B1 Carna School London
Reading Quiz
A long-read comprehension check — one passage, then questions on main idea, detail and inference, closing with vocabulary in context.
ALTERNATIVES TO DUOLINGO
Alternatives to Duolingo for English learners
If Duolingo has stopped moving your English forward, here is what to check before you switch.
Duolingo is the gamified app that gets you started Three reasons people leave, each tied to a row in the dated comparison The Duolingo column checked May 2026, and dated on this page Schools and teams run on Carna today; individuals join the early-access list
| Question | Duolingo | Carna |
|---|---|---|
| Use Duolingo when you want to dabble in several languages, start free and let the lessons adapt as you go. | ||
| Adaptive learning path Carna: A levelled A1 to C2 path, in a fixed order | Yes | No |
| Free tier, no credit card Carna: Individuals join the early-access list | Yes | No |
| Use Carna when English is the one language you mean to take far, with eight skills scored on one path from A1 to C2. | ||
| All eight skills | No | Yes |
| Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes |
See all 8 rows Checked May 2026
— WHY PEOPLE LEAVE
Three reasons, and what to check.
These are the reasons learners look elsewhere. Under each is the question from the comparison that tests it, answered for Duolingo and for Carna as checked in May 2026.
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The intermediate plateau
A gamified format suits A1 to A2 vocabulary. Past B1, speaking and writing carry more of the weight, and that is where many learners start to look for more.
What to check Full A1 to C2 curriculum
- Duolingo
- No
- Carna
- Yes
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Little real speaking practice
Repeating phrases aloud is not the same as holding a conversation, and a conversation is what many learners want to practise next.
What to check Real conversation practice
- Duolingo
- No
- Carna
- Partly
- Assigned practice in Carna for Schools, in beta
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No writing evaluation
Essays, emails and free-form writing are central to real English use, and Duolingo's column in the comparison has no writing evaluation.
What to check Essay & writing evaluation
- Duolingo
- No
- Carna
- Partly
- A teacher marks essays; 9 of 11 types auto-score
— SIDE BY SIDE
What to check before you switch.
The same questions we ask of every app, answered for Duolingo and for Carna. Where Carna falls short, its column says so.
| Feature | Duolingo | Carna |
|---|---|---|
| What you learn | ||
| All eight skills | No | Yes |
| Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes |
| Real conversation practice | No | Partly . Assigned practice in Carna for Schools, in beta |
| Pronunciation feedback | Yes | Partly . One of the eight scored skills, not accent drills |
| Essay & writing evaluation | No | Partly . A teacher marks essays; 9 of 11 types auto-score |
| Adaptive learning path | Yes | No . A levelled A1 to C2 path, in a fixed order |
| IELTS / TOEFL exam prep | No | Partly . An IELTS band on a practice grading, not a course |
| How you get it | ||
| Free tier, no credit card | Yes | No . Individuals join the early-access list |
Running in schools today
A level on every step.
A course app runs you through its sequence; Carna's runs from A1 to C2 and says where each step sits. In Carna for Schools, which runs today, every module a student is assigned wears its CEFR level and the list runs soonest due first, so the climb is visible one module at a time.
A student's Learn screen in Carna for Schools: the assigned modules, each with its CEFR level and the skills it works on, sorted by due date. Carna School London is a sample school; the names, courses, levels and scores are demo data.
— THE FIELD
Where the other options sit.
Alternatives to Duolingo come in four kinds, and each kind has a strength. Carna is one option among them: a structured English tutor with an A1 to C2 path, in early access for individuals and running in schools and teams today.
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AI speaking apps
Apps built around speaking out loud to an AI: drills, scenarios and accent work.
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Language-learning apps
Duolingo is here
Course and vocabulary apps for many languages, with English as one of them.
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Live tutor marketplaces
Human tutors and classes booked by the hour or on a timetable.
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General tools and round-ups
A general assistant used for English, and the round-up of the popular apps.
FAQ
Common questions.
Straight answers about Duolingo and Carna, including what the individual tutor cannot do yet.
Can I switch to Carna if I've been doing Duolingo for years?
Carna's material runs from A1 to C2, so there is a level for wherever your English is now. The individual tutor is not open yet, though: the early-access list is the way in, and schools and teams run on Carna today.
Can I sign up for Carna the way I can for Duolingo?
Not yet. Carna's individual tutor is still in build, so the early-access list is the way in, and we write once, when it opens. Schools and teams run on Carna today.
What is the biggest difference between Duolingo and Carna for English?
Duolingo's strength is gamified practice across many languages. Carna goes deep on English: it scores all eight skills — speaking, writing, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and general English — through a structured curriculum that goes to C2.
EARLY ACCESS
Ready for the switch?
Weighing alternatives to Duolingo? Carna's personal tutor is not open to individual learners yet: leave your name on the early-access list and we write once, when it opens. Schools and teams run on Carna today and can book a demo.