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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is Duolingo the best way to learn a language fast?

89 replies

Davidsdaughter · 18/08/2023 08:04

Going abroad in 6 weeks - a friend recommended Duolingo to me and I have been using the free version with adverts, and a cut off after you have made a certain number of mistakes in a day.

I am very impressed, and about to pay the full subscription, but before I do, is it really the best? Or is my ignorance of language apps impairing my judgement.

Thank you for any experience and advice

YABU - there is an even better one called....
YANBU - Duolingo is the best!

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 18/08/2023 08:06

It's a good way to get some basics. I used the free version rather than the subscription.

The best way to learn is really speaking it in person every day but assuming that isn't possible, Duolingo is pretty good.

BertieBotts · 18/08/2023 08:07

Oh, but there was no cut off when I did it.

GreenBurritos · 18/08/2023 08:08

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to only be the app that had the cut off. If you used it on a laptop/pc you could do as much as you wanted.

Original poster
Davidsdaughter · 18/08/2023 08:10

GreenBurritos · 18/08/2023 08:08

Not sure if it's still the case, but it used to only be the app that had the cut off. If you used it on a laptop/pc you could do as much as you wanted.

ooooo - good to know, thank you.

OP posts:
Cymbal · 18/08/2023 08:10

Be warned that the vocabulary in Spanish is actually South American Spanish, which is different.

FerryPink · 18/08/2023 08:11

It's a good way to build some vocab.
I really like it for revising a language I already learnt, I'm just starting to use it to learn a new language and have a smattering of words now.

FerryPink · 18/08/2023 08:12

Cymbal · 18/08/2023 08:10

Be warned that the vocabulary in Spanish is actually South American Spanish, which is different.

Yes, I guess because Duolingo is US based?

rosemarypetticoat · 18/08/2023 08:16

I use it for a language I already know to help remind me of the grammar. It is helpful, and builds vocab and teaches grammar as you go. It nudges and pesters you all the time to make sure you keep your streak - and I need that, so doing it as a daily habit really makes a difference.
I am planning to use it for a language I don't speak next, and will be interested to see if it's as useful.

DutchCowgirl · 18/08/2023 08:16

It depends on your learning style i guess.
i do like the look-and-feel but I would like more grammar and more “instruction”, it becomes a guessing game sometimes. And the sentences are sometimes odd, not really something you’d use on holidays.
So i prefer to combine Duolingo with an old fashioned book about grammar.

I dont know which language you want to learn but I really like the “teach yourself” methods where you learn basic grammar and handy holiday phrases in 6 weeks. Here is the Italian book https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Elisabeth-Smith/dp/1444193058

lotuspocus · 18/08/2023 08:18

Babbel (much more structured and actually explains the concepts) and Memrise (there's language vocab sets on there) were significantly better for me.

Purpleavocado · 18/08/2023 08:18

There is a sneaky way to get it for free, you make a classroom and put yourself in it. Google it in Reddit - r/Duolingo

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 18/08/2023 08:21

Duolingo was good for me to get started but the course for the language I’m learning is really short so it stopped rather abruptly after the basics.

BCBird · 18/08/2023 08:23

It is ok.to.pick up.basics. The repetition reinforces the language and helps put into your ling term.memory. if you.want independence then u need some grammar basics too. Have a great holiday

BrioNotBiro · 18/08/2023 08:25

I found it very slow and repetitive and a bit childish. It seemed to be about learning simple vocabulary and phases that you could do anyway without all the palaver of Duolingo's constant repetition.

StillWantingADog · 18/08/2023 08:26

I’ve done quite a bit of Duolingo in the past.

It’s very good for the price and convenience and I’d recommend it as a starting point however it has limitations. For starters you are only ever saying what it wants you to say never tests you to come up with your own language.

it also varies a lot due to the language learnt- the French and Spanish courses are far more thorough and comprehensive than, say, Danish or Welsh.

CecilyP · 18/08/2023 08:30

You can learn the basics but I found it frustratingly slow and repetitive. If doing it on your phone and making a typo or just a normal spelling mistake it led to even more repetition.

Some of the vocabulary would be useful for a holiday, some like animal names, not so much.

Merseymum992 · 18/08/2023 08:31

Immersion is your best bet.
Be around the language you're learning as much as you possibly can. Watch movies, TV shows etc in that language.

