About Discus
Learning as we truly learn
The story of an app born from a personal need — and how it became a tool for anyone who truly wants to speak a language.
Amaury Lavoine
Founder, Discus
Founder of Discus, based in Ontario. Learning Swahili daily with a Kenyan teacher — this practice guides every product decision.
The story of Discus
It all started with Swahili. I had decided to learn this language with a Kenyan teacher, and I quickly realized that no existing tool truly matched my way of learning. Mainstream apps imposed their pace, their vocabulary, their method — not mine.
What I was missing was a real study companion. Something that helped me memorize faster what I was learning in class, build my own vocabulary over the weeks, and chart my own path — not that of an algorithm.
So I started building the tool I couldn't find. First for myself, tinkering, testing. Then I thought that other people were probably learning like me: with a teacher, with a book, with a trip in mind, for a personal reason.
Discus was born from this intuition. An app to learn as we truly learn — at your own pace, with your own words, with your own story. I continue to use it every day for my Swahili. And every improvement comes first from my own practice.
Our mission
Helping each person learn a language at their own pace, with their own words, complementing real life — not replacing it.
Truly learning
Not memorizing for the sake of it. Building lasting skills, ready to be used in a real conversation.
Charting your path
Your vocabulary, your pace, your goals. The app adapts to you, not the other way around.
Respect for time
A few well-spent minutes a day are better than an hour wasted scrolling.
What matters to us
Four principles that guide every line of code and every word of the interface.
Dialogue above all
We don't learn a language to collect points — we learn it to speak to someone. Everything is designed for that moment.
Personal pace
No streaks to maintain, no anxiety-inducing notifications. You come back whenever you want, picking up where you left off.
Attention to detail
Well-rendered IPA, examples that sound right, AI that doesn't hallucinate. Every detail matters because a language is made of details.
Open to all
Swahili or German, your first or your fifth language: Discus adapts to you, wherever you are.
A question? An idea?
We respond quickly, and we love talking to those who are learning a language.