Lingualeo: Inaccessibility and Individual Learning Experience

In the modern world, digital educational resources are becoming increasingly popular and accessible for language learning. However, despite their widespread availability, the accessibility of such resources for people with visual impairments often leaves much to be desired. This article examines the accessibility of learning on the Lingualeo platform and provides an individual learning experience of a visually impaired person on this platform.

Lingualeo: History, Features, and Working Principle

Lingualeo is an innovative platform created for learning foreign languages. The history of this project began in 2010 when a group of enthusiasts came together with the goal of developing a unique learning method based on modern technologies. The main idea of Lingualeo is to create a simple and accessible environment for language learning that is interesting and effective for users of all levels.

Lingualeo offers several features that make it popular among users:

• Wide Selection of Learning Materials: The platform provides access to a variety of learning resources, including interactive courses, audio and video lessons, texts, and exercises.
• Personalized Approach: Lingualeo automatically adapts content to each user’s knowledge level, offering individual lessons and training.
• Gamified Elements and Assignments for Motivation: The platform uses gamification techniques and assignments that help increase user motivation and material retention.
• Personal Dictionary: This tool allows users to create their own lists of words or phrases that require additional work or repetition, making the learning process more individualized and effective.
• Social Interaction: Users can communicate with other learners and native speakers, exchange experiences and tips, which promotes speaking practice and vocabulary expansion.
• Mobile Accessibility: The platform is available on various devices, allowing users to learn languages anywhere and anytime.

Additionally, the platform offers a premium subscription. The paid version of Lingualeo provides access to additional features such as extended access to materials, the ability to download learning materials for offline use, advanced progress statistics, and access to additional learning tools, such as specialized courses and an ad-free experience.

The working principle of Lingualeo is based on a combination of self-directed learning and social interaction. Users can learn languages at their convenience, gradually developing their skills and tracking their progress.

Resource link: https://lingualeo.com/en?jungle=true

Learning Experience on Lingualeo

A book starts with its cover, and we will begin our review of the project from the main page. The first impression is quite mixed because the page is accessible, but the screen reader markup leaves much to be desired – there are no headings, the text is read in 2–3 word fragments, and the social media links are represented as graphical icons without alternative text. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful and proceed to examine the platform’s accessibility by using the “Learn on Lingualeo” link.

Next, we encounter the registration page, where using NVDA, all elements – the email and password fields, text, and the “Create Account” button – merge into a single mass. To access the input fields or button, you can only use quick navigation keys. The registration buttons for Google, Facebook, and Apple ID platforms are not labeled, and understanding which button is which is only possible by activating them. The login form has similar issues…

 After filling out the registration form and clicking the “Create Account” button, you need to select a language from the list. A total of 9 languages are available, but they are not identified as interactive elements and are read as regular text. While you can select a language by pressing the “Enter” key on the desired language, this might not be obvious to novice screen reader users. Additionally, after selecting a language, there is no automatic redirection; instead, a request to select the language proficiency level appears, which may also not be obvious to visually impaired users.

After selecting the language proficiency level, you need to enter your name. Fortunately, this time the cursor automatically sets to the editing field. Enter your name and press “Enter” on the phrase “Start learning,” which is also not identified as interactive.

It is a very strange decision by the developers to not allow users to continue without subscribing at the selection stage. You can choose a 7-day free trial or subscribe. However, upon careful examination of the information on the page, it becomes clear that to continue with the 7-day trial period, you need to provide credit card information and pay $0.007. Although the amount is small and the subscription can be canceled immediately after completing all the steps, the logic of promising free access and then requesting payment details remains a mystery.

Considering all the aforementioned problems in the user interface and registration process on the platform, it becomes clear that the developers, in almost 15 years, have not paid adequate attention to accessibility and usability for screen reader users. The lack of clear markup, unclear control elements, and ambiguous information create barriers for the visually impaired.

Moreover, the strategy of attracting users through promises of free access, followed by a request for payment details and a symbolic fee, can cause distrust and create a negative impression of the service.

To improve the situation, developers should focus on enhancing accessibility and usability for all categories of users, including people with disabilities. This includes fixing markup flaws, clearly labeling interactive elements, and providing more transparent communication with users regarding the terms of service. Only in this way can the platform truly become accessible and convenient for all users.