I realize that most people are not language geeks like me and don't spend hundreds of hours practicing Chinese characters just for fun. Here in the Duolingo app review, I discussed a few points that I personally find the best and worked for me to learn a new language. All the best, Nuri. DuoLingo is not one-size-fits-for-all. The official courses are created by Memrise, and they all follow a similar pattern and must meet a certain quality standard. Hay una app que se llama Busuu que estoy utilizando últimamente para aprender japonés. For example, in languages like German, the verb goes at the end of the sentence, not in the second spot like it does in English. I have found some other apps for learning French that I felt more useful for conversational French here… https://vidalingua.com/best-apps-learn-french-iphone-ipad I should mention that I am interested in preparing for a trip, not a class so I like learning phrase more than vocabulary. There are a bunch of features which you can directly access through Duolingo Home Screen. It sounds (and looks from your screencap) like you didn’t do more than the first level of each section on duolingo. I was a German language major in college and decided after I retired early during COVID to learn Spanish and started with Duolingo. I’m glad you’ve found a system that works for you! The lessons come in a set order, on topics such as nationality, gender and days of the week. And I had an advantage over the typical English speaker, since many of the characters used in Japanese are the same as in Chinese. Particularly languages that use a script other than the Latin alphabet. After all, this is how you learned your native language, right? Hi Ashutosh, But with Hindi, my goal is not to become fluent. So, the process was fun and exciting. If Lingodeer had a level 2 Russian course, I would probably use that instead, but for now they just have level 1. Some languages can be more difficult than the others. Oftentimes, some language experts can also join with the discussions and give such clear explanations on different subjects. As I stated in the article, the biggest draw of Duolingo for me has always been the gamification aspect, which my brain responds to really well. I do think some methods are just inherently more effective, though. I’ve been revisiting German on Duolingo (going well), but I was absolutely appalled at their Arabic lessons. He's a deer. Read more on my About page. The service is constantly being … What techniques am I using? It really does feel like a game, and my allotment of five minutes of study time per day simply flies by (if you upgrade to the premium version you can study for more than five minutes). You are just supposed to pick up the rules intuitively as you go through the lessons, which are mostly multiple choice and translation questions. The premium version, called Duolingo Plus, costs $6.99 per month. 2. In reality, I wasn't learning much; I was just in it for the crowns. 1: Motivate the Learners : Duolingo understands the role of motivation in new language learning and this is why it uses plenty of different methods to keep the user hooked. You’d agree that it is like the interface of social gaming. [UPDATE May 2020: Two pieces of good news to report: 1. Duolingo is not a stand-alone language course, but it’s an excellent addition to a language learner’s toolbox. The learners will practice each skill through a series of exercises. Duolingo is more popular amongst the mobile phone users because of its robust and great app. Perhaps this would work if you were learning a language that was quite similar to your own. Drops is fun to use, although it only teaches vocabulary so is best in combination with something else. After using Duolingo and then taking a 1 week language course with other learners who hadn’t used Duolingo, I did better than the others did even though they had been taught the grammar rules. I started using DL in Aug, 2018 and am still working regularly in it. If I get this giveaway, I’ll like to try Lingodeer. “10 minute a day” invitation tempted me into this. If you've ever searched for language learning apps to use on your smartphone, you've almost certainly come across Duolingo. It is possible to test out of multiple lessons at one time until you reach the right level for you. Which is a shame, because they are a really great learning tool! This is kind of a ridiculous thing to say, because I can barely string a sentence together in Russian. This review is based on my own experience as an avid language learner and Duolingo user. But I'll get to that in a minute. Live Lingua Review (2020) – Details, Pricing, & Features, Memrise Review (2020) – Pros, Cons & Pricing. Of course, as you progress, you should still seek out as many opportunities as possible to listen, read and speak if you really want to learn a language. Hi! It was good for cramming all new words we learn through repetitive process. I’m sorry to hear that it has discouraged you from learning your target language. Duolingo offers supplemental materials to aid students with language practice and cultural learning. Thanks for sharing how you use Duolingo; it’s quite insightful. — Judah felt that both … And this is one thing that the developers definitely got right. Clearly the app’s creators intend users to do all of the lessons and all of the sections in a bubble before progressing onto the next – in what world is it logical to progress, for example, to greetings 2 if one has not yet maxed out the levels on greetings 1? There’s another app that I’ll mention below that’s better for just learning Japanese phrases for travelers (as well as travel phrases in many other languages). Duolingo the Popular Language Learning App. I also find that I do it just for the rewards, but when it comes to actual learning it’s not very effective for me. Duolingo has such a user-friendly interface. When trying to learn Japanese, I found that I kept progressing to harder and harder lessons without having learned the content from the previous lessons. So far, for my language level, Memrise has been the best app to learn Russian of the ones I’ve tried. about Duolingo. There are community courses for many other languages, but be aware that the quality of these varies dramatically. You can directly start as a beginner, or join with the placement test to figure out your current level. I actually only discovered stories fairly recently, because unfortunately, they are not available for any of the languages I’m currently learning. For more information, see the Disclaimer linked above. While some of those above focus on learning vocabulary words, and others teach a combination of vocabulary and grammar, all of them teach through exercises (multiple-choice, fill in the blank, translation, etc.). Before moving on to those other apps, though, I should mention that both the lack of grammar explanations and the lack of open-ended questions are apparently resolved in the desktop version of Duolingo. ?