Duolingo Spanish
I've been doing Duolingo Spanish every day for almost two years. It's the longest I've been consistent about anything, lol.
Learning a language is great for your brain and helps keep it strong as you age. That's one of the reasons I started doing this, but also because I wanted to challenge myself to learn something new. Having some relatives that spoke Spanish, I always wished I could speak in their native language.
As much as I enjoy doing Duolingo, I don't think it'll ever make me fluent. It's not really set up for that. I can read and write some Spanish, but I can't speak it to others. It's also hard to understand because it's spoken so fast.
I had my doubts when I first started. I took French in high school and did ok with it, but that was ages ago. At my age, how could I memorize so many words? But by doing Duolingo, I was able to do it. Though I still struggle sometimes, I'm amazed that I remember as much as i do.
So, Duolingo is fun to use and I've learned so much from it. But, there's some issues that make it more difficult. Usually, when someone learns a language, they're taught a lesson. Then they practice. After that, they get tested on it. But with Duolingo, you learn as you go. Almost every lesson is a test. It doesn't give you time to absorb what you've learned.
The other problem is that they've eliminated their forums. It used to be that every question on the daily lessons had a forum discussion page. I could always go there to help me understand things better. But with that gone, I'm on my own to figure things out. Now, instead of the forums (that were free) they have an AI thingie (which isn't free). I prefer human discussion and I don't want to pay for it.
Duolingo teaches some grammar, but the explanations are very limited and some of it is left unanswered. Spanish words are often in a different order, and then you have to combine different word order rules within the same sentence. Four words of Spanish could equal ten words of English. There's a ton of grammar stuff, some of it quite different from English, and it can be a bit overwhelming. It's also interesting, but yeah, not easy.
Learning Spanish grammar means you need to understand English grammar. English grammar is not something I'm good at, so I have to study it a bit, too.
Despite its drawbacks, I'm still very glad that I've been doing Duolingo for the past two years. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up and have to use notes or google to get through, while other times I can answer the questions more easily. It would help if I'd practice more on my own.
Spanish is a beautiful language and now I appreciate it even more. :)
Learning a language is great for your brain and helps keep it strong as you age. That's one of the reasons I started doing this, but also because I wanted to challenge myself to learn something new. Having some relatives that spoke Spanish, I always wished I could speak in their native language.
As much as I enjoy doing Duolingo, I don't think it'll ever make me fluent. It's not really set up for that. I can read and write some Spanish, but I can't speak it to others. It's also hard to understand because it's spoken so fast.
I had my doubts when I first started. I took French in high school and did ok with it, but that was ages ago. At my age, how could I memorize so many words? But by doing Duolingo, I was able to do it. Though I still struggle sometimes, I'm amazed that I remember as much as i do.
So, Duolingo is fun to use and I've learned so much from it. But, there's some issues that make it more difficult. Usually, when someone learns a language, they're taught a lesson. Then they practice. After that, they get tested on it. But with Duolingo, you learn as you go. Almost every lesson is a test. It doesn't give you time to absorb what you've learned.
The other problem is that they've eliminated their forums. It used to be that every question on the daily lessons had a forum discussion page. I could always go there to help me understand things better. But with that gone, I'm on my own to figure things out. Now, instead of the forums (that were free) they have an AI thingie (which isn't free). I prefer human discussion and I don't want to pay for it.
Duolingo teaches some grammar, but the explanations are very limited and some of it is left unanswered. Spanish words are often in a different order, and then you have to combine different word order rules within the same sentence. Four words of Spanish could equal ten words of English. There's a ton of grammar stuff, some of it quite different from English, and it can be a bit overwhelming. It's also interesting, but yeah, not easy.
Learning Spanish grammar means you need to understand English grammar. English grammar is not something I'm good at, so I have to study it a bit, too.
Despite its drawbacks, I'm still very glad that I've been doing Duolingo for the past two years. Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up and have to use notes or google to get through, while other times I can answer the questions more easily. It would help if I'd practice more on my own.
Spanish is a beautiful language and now I appreciate it even more. :)