Comment on lesson
join@lemmy.ml 1 week ago
remember: none of the metrics duolingo keeps track of have anything to do with language proficiency. it’s a game not a learning tool.
yes: duolingo > doing nothing
but: any alternative learning method > duolingo
they stay relevant through viral marketing - that is often objectively funny - not through efficacy. the idea is that if you want to learn a language, your first thought is to use duolingo. then if it fails you blame yourself: it cannot be the case that the most famous language-learning product doesn‘t actually help you learn a language.
not saying they are evil, they are just a business doing business.
restingOface@quokk.au 1 week ago
Oh, no. Am I helping them advertise?
join@lemmy.ml 1 week ago
technically yes, but my comment wasn’t meant as a moral indictment against you :)
just a heads up: learning a new language is an amazing experience, just consider alternatives to duolingo first
restingOface@quokk.au 1 week ago
Do you have any recommendations?
EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 1 week ago
I’ve enjoyed Memrise quite a bit.
join@lemmy.ml 1 week ago
I found starting with vocabulary the most effective. take A1 vocabulary lists, and make memorization a daily routine.
if the grammar of your target language is similar to a language you already speak, ignore it for now. if you need some grammar for comprehension, focus only on that. so don’t waste time (yet) on gender or case systems.
if you manage to stay dedicated, you can start reading and listening surprisingly quickly. ofc it should be either easy texts and audio, or stuff you’ve already familiar with.
other tips: don’t get frustrated by quitting, accept the break and start again; if you’re bored with one specific activity, switch it up. you need to practice listening, reading, writing, grammar, speaking, etc anyways; and if you don’t manage to motivate yourself, pay someone to do it for you (if you have the means ofc).
it’s probably not universal, but this worked for me.
capt_wolf@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Yes, but I still took a second to make this because I genuinely laughed.
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