Duolingo.

I’ve been very slack with this blog! That doesn’t mean that I’ve been slacking off on my German though. I thought I’d talk a bit about Duolingo this week, which is actually where I started learning German.

Duolingo home page

I cheated a little bit starting the blog…  I’d actually started learning German a few months earlier, after I’d finished up with my Danish classes and exams.  I’d decided that I wanted to keep learning a language, but that as I’m not likely to live in Denmark again and the five million people who speak Danish mostly live in Denmark, maybe my time would be better spent learning something else.

A friend who is living in Germany this year had been using Duolingo to help improve his German and recommended it to me.  It is fantastic!  It is more like an addictive video game than language lessons.  As an Egnlish speaker, you can pick from learning Spanish, Danish, Italien, Irish, French, German, Portuguese or Dutch.  I’m obviously learning German, and I also hope to keep some of my Danish by using Duolingo!

 

The personal home page

 

Duo!

 

Duolingo works by allowing you to progress through a skill tree, smarting with the basics and getting progressively more complex. The friendly owl Duo is your guide and teacher.  There are several types of questions: translation from German to English, translating from English to German, typing what you hear in German, translating what you hear in German into English, and repeating phrases.

 

Dictation

 

Translation

 

Duolingo is available to use online, and also as an app on your smart phone.  I tend to use both just as much.  Using online has the added benefit of being able to discuss any problems you have with answers, and see if anyone else has already asked your question.  I usually find there is already an answer waiting for me!

 

Discussion

 

Using Duolingo really does feel like a game, so I don’t have much difficulty finding motivation to use it.  Other features to help with motivation include the leaderboard.  You are able to follow your friends progress, and compete with them for top position on weekly, monthly, and overall leaderboards.  I found this a great motivator when I had friends who were using Duolingo as much as I am, but that isn’t always the case.

You also are able to earn ‘lingots’, through mastering skills, getting through a lesson with no mistakes, and maintaining ten day streaks.  You can then spend the lingots on things like bonus skills, betting 5 lingots on a double or nothing seven day streak, and new outfits for your Duo.  What is available in the store varies between the app and online, extra motivation to use both!

 

Lingot Store

 

I’ve found Duolingo great for improving my vocabulary.  It is easy and fun to use, it really doesn’t feel like learning at all!  What it hasn’t helped with is my being able to speak German, or write my own sentences.  I’ve mentioned iTalki already, and will be blogging soon about my progress with that.

Have you used Duolingo?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!  If you have any questions about Duoling, feel free to comment and I’ll get back to you!