Anyone else think language learning apps are missing the fun part?

I think I’d optimize less for streaks and more for reducing the fear of sounding "silly." Like the scary part of leaning a language isn’t usually “can I memorize 20 words today”, it’s if I can I actually use them in a messy IRL conversation without freezing up. So maybe the ideal product is half AI conversation partner, half game loop.

Something like daily situations instead of lessons: ordering food, arguing politely, telling a story, explaining a meme, etc. Then the app gives feedback on what you tried to say, not just whether you picked the right answer.

Gamification is useful, but I think it should reward confidence + usage more than completion. Maybe streaks for speaking, replaying old mistakes, or surviving harder scenarios.

What would make me come back daily is feeling like I’m becoming less awkward in the language, not coming back for chores.

As someone who has spent years in Edtech, I’d say a lot of apps optimize for "feeling productive" rather than actually putting you inside the language. That’s the real gap.

Personally, I think the better direction is role-based, real-world scenarios, ideally with some human support mixed in.

Because language learning isn’t just about picking up new words or grammar. It’s also about understanding the culture, context, and how people actually think and communicate in real life.

Without that, it stays abstract.

I think there are 2 types of learning that should have different approach.

1. The formal learning which can be boring but you need to learn it the correct way.
2. Learning for visiting a country or just for fun, which should be more interesting to learn. It should focus on gaming, fun and real life stories and not boring long lessons.

Entertainment, but not in the gamification kind of way. I'm trilingual and what helps me with any language is an immersive element. So a lot of times it could be TV or a content creator. Not hearing native speakers speak is the biggest detriment to apps like duolingo, especially when you're listening to people speaking informally.

I think what I would do (if I had all the money and the rights) is to break down tv shows into scenes and have an interactive app to help you understand what is happening in each scene.

Yeah I tried duolingo and they lack situations that require me to think in terms of what I'm studying. It's like doing only freethrows to learn basketball. I am a teacher, and working on a study tool as well.

Some things I've learned that you should know:
10 minutes a day is some of the most insidiously horrible advice out there for learning. Our brains don't work like this. The "daily watering" approach is flawed. I like the garden metaphor though, so I'll write my own.
On day 1 you don't just water, you clear the area, till the soil, mix in fertilizer, soak the earth, dig a hole, and plant a seed. Then you water heavily the next few days THEN you are at the "daily water". Day 1 of practicing something new should be similar. Our brains are misers for energy, and in general, they don't wanna. They don't wanna pay attention, they don't wanna memorize, they don't wanna get out of bed. But they will if you give them a reason to think it's important. Focusing on something for as long as you can will get their attention. Most people can focus for 20-25 minutes at most before a break is in order, so if you do that day 1, your brain will have no choice but to respect your mettle. In response, it will build synapses while you're sleeping.
These synapses are weak. They will disappear in a week without reinforcement, so you have to study again day 2. But now, we start an aggressive taper of our time, and only study for 10 minutes. Day 3 will be 5 minutes. Day 4? nothing. Now instead of studying for less time, we can begin studying less often. Day 5, we study for 3 minutes, and never decrease the time again. We are now at the minimum practice time. We now multiply the wait time x2 inbetween sessions. Now skip 2 days and study day 7, 4 days, 8 days, etc.
These example numbers are not universal. It varies depending on how complex the skill or information is.

1. Day 1 practice time "tilling phase"
2. Time tapering period "water heavily"
3. The frequency tapering period
4. The frequency tapering multiplier
   These all need to be adjusted to the type of work

Look at how Anki works. This is exactly what they do, and they're kind of a big deal.

At first, 10 minutes is not enough, then it's too much. It has to taper off. Remember that to make something actually good.

'spreadsheets with streaks' nails it. i think the actual issue is that the learning loop is too far from anything you'd do for fun on your own. my friend learned spanish basically by accident from watching spanish-speaking twitch streamers for two years. nothing taught her grammar, no streak punished her. just the show was good. apps need to find their version of 'the show was good' instead of stacking more dashboards.

I think the missing piece is not just fun.

Most language apps create a good first session, but the hard part is giving someone a reason to come back after the novelty fades.

Games, AI conversations, and multiplayer can all help, but only if they create a clear daily tension: “I want to finish this conversation,” “I want to beat yesterday’s version of myself,” or “I do not want to lose progress with this character/story.”

So I’d be careful optimizing for gamification broadly.

The sharper question is probably: what emotional loop makes the learner return tomorrow without needing discipline?

Happy to put the tighter retention-angle in writing if useful. This market probably lives or dies on the comeback loop, not the first-session wow.