Duolingo launches podcast to help English speakers learn Spanish

The popular language learning app Duolingo is branching out into the world of podcasting with a series designed for English speakers learning Spanish.

The podcast will feature stories about people across Latin America in easy-to-understand Spanish with an English narration accompanying it.

It's not a language lesson and won't focus on grammar or vocabulary, Duolingo wrote in an FAQ about the podcast .

“This podcast aligns with the Duolingo philosophy in that it provides language learners with a fun, easy way to improve their listening comprehension,” the company wrote. “The hardest thing about learning a new language is staying motivated. Compelling stories have the ability to grip our attention and keep us coming back for more.”

The podcast launched Thursday and is available on iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher and at podcast.duolingo.com . It will be hosted by Martina Castro, co-founder of NPR's Radio Ambulante program.

The first episode features Rodrigo, a Mexican journalist, telling a story about himself as a boy. He's a soccer fan and eventually meets his favorite player.

More than 120 million English speakers use Duolingo to learn Spanish.

The podcast caps a busy 2017 for Duolingo. The East Liberty-based company launched its first course in an African language with Swahili and courses in Japanese, Chinese and even High Valyrian, the language spoken by Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's “Game of Thrones.” In July, the company announced it landed another $25 million in funding and planned to nearly double its workforce.

Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at aaupperlee@tribweb.com, 412-336-8448 or via Twitter @tinynotebook.