Aber warum?

[ganimede]

The past few weeks I've been doing the German course on Duolingo on Friday mornings. So far it's been pretty good but as I'm progressing further through it, it seems to be getting increasingly bizarre. This morning was all about animals and food, and it was coming up with sentences I don't think I've ever said in English, never mind in German

Comments

[bella_cheval]

I'm doing the same course! You must be a bit further ahead than I am; the section I was on yesterday was about animals but none of the senteces I had were as unique as yours!

[ganimede]

Oooh! These sentences were all from the strengthening part, they were a bit weirder than what was in the normal teaching section. I'm not that much further ahead, just got up to Level 6 and about to start on questions and saying no. Exciting! Have you been doing it long?

[bella_cheval]

I started working on Duolingo a couple weeks ago. Gives me something to do at work when I have down time, which is a lot lately.

[ganimede]

It's good that you can do it at work, although not so good that it's quiet enough for you to need something else to do! Is it something that might come in handy for work?

[meathiel]

I'm a banana? Uh ... wot???

That are very strange sentences, the only on that could happen is "Das Kind isst die Insekten" ... haha ...

[ganimede]

I know, it's bizarre! I wondered if it was automated in some way, perhaps there's a list of nouns and verbs to create different sentences and that's why it comes up with some odd things. The banana one was just completely out of the blue.

It doesn't seem to be entirely useful, it's not exactly teaching things you'd need for daily life. When I learned German at school, we started off knowing how to introduce ourselves, how to order drinks, asking for directions and that kind of thing. The Duolingo site started off going on about men and women drinking water! It does seem to have more of a focus on grammar though which is good for me as that's the part I struggle with most. But knowing how to use the accusative case is not as useful as knowing how to get directions back to a hotel.

[emsy]

When I was at school my friend had taught herself some German using a similar at-home course (we didn't learn German in school). The only sentence she could remember being taught is "the lollipop is in the dog".

There must be some Germans wandering around who think English people say the strangest things...

[chaquir]

ah come on, admit it, you will need the sentence
"Ich bin eine Banane"
really often for sure

hahaha

[ganimede]

I think that's something you'd need more than me, given how bananas you are :P

[chaquir]

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

you got me there

[qwentoozla]

Did it also teach you how to say "My spoon is too big?"

[ganimede]

What on earth did you just make me watch?! Is that a piss-take of something?

I've not gone onto such exciting things as spoons and sizes yet but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for such a sentence.

[qwentoozla]

Hahaha, I really don't know! It's just a very old meme from the old pre-youtube days. Simpler times! :P

[ganimede]

Crazier times too, I think! I think I've seen some of that done as icons on LJ but I never knew where they came from. Thanks for enlightening me :P