I want to take a moment to discuss some of the infant stages of learning a 2nd language. I am a huge fan of all sorts of learning methods for building vocab and grammar but I am really passionate about teaching/learning that can be done with the use of a computer. Specifically a mobile device that fits in my pocket. I waited for the Rosetta Stone app to come out only to find that you had to buy the software for like $299.00 and then pay a monthly fee to use the app that is only on iPad. What a load of crap. I then found DuoLingo through one of my favorite authors, Tim Ferris. I saw that it was free and they had a phenomenal promotional video. I joined and found there language syllabus to be incredibly intuitive and thorough for a free service.
I recently posted a link on FB about how DuoLingo can be more effective than a college course and a friend of mine who has been studying Russian and some other languages for several years commented on the post with some insight that absolutely got me thinking about several ways that DuoLingo helps me learn. Here’s some of what she said:
“It’s possible these programs have incorporated more details of a language (i.e. grammar) but from what I’ve seen, they are mostly good for learning some vocab and phrases for a short visit. For actually learning how to communicate in another language, however, most languages are so intense and detailed that you just need more. I think repetition is good, but also just having someone else who is holding you accountable and pushing you beyond your capabilities, writing essays, reading lots of materials in the language, and of course some amount of immersion is really necessary. You can know lots of words, but if you don’t understand how the structuring goes, you still can’t put together intelligible sentences. What do you think?”
I think I agree with what she said but I want to compare DuoLingo against her computer language learning experiences.
“These programs are mostly good for learning some vocab and phrases for a short visit.”
I have found that DuoLingo actually focuses more on the grammar than simple phrases. In fact I was actually going through some of the German course material with a German friend on my last visit to Berlin and she even said “We wouldn’t say that” in relation to a number of the the phrases. This told me that the focus wasn’t on a script of words to speak but rather the novice stages of learning how words work with each other. When I told my friend that the app wasn’t teaching me WHAT to say, it was teaching me HOW words work in relation to each other she was much more interested in how well I might learn. I’ll pay her a visit on my next trip to Berlin for a follow up lesson and we’ll make some evaluations.
“Most languages are so intense that you just need more”
I agree. I don’t think that DuoLingo is the end all for learning another language. I DO think it’s the best free software that exists on planet earth though. I think a lot of people want to learn a language but don’t want to spend $300 on Rosetta Stone or whatever proper schooling would cost. DuoLingo is a great way for novice learner like myself to get their foot in the door with a free website and an actual course syllabus. There are a few online memory flash card sites but not any organized courses as comprehensive as DuoLingo. If you hate the idea of learning another language after a few weeks, then you can quit and you invested $0. If you love it then you can complete the entire course for your selected language and you will still have invested $0. You can then move onto a proper course with a school if you want. I strongly suggest that you buy a plane ticket abroad if you are super serious about learning another language.
“I think repetition is good but also someone else holding you accountable pushing you beyond your capabilities, writing essays, reading lots of materials in the language and of course some immersion is really necessary.”
I think repetition is good too but focus on quality comprehension rather than speed. It’s easy to focus on speed when you’re just repeating things.
As far as accountability goes, DuoLingo incorporates a simple social network into their platform so that you can follow your friends and other users to see what they are learning and where you are in relation to them. You can even turn on e.mail notifications for when one of the people that you follow passes your skill level. I have gotten a couple e.mails telling me that my buddy living in the UK is passing my skill level. It was a pretty powerful motivator.
I have never written an essay in a foreign language. College gets a win on that one.
There isn’t a whole lot of reading material on DuoLingo but part of the lessons is translating sentences from actual articles from the web. This is where natural speech comes into play because the articles are from foreign news sites and blogs etc. It’s written by native speakers and writers so it forces you to learn some more practical grammar. These are sometimes really hard but it’s a great way to wean the user into reading in the real world. If you want more reading material, just google some foreign news sites and start reading.
Ahhh yes, immersion. Being surrounded by a foreign language all the time. There are actually a lot more ways to do this in today’s modern world but the most fun way is to have a robot find you a plane ticket abroad and then buy it. I know this can often be expensive but the long term benefits of traveling NOW will outweigh the consequences to you down the road. Tickets are only going to get more expensive and you’re not getting younger. I can’t explain this in its entirety right now but I will try to create a post entire on that.
