Duolingo Expands Free Access to B2-Level Language Courses in Nine Languages

Duolingo announced on Wednesday that its advanced language learning content is now available for free across nine languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Users can access Duolingo's advanced language learning content through the web, iOS, and Android devices.

This advanced content is at the B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

CEFR is the international standard for language skills recognized by schools and employers. B2 level content in Duolingo refers to learning materials without translations, complex scenarios, and specialized vocabulary. Duolingo's new offering includes features like “Advanced Stories,” which helps with reading comprehension.

The new offering also includes DuoRadio, a podcast-like audio experience for listening comprehension. Duolingo states that it is the only free app to offer advanced-level learning across nine languages at no cost. Babbel offers advanced courses that typically require paid subscriptions.

Busuu has some CEFR-aligned courses up to the B2 level. Busuu's free version is limited and does not offer lessons like grammar explanations.

Previously, Duolingo only provided free courses that capped at A2 or B1 levels. Duolingo's free courses mainly focused on basic communication skills. The company is positioning this free advanced learning offering as an opportunity for job seekers, framing language learning as a pathway to improving employability in a global workforce.

“Reaching job-ready proficiency in a new language used to be out of reach for most people,” Bozena Pajak, head of learning science at Duolingo, said in a statement. ” Research from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages shows that learning a second language can raise someone’s employability by as much as 50%.

In its Q4 earnings report, the company stated that it has 52.7 million daily active users, demonstrating 30% growth compared to the previous year. This number is higher than its paid subscriber base, which stands at 12.2 million. However, Duolingo’s shares fell after the company projected that the year-over-year bookings growth rate for Q2 2026 is expected to experience a slight decline.

This comes at a time when the job market remains highly competitive and overall growth has slowed. Duolingo’s decision to offer advanced learning for free is also a strategy to increase its free user base. Now that Duolingo users can tap into this advanced learning content for free, they can level up their skills, whether that’s practicing for job interviews, prepping for studying abroad, or tackling complex news articles, films, and books without relying on translations.