In a commentary, SMU Vice President (Partnerships and Engagement) and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication & Technology Lim Sun Sun reflected on how Duolingo’s gamified design, data analytics and nudging psychology helped her stay committed to learning French over five years despite a hectic schedule. She noted that while the app effectively builds vocabulary, reading and basic comprehension, it falls short in developing fluent, spontaneous spoken expression. Prof Lim shared that returning to classroom learning provided the human interaction, immersion and peer learning needed to deepen mastery. She then concluded that people should certainly harness innovations that support learning in myriad ways, but must not lose sight of the marvels of human instruction and the richness of peer learning.