Just wanted to upload a sample of what I do for work sana at Duolingo. Kasi fun hehe.

Here’s Lily the dedma teen promoting Duolingo Max’s new video call feature.

With some samples of the weekly work we do: localizing the app’s gaming features, messages, ads, everything you see in the app when you choose the English for Tagalog speakers course and turn the app UI/interface to Tagalog. Duo and the characters’ lines there, messages, greetings, basta everything except the course lessons per se. Localization is in charge of those.

Ang magical lang dumating ng Duolingo sa buhay ko. I was a user before of their app, not sure if circa 2013 o 2015 ba. I just discovered it and seeing that it’s free, I installed it to review my French sana. But as with all things in life, busy busy na naman so nakaligtaan na siya at nagpalit-palit na ng smartphone.

Until the pandemic hit in 2020 and everything became work from home default — which was already my default anyway, as a freelance writer/editor/translator/trainer/whatnot. An Australian digital marketing company hired me to be a copyeditor, a position I held for almost a year. But the daily grind bogged me down as they required fulltime hours for a monthly salary. So by early 2021, I was already searching for other jobs on Upwork when two opportunities knocked on my door for hourly paid translation work with a steady supply of work. Duolingo was one of them.

Imagine my excitement when I learned that they were launching an English course for Tagalog-speaking learners, so they needed a Tagalog proofreader. After passing their exam, I got in! But since there was still no translator, I took on that job first and translated everything that needed translation prior to launching the EN<TL course last March 2022. So even if the setup here is part-time hourly payment, it’s cool because I can survive on what they pay me, regardless if I need to work for just 15 hours a week or do the full-on 40 hours during busy months. Buhay ang bahay ng titang beks. Saka complementary ito ng iba ko pang mini-clients and the other kinda major client na rin. No clocking in, so I am in control of my own work schedule basta sundin lang ang weekly deliverables’ deadlines. Work from anywhere as well. And this Taurean Ox loves that to the max!

I just celebrated my third Duoversary last June. And with the way things are going, for sure I’m on my way to the fourth and fifth. The course currently has around 700k learners (or accounts) na pala. So that means Localization work will need to supply the other side for as long as the course side is still very much active and alive. So yeah, this is one company I am happy to stay for long na. I hope this exceeds the longevity record held by my stint at the alma mater of yore. ‘Yun talaga ang aim ng life in my 50s hehe.

Ang sayang mabuhay lang minsan, lalo na pag masaya ang trabaho mo. 🦉💚

Merci beaucoup for this gig talaga, universe. Ç’est magnifique! 🇫🇷

Never-ending danke danke danke!🇩🇪

PH represent na, Asia represent din! Terima kasih. 🇮🇩

Me encanta. Estoy feliz! Mucho mucho mucho! 🇪🇸

Grazie grazie grazie. La vita è bella, no? 🇮🇹

Pinagpalang tunay.🇵🇭

Thank you for the blessings, universe. More to come.🇺🇸

Khob khun ka.🇹🇭

☮️🧡🧘🏾