Duolingo

[Gathursty]

I've recently started learning Arabic using Duolingo.

Are there any other members on here who use Duolingo? What's your experience with Duolingo?

 

[PaulJ]

Been using it for last 3 years to brush up on my French and German. Today I started on Dutch. I started by using the free version, but found it booted you out for the day if you made 3 errors. I now use the paid for version which is well worth the money.

 

[McRhu]

I have used it to learn Hebrew. It's very good and quite effective. My only difficulty with it is (as far as I know) the difficulty in trying to redo previously completed lessons which I've forgotten: It's very much a rigidly staged progression. But yes - I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[gingerheid]

It's really really good for what it is, what it is being of course a really good start but not at all a complete way of teaching a language!

As well as approaching it with the right expectations there is also an element of luck - all users are part of a constant trial, and some people get to trial really dumb features

The quality of the courses also varies - some were professionally written, some were done by volunteers of different capabilities (either better or worse than the professional people), some are longer than others, ...

I completed the Finnish course, which is one of the shorter ones. It was done by volunteers and perhaps as a result there are a few minor but from time to time infuriating errors in the English. It did however give me an absolutely lovely solid footing in Finnish, which really gave an excellent grounding that made an A1 Finnish course much more enjoyable.

At one point I had also completed the French course (before it was expanded). It definitely didn't get me ready to go off and have conversations with French people, but it was a useful grounding in being able to understand things.

 

[westv]

I'm not using Duolingo but, as I mentioned on another thread, I am using a Linguaphone course to learn Spanish.

 

[johncrossley]

I've got a 1263 day streak on Duolingo. I put up with the removal of forums, but I think I'm done with Duolingo after this radical update.

 

[J-2739]

I've got a 1263 day streak on Duolingo. I put up with the removal of forums, but I think I'm done with Duolingo after this radical update.

What's the update?

 

[johncrossley]

What's the update?

They have changed the "tree" to a "path". You can't review old units.

 

[westv]

They have changed the "tree" to a "path". You can't review old units.

That does seem crazy. Why would you not want to have a refresh on any particular section from time to time?

 

[johncrossley]

You can attempt "legendary" tests for old units but those cost lingots, or require subscription. If you've done the legendary status then I can't see any other way to practice. The grammar discussion ("tips") has gone.

 

[johnnychips]

Been using it for last 3 years to brush up on my French and German. Today I started on Dutch. I started by using the free version, but found it booted you out for the day if you made 3 errors. I now use the paid for version which is well worth the money.

The Dutch course can be annoying in that it often rejects answers which are confirmed to be correct by Native Dutch speakers - usually to do with word order - in the discussion, but it rarely changes them. Until two weeks ago it kicked you off after five errors, so I don’t know if it is now three.