‍♂️ I haven’t tried the other apps you’ve suggested, but it doesn’t seem like this review is very objective. If you're interested in those, let me know, and I may write a second article about more high-end language learning apps. This is also really handy for travelers, particularly if you have specialized interests. After more than 100 days, my own judgment was that it was not working for me, or at least it was not working as well as some other apps. I tried to start the thread and got quick responses in just a few minutes. Like this one: Not the kind of example sentence you typically find in school textbooks. Well, it is not hard for all beginners to follow the lessons provided by Duolingo. On the other hand, if you just want to learn basic Japanese for travel, it’s not ideal. Hi! Hi Nino, I’m glad to hear that Duolingo is working for you, and it’s true that each method works better for some people than for others, as we all learn differently. If you don’t want to use the multiple choice answers you can switch to the possibility to type the translation on your own over the keyboard. It’s certainly not the only app that offers the chance to hear native speakers, but the important thing is that you’ve found a method that works for you, which is great. I don’t know how to access them on the app, though, only when using Duolingo on the website. Here are the different prices of Duolingo Plus: $9.99/month (paid monthly) I’m a person who is not motivated by gamification, so I never tended to claim those lingots or badges or kept track of it. And while that’s mainly true, the company has also developed language courses that include other types of exercises in addition to flashcards. This article seems rather biased. Babbel Unbiased Review 2020 – Is It Worth Your Money? My manager is quite supportive and I feel there are tons of opportunities for growth at the company, especially as I am at a more … Here’s hoping I won’t need to use that sentence when I travel across Russia on the Trans-Mongolia. Some of those exercise types are only available with a premium account, but others are free to use. In Drops, I’m not sure if or when that will happen. Review: The Duolingo Latin Course By Ashley Francese | Jul 31, 2020 After many years of offering free language courses to students of popular modern languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, and German, and to people interested in learning rather more obscure languages such as Esperanto, Klingon, High … Do you know anything about why they do this? This is what I am doing with Chinese, but so far, it's still a bit too easy for my level. My husband and I even co-host a podcast for learners of English, so language learning is a big part of my life! To improve the language learning process Duolingo recommends you to repeat sentences more often, to read them loud and to try to write the sentences down on a piece of paper after you have finished working with the app. One thing many Duolingo users don’t realize is that Duolingo *does* have grammar notes and tips (albeit rather brief, but still helpful). Read a story in two languages at once with Beelinguapp. Perhaps this is an Asian cultural influence? Hi Wendy, thanks for this review, definitely some useful insight in there about language learning apps. Just want to learn useful travel phrases? Actually, there are many things about Duolingo that I found unclear, and my biggest complaint about the app is the lack of instructions. Duolingo seems more focused on keeping your attention and having fun but both programs encourage you to set goals for yourself and keep them. If you already have a decent foundation and just want some reviews and extra practice of your language skills, Duolingo could work for you. Hay una versión gratuita de Busuu, pero es bastante limitada. You will not achieve fluency but it is good for beginners and repeats vocabulary on a somewhat frequent basis. Just set up a profile, and select the language you want to learn, and start learning. You’ll notice that many popular Asian languages are … With languages that have non Roman letters, you can toggle between native scripts and romanized scripts including Hindi, Russian, Chinese, Farsi Etc. The best thing that I like in this app is it easy to use and teaches the languages as you prefer learning as a child. The topics we’ll cover is the core learning method, effectiveness, personalization and much more. As mentioned, it is a gamified language lessons platform. Hi Ses, thanks for sharing your experience with Duolingo. I haven’t been to Georgia yet but would like to learn at least a few words of the language when I finally do visit. Your email address will not be published. It's essentially a really big language-learning game, where you complete exercises (fill in the gaps, translate the sentence) to complete levels. What you need is mass input, and reading and listening to stories in your target language is an excellent way to do that. In addition to Chinese, Japanese and Korean, English speakers can also learn Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Vietnamese. An Honest Review + Better Language Apps for Travel. Other apps such as Rosetta Stone and Mango Languages could also be very effective for learning a foreign language, but they are more expensive. So, eventually I gave up and started looking for other language learning apps. Essentially, Duolingo is a computerized version of a simple foreign language workbook that did not teach you any Spanish or another foreign language in high school. For me, most of the appeal of Duolingo was that I could use it in my spare time when I was out and about, in the form of an app. Perhaps it was clear to you that users are supposed to max out all levels before moving on, but it was not clear to me. Although, like with Lingodeer, I sometimes come across an unusual phrase or two …. Your email address will not be published. I personally started to learn spanish from scratch with Duolingo and I must