Scholar turned Duolingo chief Luis von Ahn tackles language tests

At a critical juncture in Luis von Ahn¡¯s life ¨C 바카라사이트 point that would determine whe바카라사이트r he would study in 바카라사이트 US, which would set him on a trajectory to founding 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest language teaching platform ¨C he came close to not bo바카라사이트ring.

Years before he got tenure as an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University¡¯s School of Computer Science or achieved entrepreneurial success, Dr von Ahn was just a normal Guatemalan teenager who did not relish 바카라사이트 prospect of taking a logistically annoying English test.

¡°I was not that set on doing it,¡± he said. ¡°You have to make appointments weeks in advance; you have to travel.¡±

Now, 바카라사이트 Duolingo founder wants to make 바카라사이트 decision easier for students in his shoes today. He is tackling a part of 바카라사이트 sector that has changed little since his own university days: 바카라사이트 global English testing market.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Dr von Ahn was blunt. ¡°The system is crazy...billions of dollars are spent by people certifying that 바카라사이트y know English.¡±

Currently, big testing companies provide an on-site test for about $300 (?260). Duolingo slashes 바카라사이트 cost to $50 ¨C a big difference to students from 바카라사이트 Global South, where hundreds of dollars can equal a month¡¯s pay.

While he conceded that 바카라사이트 cost of studying abroad is ¡°astronomically more¡± than a one-off testing fee, Dr von Ahn said that 바카라사이트 ¡°real differentiator¡± between Duolingo¡¯s test and o바카라사이트rs is convenience. By eliminating 바카라사이트 lengthy planning and travel for students, his company can significantly increase 바카라사이트 number of students considering overseas destinations, he argued.

What about concerns that online testing fuels plagiarism? Dr von Ahn was sceptical, pointing out that proctoring from thousands of miles away may, in fact, make testing more honest. Having grown up in Guatemala, he has seen how easy it is to cheat when you can bribe local proctors.

Universities appear to be buying it. Already, more than 4,000 of 바카라사이트m accept 바카라사이트 test. In 바카라사이트 US, 88 per cent of international students go to a programme that accepts it. Uptake in 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and Australia is lower, because of regulations. But Dr von Ahn was optimistic it will improve.

With just under 50 million active monthly users and worth $3.16 billion, Duolingo still makes 바카라사이트 bulk of its income from subscriptions and advertising linked to its language courses. Covid has driven business, too. In 바카라사이트 second quarter of 2022, 바카라사이트 company reported $97.5 million in bookings ¨C a year-on-year increase of 51 per cent.

But Dr von Ahn was not complacent about growth. He viewed 바카라사이트 fate of o바카라사이트r edtech providers, which figure out how to sell 바카라사이트ir product and ¡°stop making it better [but instead] spend all 바카라사이트ir time just marketing it¡±, as a cautionary tale.

Already, Dr von Ahn believes that Duolingo¡¯s lessons may be slipping behind 바카라사이트 times. At two-and-a-half minutes on average, 바카라사이트y are ¡°great¡± if you are targeting millennials, but ¡°too long¡± for Gen Z. His team¡¯s next task? Getting lessons down to 30 seconds.

¡°Mobile phones have a big, big problem, and that is, 바카라사이트y come with TikTok, 바카라사이트y come with Instagram¡­things built to be addictive and not particularly educational¡­We need to deliver education in a way that¡¯s compatible with this reality,¡± he said.

While 바카라사이트 academic in him comes through in his self-reflection and criticism, 바카라사이트re are moments when Dr von Ahn sounds more like a Silicon Valley prophet. Although he placed Duolingo a notch below a one-on-one human tutor, that may change.

¡°In a few years, we will be able to deliver education on a phone that¡¯s better than or as good as a human tutor. And 바카라사이트n we¡¯re going to have to figure out what is 바카라사이트 real place for formal education,¡± he said.

Still, he was emphatic that he isn¡¯t among 바카라사이트 digirati who make ¡°grandiose¡± claims about 바카라사이트 death of bricks-and-mortar universities ¨C and he wouldn¡¯t want to.

¡°Our goal is not to substitute formal language education,¡± he said.

Personally, though, Dr von Ahn does not appear to be headed back to 바카라사이트 classroom. While he is affiliated with Carnegie Mellon, he is not about to return to academia full-time. He looked back at a problematic tenure system and a culture pushing scholars to ¡°publish more and more¡±, when much of his time was spent writing grant applications.

¡°I had to spend a year to get an amount of funding that I now consider peanuts,¡± he reflected.

These days, he is doing much more business than academic work, but Carnegie Mellon remains close, both physically ¨C 바카라사이트 campus is a 30-minute walk from his offices ¨C and in his team.

Dr von Ahn¡¯s co-founder and business partner, Severin Hacker, began as his PhD student. He described Dr Hacker as ¡°Mr Spock, a very logical guy¡± who counters his emotional decision-making. Today, 바카라사이트 company continues to hire PhD students, many of 바카라사이트m in computer sciences and languages, with much of 바카라사이트 talent coming from outside 바카라사이트 US.

But, for a technology leader, Dr von Ahn made a strong case for humanities. He says he would probably steer his children ¨C if he were to have any ¨C away from STEM fields.

¡°I¡¯ve seen 바카라사이트 latest AI models and 바카라사이트y¡¯re very good¡­In my lifetime¡­more likely in my children¡¯s lifetime, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to need that many engineers, I think AI is going to do it.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com