Learning a language with Duolingo

I used Duolingo in tangent with another program to practice German. IMO, after going through the Spanish section seeing as I took seven years in school, it doesn't explain the how or why of grammar. So my advice is to go through Level by Level but also use another course. Depending on what language you're learning, there's some good free online courses.

I got frustrated with Duolingo pretty quickly, but have had good luck with Pimsleur, both for German and Italian. But I had to go with the Unlimited version of each because I really need a visual component when I'm trying to learn a language. This wasn't really your question, but I think I just wasted time on some of the lower level language apps like Duolingo.

I use Duolingo to supplement other studying, but yes, I do them in order. If part one has three lessons I do all three and then move on.

I am still in the learning stages, but last year when I was working on Italian, I would organize them by the checkpoints and finish level 2 in each and then move to the next checkpoint. Then when I was past two more checkpoints, I would go back to one of the first groups and work through level 3 on it. So, at one time I would have some groups at level 4, the next one at level 3, and the newest at level 1-2.

I’m working on French this year, but I don’t want to lose the Italian since I want to go back there again next year (never get tired of it!). I’m doing a few each day in Italian, too, along with the French, but I tried something else that’s really helpful. I speak English. But, I set Duolingo as if I’m Italian and wanting to learn English. It’s a great reinforcement of the Italian I learned last year!

I do lessons almost daily, I tend to work on a category until I’m to level 4 before I start a new category. I use the free version and when you run out of health, use the practice to recharge. Since the practice is randomly pulling from previous categories, I think it’s frustrating to start too many new categories without mastering previous ones first.

While we are not fluent, we are able to communicate as go we through our daily lives. There is not much English spoken here, but between our limited Italian, and limited English On occasion, we are improving daily. Today’s success was going into a small electronics store to buy a round battery, and two types of lightbulbs (one which needed to be brighter). Walked out with everything we needed and not one word of English spoken!

I’ve previously used Pimsleur, but misunderstood the pronunciation sometimes without seeing the spelling. But once you understand how to pronounce written Italian, it’s easy to look at words and pronounce correctly.

I am using Duolingo to try and learn some French. I can read it as I am quasi-competent in Italian, but French pronunciation is a mystery to me, ergo Duolingo. Pimsleur is far better — I used it for Italian along with courses — but unless the library has it, a bit expensive. So along with Duolingo, I am working my way through a French self-study book for beginners.

Are you using the “tips” in Duolingo? You can click on the little lightbulb icon at any level and get some insights on the topic.

I first used Duolingo to help learn French. I personally prefer to see a word I'm trying to learn to say and Duolingo doesn't really do that. French may be a harder language because pronunciations are sometimes impossible to construe from seeing a word (e.g. Reims is roughly "Hrance"). I went through all the levels of French (along with Pimsleur CDs in my car and text books from the library) simply by letting the program decide what was next. I'm about three years in and don't know French. It helped to some degree. Today I can survive very limited conversations but at least half of that is due to spending time in France. I'd rather use another online course - but the price is right.

I used Duolingo to learn some basic Spanish (I already knew some French from school, so it wasn't too difficult).

I like Duolingo, but the problem was they changed all the courses and lessons after I had completed almost half of them!

That was pretty frustrating, as I had to go back and complete multiple courses of basic vocabulary and grammar that I had already mastered. It was very repetitive and killed a lot of my momentum.

Duolingo is a good starting/reference point, but you won't become fluent from it. It's good to learn the basic vocabulary, sentence structure and such, then use other reference to become more conversational and casual.

I did a German course on the Udemy online learning platform as well as two levels of German with Deutsche Welle which were free. And there is also Mango languages which is a subscriber service but you may be able to participate through your public library for nothing. You need to use different resources to learn a language.. Duolingo German I found useful but the French course. I did not like.

I'm using it for Hungarian and try to work at it weekly, though I've learned more from the Pimsleur audio program. I tend to skip around with the lessons, repeating some as necessary.

Thanks to all for your tips and advice. It's great to have the benefit of those with experience learning a language using Duolingo as well as other tools.

I am doing what Jean mentioned, getting all parts to the same level, then going on. I am using it in conjunction with an in-person class, which is helping with the grammar. I don't think I would want to rely on it alone. I can guess answers based on the words given, but could not pull them out if they were not in front of me. It was definitely giving me a false sense of what I had learned, so for me it is a good adjunct and practice.

I'm pleased to see they have Irish as an option.

First I test out of as much as possible. Next, I go through one subject at a time but do a challenge test to finish levels as soon as possible in order to move on. I also take notes in a notebook as I do the lessons.

Having just returned from two weeks in Cuba, I can say that I was able to produce very little of what I had learned. Although I took notes, it went into short-term memory only. I could recognize, my ear is sharp because I’m French bilingual, but my production was low. It was a good review of the Spanish I knew from previous trips, living in California, and teaching Hispanics for several years.

I'm using Duolingo pretty much the same way Bets did: testing out of as many levels as possible (I had some French in college half a lifetime - well, maybe two-thirds of a lifetime - ago,) then working through one topic at a time.

I'm using it in conjunction with the FSI (Foreign Service Institute) materials, which are more drill-oriented. Old school, but I love it. I've already worked through the Pimsleur disks, which I have always found helpful. We've used Pimsleur in the past for French, Spanish, Italian, and - our personal favorite - Dutch!

Duolingo is more like a game, but it's making me pay attention: spelling counts! Ouch!

Have fun with it; any means of learning a language will help you down the road.