Duolingo & Crunchyroll Join Forces To Teach Japanese Through Anime
By Nicole Rodrigues, 17 May 2023
Long-term anime fans, get ready to turn hours of watching your favorite shows into a productive course in Japanese. Duolingo and streaming site Crunchyroll are joining forces to deliver a lesson plan from some of the most-watched animes.
The program, which starts today, will include 50 new phrases to Duolingo’s Japanese course inspired by dialog in popular shows.
The decision to team up with Crunchyroll isn’t a big surprise as according to IGN, 26% of those learning Japanese on its app have cited “fun,” such as watching anime, as the top reason for learning the language.
ð¨â ï¸ JAPANESE COURSE UPDATE DROPð¯ðµ â ï¸ð¨
— Duolingo (@duolingo) May 16, 2023
starting today, our Japanese course will feature phrases inspired by your favorite anime on @Crunchyroll! see if you can find themð pic.twitter.com/cteuxZx9kn
Anime and Japanese pop culture have driven people to take an interest in the country’s culture, food, and history, and given audiences worldwide a sort of 101 introduction to basic phrases, societal habits, and a (somewhat generalized) look into what life is like in Japan.
With this new venture, fans can kill two birds with one stone and pick up the language in a way that doesn’t need signing up for classes or procuring textbooks—though that is advised for any language you’re looking to speak seriously.
Premium Crunchyroll subscribers will receive a two-month trial to Duolingo’s premium tier. Conversely, Duolingo students are also eligible for ad-free viewing on Crunchyroll. On top of that, the little green owl has also given his own top 10 recommendations for series he loves, and he thinks you should watch after your lessons to put what you learn into practice. These include Gintama, Nichijo - My Ordinary Life, One Piece, Hyouka, and more.
[via IGN and GameSpot, cover image via Crunchyroll]