Minfilia · 18/08/2023 08:35

Yes, if you’re learning Spanish then it’s Latin not Castilian! the word “car” is different for example… and “bug” means “big prick” Grin

Duo Lingo is okay though. It’s better as a small little supplement than to actually learn the language. It’s actually TOO repetitive for me - doing 25 levels without learning a single new word is just excessive! Having said that DD completed a language course on there and speaks pretty well…

Pimsleur is really good, but costs more. It throws you straight into conversational language as it’s audio, and the written stuff comes later. It claims to make you conversational in 30 days and it’s great if you commute because you can just stick it on in the car/on the train etc.

Babble I was less keen on for some reason. I prefer DL to babble.

Duo Lingo is fun, but I would caveat by saying it’s often not accurate, and it doesn’t teach you listening/speaking very well which was more important to me. And it can be annoyingly repetitive with no option that I’ve seen to skip since they changed the app interface a few months back.

If anyone reading has found a way to skip though please tell me!!

Enjoy OP!

FerryPink · 18/08/2023 08:40

CecilyP · 18/08/2023 08:30

You can learn the basics but I found it frustratingly slow and repetitive. If doing it on your phone and making a typo or just a normal spelling mistake it led to even more repetition.

Some of the vocabulary would be useful for a holiday, some like animal names, not so much.

Although we stayed in a gite recently that turned out to be on a smallholding so knowing the name of every farm animal and pet under the sun turned out to be incredibly useful as my daughter was wanting to ask about them allGrin

BlooDeBloop · 18/08/2023 08:47

Lessons are the best. Lesson + immersion is the gold standard. You can pay for one off lessons with native speakers online now so access/time needn't be a barrier. I also found a BBC book/CD when learning Italian which was brilliant (full of context and native speech).

Duolingo for me was a useful aid to the extent it helped reinforce vocab but it was mind numbingly boring, childish (as PP said), and lacked utility (you might learn vocab for dinner parties but want basic getting around town vocab for ex). Oh and the bloody annoying dings. And the fact they use short sentences when in real life you get people chatting - you need to get a feel for the sound and rhythm of a language even when you don't understand a lot of words i.e. develop the skill to parse meaning. I found the app to be hugely overrated and I was shocked to find they use it in my DS's school. One way to put learners off for life. Mad.

Original poster
Davidsdaughter · 18/08/2023 08:47

lotuspocus · 18/08/2023 08:18

Babbel (much more structured and actually explains the concepts) and Memrise (there's language vocab sets on there) were significantly better for me.

Do these have a free trial?

OP posts:
whistlestunelessly · 18/08/2023 08:54

Duolingo is very typing/writing focused, whereas I suspect speaking and listening would be a higher priority for you.

There are some great YouTube and TikTok videos out there, I use them to swot up before holidaying off the beaten track and you can focus on videos covering areas that matter to your trip, e.g directions and ordering food.

BoiledorMashed · 18/08/2023 08:56

I used duolingo for Spanish and have managed to squeak along on the free version. I'd highly recommend it. I stuck at it fairly diligently for around 18 months dipping in and out and can get by very well now.

What you need to ask yourself is how well do you need to grasp the language and/or do you just need the basics to get by. I haven't actually finished the full course on Duolingo I got to unit 20/section 4. I was fortunate enough to be in Spain for a month last year and I found that being immersed in the language every day my Spanish came on leaps and bounds.

The other thing worth bearing in mind is it isn't a one size fits all. Unsure what language you're getting in to? There's a couple of posts here re 'South American' (Spanish). My friend lives west of Malaga towards Ronda and travels extensively and often talks about the numerous dialects and Catalan influence on the language but irrespective the Duolingo app has worked really well for me.

PS:You can set nag prompts in settings but I switched it off after a few months. Hope this helps.

Cityzen74 · 18/08/2023 08:59

Cymbal · 18/08/2023 08:10

Be warned that the vocabulary in Spanish is actually South American Spanish, which is different.

Oh I didn't realise this! I have been learning Spanish with Duolingo for 5 years and didn't know!

JanieEyre · 18/08/2023 09:00

It cuts off if you make 5 mistakes, because you have 5 hearts one of which disappears every time you make a mistake, and once you've lost all 5 you can't continue. However, it's not 5 mistakes in a day, because if you do nothing the hearts come back after four hours. You can also restore them easily - if you'e on the app, you just click the heart at the top right and do some practice sessions. So you get a bit of revision at the same time, which helps your language learning.