Duolingo

[NachoCheesed]

Has anyone actually learned to speak a language fluently with Duolingo? Trying to learn Italian and can successfully order a coffee at the moment.

I have been doing Japanese on Duo since early 2021 and actually finished the course months ago. Far too short! I have been doing refresher lessons for months now.
However, when I listen to a native speaking I can understand hardly anything they say. I just use it as a hobby now as originally we had plans to visit Japan but can't see us making it now due to various health issues.☹️
I could certainly get by ordering food, advising of allergies, dislikes, asking the price of things etc. etc. but would probably come unstuck once the other person replies.🙄

I really, really recommend the familiar audiobook method. It's the best and fastest way I know to build vocab and fluency of comprehension. Also the story keeps you interested, so you're likely to spend more time doing it.

I’ve hit a 40 days streak on Italian Duolingo and currently in Italy. I’ve met a Matteo and a Laura. DC (also doing Italian) and I laughed - it’s like Duolingo has come to life!

I would like to book a 1 week language course in Italy - somewhere in the countryside. Until then, Duolingo it is.

Oh and like a PP, I want the grammar explanations too.

I'm doing Spanish at the moment as DD is doing GCSE and although I won't understand all her work, it's a massive improvement on Hola and Gracias which I knew a month ago. I can now tell you I need more wine and I want to buy a suitcase at the museum tomorrow.

However, I do find having ot translate to American English a bit annoying (like Soccer for football!)

I've been doing Italian on it for 18 months. Have the paid version. I've stopped bothering, I can't hold even a simple conversation.

Duolingo works better for refreshing a language IMO. I'm having much more success reminding myself of French than I did learning Spanish from scratch.

if you use insta/tiktok etc, find some accounts to follow which will give you a word of the day or which will interrupt your doomscrolling with a little bit of learning. I find this is quite helpful because I don't have to have deliberately planned to practice french, but when I open instagram it just sneaks up on me anyway 😆

I do love the emphasis on Owen's parsnips and the woes of the photocopier.

Try Romanian instead. Full of bears and stallions and people betraying their attractive sister.

And the weather is ofnadwy in Abergavenny.

I started learning Italian with Duo & the Coffee Break Italian podcast & they gave me a fairly solid base, but I wanted to be able to have conversations / do free writing instead of just specific sentences, so I signed up to an online class. Having a human teacher in real time made a massive difference.

I sit down for 20 minutes every day and do some Duolingo. I’m level B1 now, and I always keep a grammar book handy to check things I’m not sure of. I also use an app called Apprendre which shows short clips and asks questions. It’s much better for listening skills than Duolingo.

Duolingo has fired most of its linguists and switched to AI so expect imminent enshittification

Oh that's crap!

After a few months with Duo, I was walking with DGS in our Spanish speaking hotel and asked directions from a staff member.
Impressed DGS said ‘I didn’t know you spoke Spanish, Granny’.

i think how you supplement the Duolingo experience will depend on the level. If you look at your level (the number top left) it will place you on the CEFR scale. IIRC you need to get to about 50 to be at B1 level.

I am amazed at how much i remember, but always have my copy of 501 French Verbs by my side when doing a lesson (i had it at school and made a bonfire with it when i switched my A-level French for something else, so bought a 2nd hand copy for a few euros)

I have just discovered the Coffee Break French (thanks for the podcast tips) so will give that a go. I also have an ancient copy of Teach Yourself French which i may crack open this week if i move up from 28 to 29...

I use the paid for family version - we all chip in a few euros per month, so it's not too bad (I paid for a year up front) we have 6 slots, and they are all full because we offered it out to some friends too. The difference to the free version is really noticeable and worth it (to me)

It does make me a bit curious at times...

Are fish burgers an actual regular meal in Spain, or is it just a handy way of learning how to specify a type of food?

If you look at your level (the number top left) it will place you on the CEFR scale. IIRC you need to get to about 50 to be at B1 level.

Where is this? I'm intrigued!

And if you ever have a burning need to discuss turtles when in Holland you're sorted 😁

hopefully the pics will post...
1 where the level is
2 the level
3 the CEFR explanation

That's very kind. Looks like mine just doesn't show that number

It's riddled with AI now, so I uninstalled it.

oh sorry - is it because i have the paid version?

which bits are AI? there is the Duolingo Max (that i don't subscribe to) that uses AI so you can have "live conversation" but where else?

I've almost completed the Italian course on Duo Lingo. I'm nowhere near fluent. However, I can complain about the spider under my cheese and ask who the man in the bathtub is.

Schildpadden!

I must remember that next time I'm there.