For some time now, I’ve been working on learning German more systematically. I decided to turn this intention into a concrete goal and use Duolingo as one of the pillars of my learning plan.
In this post, I’m sharing the results — what exactly I did, the stages I went through, and why I did it. Maybe it will inspire others who are also learning languages.
Duolingo is a very popular language-learning app that teaches through gamification.
There are levels, points, badges — and lessons divided into units and levels within those units.
To complete a course, you need to go through lesson after lesson, collect XP, and finish individual skills.
👉 “In gold” means that a unit has been mastered 100% — all lessons completed at the highest level, and the icon turns gold.
It’s simple, but very motivating (at least for me).
My first big milestone: I completed the entire German course in English — everything in gold ✨
Course structure:
Module 1 → 9 units
Module 2 → 24 units
Module 3 → 28 units
Module 4 → 51 units
Module 5 → 220 units
➡️ Total: 332 units and 80 levels!
It’s a huge amount of work — I estimate it took me around 330 hours, which is about 15 full days of learning.
It wasn’t easy, but the satisfaction? Priceless 💪
After finishing the first course, I started the German course in Polish.
I have already completed 3 out of 4 modules, all in gold ✨
Course structure:
Module 1 → 10 sections
Module 2 → 30 sections
Module 3 → 30 sections
Estimated time spent so far: around 80 hours (about 3.5 full days of learning).
The fourth module has just been released, so I’m currently working on it.
I wanted to give my language learning structure and a clear plan instead of studying “from time to time.”
Duolingo helped me:
stay consistent,
see real progress,
and keep daily contact with the language — even just a few minutes a day.
It was a way to connect motivation with measurable results.
And the gold levels? Just the cherry on top 🍒
2 German courses (EN→DE and PL→DE)
over 400 units combined
everything in gold 🏅
around 400 hours of learning
lots of new vocabulary, structures, and confidence in the language
This project has been my way of learning German consistently — step by step, every day, with satisfaction and curiosity 💬