I've been learning Spanish with Duolingo for a year now, and I can order food and ask for directions, but I still can't hold a real conversation. That makes me wonder if language apps can ever take you beyond the basics. After trying three different apps and supplementing with podcasts, my speaking skills only improved when I started video calls with a tutor. Are these apps actually effective for fluency, or do they just make us feel productive while we avoid the hard work of speaking? In my experience, the streak feature kept me engaged but also let me procrastinate on real practice, so I'm leaning toward NO — apps are a good warm-up but not the main workout.