I wonder if you could spend some time off Duolingo – not to substitute but to supplement - and use the language in a different but micro way. If you go, say, to the website of a radio station that broadcasts in the language (let’s say the language is Ukrainian and the station is https://hromadske.radio/ - there may be better ones; you can look or ask a friend. Another possibility is Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian service’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/radio.svoboda/), which Kari Lake managed not to throttle to death – short texts and videos w/ Ukr subtitles of what’s being spoken). you can find headings or even single words and look up the words – even one word or heading - and copy and paste into google translate. You probably know or can figure out some words already. And listen for a while to the audio. If a radio station plays music you can listen to songs, esp. w/ lyrics, that have repeating choruses. sometimes you can just enjoy it, sometimes look up words. Or announcements of news, or the name of their station. Repetition is important. The station may have a slogan that’s used repeatedly. you can google words or copy and paste them into google translate. Or you could ask a Ukrainian friend for advice, e.g., the name and url of a song they like, or a slogan or saying, or the names of important people in current events, history, or whatever (at your pace so you don’t get overwhelmed). start w/ tiny texts (the name of a food, not a recipe; the title or chorus of a song, not all the lyrics; a headline, not a whole story). Then you’ll be using the language as a tool of inquiry and discovery, even in small ways. you’ll need a lot of grammar but you’ll have living examples to investigate w/ a friend or tutor and grammar info. In sum, I think using Duolingo well may require busting out of it sometimes, and eventually forever, while using what it’s taught you. you'll be lost sometimes but if you use short texts/look up words you'll be able to find your way out
I have only recently begun Duolingo. So far I’m just trying it out with Italian using the free version.
I’d tried a few other systems for learning one was back the days of CD’s. That was pretty bad.
Then came podcasts and using a series called Coffee Break. I would use it will commuting to/from work using earphones in my motorcycle helmet. That only worked for listening. Later I had a fancy comm unit in the helmet with quite good noise cancelling mic so worked well enough.
Work and schedules eventually overcame my commitment to learning and I fell behind.
The game nature of language learning and my sports training systems are absolutely the features that annoy me. But, I don’t think being annoyed is all that bad.
For example my Strava cycling app regularly annoys me with announcements of my losing some silly “Local Legend” status in some segment. A thing I care nothing about. Strava currently has me at something around 57 weeks of activity. Not all of that is cycling. Some weeks I’ve only walked and not cycled at all.
I ignore all that side to have access to the social aspects, clubs I ride with activities are most easily found here rather than clunky club websites.
Anyway, I’ll know how I feel about Duolingo in a month or so.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQE5TDbjJot/?igsh=MTBhdzloYXpicTRzeg==
I wonder if you could spend some time off Duolingo – not to substitute but to supplement - and use the language in a different but micro way. If you go, say, to the website of a radio station that broadcasts in the language (let’s say the language is Ukrainian and the station is https://hromadske.radio/ - there may be better ones; you can look or ask a friend. Another possibility is Radio Liberty’s Ukrainian service’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/radio.svoboda/), which Kari Lake managed not to throttle to death – short texts and videos w/ Ukr subtitles of what’s being spoken). you can find headings or even single words and look up the words – even one word or heading - and copy and paste into google translate. You probably know or can figure out some words already. And listen for a while to the audio. If a radio station plays music you can listen to songs, esp. w/ lyrics, that have repeating choruses. sometimes you can just enjoy it, sometimes look up words. Or announcements of news, or the name of their station. Repetition is important. The station may have a slogan that’s used repeatedly. you can google words or copy and paste them into google translate. Or you could ask a Ukrainian friend for advice, e.g., the name and url of a song they like, or a slogan or saying, or the names of important people in current events, history, or whatever (at your pace so you don’t get overwhelmed). start w/ tiny texts (the name of a food, not a recipe; the title or chorus of a song, not all the lyrics; a headline, not a whole story). Then you’ll be using the language as a tool of inquiry and discovery, even in small ways. you’ll need a lot of grammar but you’ll have living examples to investigate w/ a friend or tutor and grammar info. In sum, I think using Duolingo well may require busting out of it sometimes, and eventually forever, while using what it’s taught you. you'll be lost sometimes but if you use short texts/look up words you'll be able to find your way out
sorry to be so bossy
I have only recently begun Duolingo. So far I’m just trying it out with Italian using the free version.
I’d tried a few other systems for learning one was back the days of CD’s. That was pretty bad.
Then came podcasts and using a series called Coffee Break. I would use it will commuting to/from work using earphones in my motorcycle helmet. That only worked for listening. Later I had a fancy comm unit in the helmet with quite good noise cancelling mic so worked well enough.
Work and schedules eventually overcame my commitment to learning and I fell behind.
The game nature of language learning and my sports training systems are absolutely the features that annoy me. But, I don’t think being annoyed is all that bad.
For example my Strava cycling app regularly annoys me with announcements of my losing some silly “Local Legend” status in some segment. A thing I care nothing about. Strava currently has me at something around 57 weeks of activity. Not all of that is cycling. Some weeks I’ve only walked and not cycled at all.
I ignore all that side to have access to the social aspects, clubs I ride with activities are most easily found here rather than clunky club websites.
Anyway, I’ll know how I feel about Duolingo in a month or so.