The popular online language learning program, Duolingo, recently released its iPhone app which mirrors the features and function of the web application. Duolingo is a completely free lesson and tutorial service in which you can learn a selected language at your own pace.

Duolingo reportedly has over 30,000 active users, whom the company says spends an average of 30 minutes a day on the site. Duolingo incorporates multimedia language exercises and quizzes, offering lessons in Spanish, German, English, French, and Portuguese (Italian will be added by the end of the year, the company says).

With its new mobile app, Duolingo puts language learning in the pockets of iPhone users. After you select a language, you can use your Facebook, Twitter, or regular email account to register for the service.

The free Duolingo app has no ads, subscription fees, or packages. App users start off working through a series of basic lessons, based on words for people and family members, food, animals, common phrases, and basic plurals. Each lesson consists of audio pronunciations, written translations, and quick quizzes that test for learning as you progress through workbook lessons at a time. Most quizzes are either multiple choice, sentence competitions, or type written responses.

As you successfully complete each lesson, you are awarded points, and move toward more advanced parts of your selected language.  Eventually, as you work your way through lessons, you begin to make real-world translations, which benefits you and other people on the web.

Source: Mashable