingo Blog
Learning a new language is like solving a puzzle, and it helps to know what to look out for! Here's what beginners can expect when studying a language for the first time.| Duolingo Blog
Languages can be so different from each other—but there are a few words nearly all languages have in common! Can you guess which ones?| Duolingo Blog
Most of Spanish comes from Latin—but the Goths contributed many words, too. Here's how Spanish got a little Gothic and which Gothic words are still used today.| Duolingo Blog
Southern France didn't always speak French—it used to be the home of Occitan. Here's what happened to all the Occitan speakers.| Duolingo Blog
Long ago, Celtic tribes—and their words—made their home in Spain. Here are some of the surprising Celtic terms that you still find in Spanish today!| Duolingo Blog
Duolingo experts explain what makes Latin an interesting language to learn.| Duolingo Blog
How do languages become more inclusive? From new words and phrases to neopronouns, here's how languages around the world are representing gender!| Duolingo Blog
Learning a second language changes how your brain works—so what about learning a third language? Here’s how your brain handles this new task.| Duolingo Blog
These similar words mean very different things and can lead to funny mistakes for learners! Here's everything you need to know about false cognates.| Duolingo Blog
Learn more about grammatical gender: where it comes from, how different languages use it, and the other ways languages classify nouns.| Duolingo Blog
How long do you need to become conversational in a language? Here are learning milestones and tips for making the most of your time.| Duolingo Blog
For new learners, it can be hard to know what order words go in. Here are some simple patterns to look for and tips for creating your own sentences in Spanish and other languages!| Duolingo Blog
It's hard for learners to keep their languages apart! Here's how your brain applies words and rules from your first language to a new one.| Duolingo Blog
English and Spanish share a lot of cognates, and they are really helpful for learners! Here are tips for using Spanish cognates to boost your learning.| Duolingo Blog
When learning a new language, it's easy to focus on all the differences in words and grammar. But languages actually have a lot in common, too!| Duolingo Blog
Languages are always evolving new words, meanings, and even grammar—but why? Here's why languages change over time.| Duolingo Blog
Learn the difference between a dialect and an accent, and how both evolve over time!| Duolingo Blog
Learn more about the roots of the English language, and how the English language evolved over time!| Duolingo Blog
Language families come in all shapes and sizes—some include hundreds of languages, and others just a few. This overview covers 22 of the main groups!| Duolingo Blog
What does it mean for languages to be related, and how do they become so different? This is how languages change over time!| Duolingo Blog
The history of Spanish started even before the Romans arrived in Spain, and it's still evolving today! Here's the story of where Spanish came from.| Duolingo Blog
Mistakes are a natural part of learning a new language—it's just how our brains are built! Here are the mistakes an accomplished polyglot makes, even after 25 years.| Duolingo Blog
