gemini://bbs.geminispace.org/s/Language

I went to the cafe, but the coffee was bad. True story.

So after 24 days of intense duolingo, it is not possible to say simple things like this, without outside help.

For some reason, all language courses I've seen focus on the completely unusable present tense for a long, long time. While it seems simple and perhaps not entirely unwise to learn to conjugate verbs in present tense, it makes it impossible to communicate even simple thoughts.

The present point in time is just that - a POINT, while the rest of everything is in the past and possibly the future. Simple present tense is useless unless you want to talk like Tarzan.

I am happy with duolingo as I am much more comfortable with the language, learning about 1000 words, internalizing present-tense regular verb ending, and spending a lot of time drilling because if its gamification. But I also spent a day learning to say how often el Senior Gonzales showers.

Duolingo has expanded my comfort zone to seek help elsewhere: youtube and various websites.

And I am completely flabbergasted that, after a couple of weeks of present-tense conjugation, I was not shown how simple it is to construct simple and useful phrases like "he estado estudiando" (I've been studying) or "fui al supermercado" (I went to to supermarket)... Crap, "he estado" is the same for any "...ando" verbs! It is a trivial amount of added complexity, but so much more useful!

I don't think I am too crazy, or that my needs are that different from others. Why is it that language aquisition, a basic human need, so poorly understood that even extremely well-funded and determined groups of linguists make learning a language so inefficient?

I think duolingo is great as an engine of learning (it got me off my ass and completely addicted), but it could be much better, I think. And obviously it cannot be the only source of learning.

He estado despotricando! Mi diatriba es estupida.

Well... After using Duoling for about a year, I can say you learn like unconnected parts, not helpful to have a conversation or read a page. It's more oriented to read and speak short phrases, but don't make you think or converse. I've been using Pimsleur, more aimed to listen, speak and translate. I think works much better than a few apps. And among apps, Bussu has a much better content with short lessons but part of a learning plan.

As /u/eapl says Duolingo isn’t enough. I recommend using anki for flash cards for expanding vocabulary. News in Slow Spanish is good for working on auditory comprehension. Find Spanish music you like to listen. Pimsleur is good from what I have heard. As I said in a previous post I’m also playing Animal Crossing New Leaf in Spanish which has been fun.

Bueno suerte en tu viaje de aprender español 😀

Yo nunca aprendí inglés bien con Duolingo, nunca fue suficiente. Se pierde el slang y las expresiones más comunes. Si usted quiere aprender español pruebe a hablarlo con nativos. Yo me ofrezco a ayudarle a aprender intercambiando conversaciones en English <-> Spanish. Mucho más rápido 🤗

To add onto what others have said, Duolingo is fun but _really_ slow. It's hard to expand out into new avenues of learning when you've been doing the same thing for a long time, but here's a few that have helped me:

- YouTube content, like you said. Find teachers you like who will walk you through the basics and explain the answers to questions you have.

- Passive listening. One YT teacher I watched explained that you should be doing three times as much passive listening as active, meaning having the language on while you're not paying attention. He recommended finding QVC Italia (home shopping network) on YouTube and just leaving it on. I'm sure they have a QVC españa. It's 24/7 and they're always talking. It's good for active listening practice as well.

- Reading children's books, watching children's TV. Peppa pig is on Netflix in a ton of languages!

- Watching movies or shows (or playing games) you already know completely, but in your new language. I cannot bear to think how many times I've watched the Harry Potter movies over the years. Once with English subtitles, again with Italian subtitles, again with no subtitles, at different points over the years. But I knew those movies and stories like the back of my hand already, so I could just let the language wash over me and never feel lost.

- Actually talking to a native speaker. This one is tough, but there's sites like italki which will accommodate any skill level. But at some point the rubber needs to hit the road, better sooner than later.

Duolingo is great because it opens up people's mind to the idea that they can actually learn a new language. But I think the gamification aspect holds people back in the end; it makes you want to avoid being wrong or not knowing something, but that is the very essence of learning. Especially when learning a language, when you can't possibly know everything and for a long time you're really just trying to catch the gist of what's being said.

Fui a la cafetería, pero el café estaba mal

4 Comments ↓