admit that if you know how to make use of this app, it should take you to an advanced level. Thank you for the tip! Currently, I still occasionally use Duolingo to brush up on my Spanish, French and Portuguese (mainly through the Stories feature, which I love), while I use LingoDeer to study Russian, Japanese and Mandarin. And you can read and listen to them in 13 different languages. The bit-sized lessons of Duolingo are the stars of the service. Hi Tunca, Your comment about guessing is spot on. You can keep going deeper into the levels, and the content is supposed to get harder. You will need to upgrade your account to Duolingo Plus to unlock these additional features. This review is from an intermediate student’s perspective, one who finished Duolingo’s Japanese course to review. But it’s nothing wrong to us additionally second app as well for learning a language. If you just want to learn basic Japanese for travel, then Drops is probably the quickest way to learn simple Japanese phrases for travelers. But if you are at an advanced level, you'll probably find it too easy. Some of them have limited free versions, while others just have a free trial. But first, here's the nitty gritty on that cute little green owl called Duo and his super-popular app Duolingo. Don’t have to say much more about this, but it’s great that the app is completely free to use. It sounds like you and I have had similar experiences with Duolingo. On the other hand, I needed something to get me back into the habit of practicing my languages, and Duolingo gave me the motivation that I was lacking. Duolingo aims to help the beginners to learn all of the basics. It's also probably the best app to learn Chinese or Korean. It is worth your time to try it now. If you are a beginner and want to cover all of the basics, Duolingo is indeed your best choice. Is Duolingo Any Good? Duolingo is not a new thing on the internet. But as a native English speaker trying to learn Japanese -- a language that has complicated grammar and three separate writing systems and is nothing at all like English -- I needed help, and I wasn't getting it from Duolingo. But then I get the beginning. Entiendo por completo tu situación. Best free thing: Duolingo. But it’s a fun way to review, and, unlike with Duolingo, I do feel like I’m actually (re)learning some Chinese with Lingodeer. I tried Lingodeer for 1 day and got really annoyed. I hate it! The first is that there are no explanations of grammar rules. I'm an intrepid traveler, vegan foodie and animal lover. Keep reading for my review of another app that will help you do just that. Other language combinations are also available. Hi, I'm Wendy. And as a free user, you will be able to access all of the free resources provided by Duolingo. But I broke my daily streak when I broke my smart phone and I felt a bit relieved with no more Duolingo …lol! I think the same thing goes with the other similar apps like this. Duolingo is the best language learning app, I used it to learn German and is best for me. I would roughly estimate that I spent around 50 hours on Duolingo and other German learning resources in two weeks. Dejo aquí un enlace con el cual puedes conseguir una prueba sin cargo por 30 días. The best thing about Duolingo, and the reason it has become so popular, is that it's free. Good luck with your studies! I wonder which way the creators intended for users to do it? Forever.". DUOLINGO: LEARN LANGUAGES FREE packs lots of language learning into an easy-to-grasp mind-map layout. This time, instead of moving on to the next content bubble as  soon as it is unlocked (after reaching level 1 on the previous bubble), I am continuing to study the same bubble until I reach at least level 3. And they offer FOUR different types of Arabic: Egyptian Arabic, Iraqi Arabic, Levantine Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic. I never thought about maxing out the levels for each bubble one at a time. All learners will start with their own pace. I will check it out. It's already a cult classic and was just named Google's Best App of 2018. This does not appear in any of the other languages I've tried, though. I agree that the lack of instruction in grammar is a bad thing. I recommend learning the basics first with one of the other language learning apps reviewed here. So, what about those language learning features? Duolingo is one of the most popular language-learning programs out there. Thank you for your tip and I think it will help everyone. Hopefully, the developers will continue to add features like stories, podcasts and explanatory notes for other languages. I agree that they should really make a better effort to inform their app users about the additional features available on the website, although it would be even better if they could just make those features available on the app. DL provides a daily context for practicing a foreign language for free. Learning with Duolingo is slow … But in Drops, every single word or phrase taught is associated with a picture. I think it is pretty fair. So, to speak a second language fluently, you’re going to need more than grammar exercises and vocabulary flashcards. While the initial course will teach you the basics of the language, for some languages there is also a second, more advanced course. Your email address will not be published. So, for more advanced grammar lessons, you won’t want to rely on this platform. Hi Wendy – thanks for the article. My vote is for Duolingo, and they didn’t even offer me anything to review them. Actually, I do remember doing some speaking exercises in the Russian modules of Duolingo, but not in any of the other languages. I’m most interested in improving my listening and speaking skills. Also gives basic conjugation list of verbs and definitions of vocabulary words by clicking on the underlined word. They didn’t even finish teaching the full alphabets before they jumped into full (irrelevant) sentences with characters they never showed before, (and no background on their real meaning). Everything started making sense! I tried several community Hindi courses on Memrise, and they were all pretty useless. It will be much easier to follow Duolingo lessons if you’ve ever joined a language class before. LOL. I have never tried lingodeer but it has good reviews but in google was than Duolingo was in top 5 best language learners. Hola Alexa! By the way, “beer” in Spanish is spelled “cerveza” . 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