Duo Lingo

[barry1010]

Has any used this long term? I'd like to know how helpful it really is in learning a new language.  I've been using the free version for a while and find it somewhat lacking so I'm thinking of subscribing to the full version.

It tells me I'm wrong without explaining why, that's the main problem I have.

I've read the reviews but I'd like a more personal reply.  Can it really teach someone to be fluent if they put enough time in?

[Gizmonster]

I've just hit a 2045 day streak today on DL learning Spanish.

I've never paid for Super DL .... the only time I've tried it is when I get an offer to try it for free  :)

To be honest I don't think there's much difference when using the free version, apart from using hearts and the annoying ads.

When I first started using DL, I couldn't speak any Spanish apart from the very basics such as hola, gracias etc.  Now I can talk fairly complex sentences ..... the trouble is when I need to listen .... they all speak at a zillion miles an hour !!

One thing I will say, is use other resources to help you.  I use https://www.spanishdict.com/ 

It's great to help with verb conjugations and to check words which have multiple meanings.

Personally, I'd stick with the free version, but use other resources as well because I don't think learning with DL alone is enough.

Just out of curiosity, what language are you learning?

[Gizmonster]

Link doesn't work, possibly because it's spread over 2 lines.

Try again:

https://www.spanishdict.com/

[barry1010]

Very helpful, thank you, Giz

[Gizmonster]

What language are you currently learning?

Have you tried the "reverse tree"??

[Prudie]

And I'm on 872 day streak in Spanish with the free version. I've learned an awful lot more than by any other method (having done a council evening class intro level, Rosetta Stone and some free CD courses all of which focissed on tourist chat).

A bit like Giz mentioned, I now undeerstand alot of written spanish and can construct sentences (only 3 tenses learned so far - eg I learn, I learned, I am learning) but they speak so fast it's the listening that I find hard to translate. I always used google to explain finer grammatical details that I've not understood from the lesson. When I first started you could click for expanations and see others' chat on the answer but that feature seems to have gone. I highly recommend it over all.

[barry1010]

Thank you, Prudie.

Reverse tree?

[Gizmonster]

////  Reverse tree?  ////

I'll assume you're learning Spanish??

At the mo, you're learning English to Spanish.

With the reverse tree, you learn Spanish to English.  All the instructions, etc are in Spanish .... it's as if you're Spanish and are learning English.

You learn things that you don't learn in your normal tree and reading the instructions in Spanish helps as well.

Click on "add new course".

On the drop down arrow where it says "I speak English", change this to "I speak Spanish".

Then select the "English" course.

You can alternate between your two trees: English to Spanish or Spanish to English.

I got a bit carried away when I started the reverse tree and I'm actually a bit further on than my normal tree.

I'm 3/4 of the way through section 7 on my English to Spanish and I'm at the beginning of section 8 in the reverse tree.

[Gizmonster]

Just to add, I wouldn't use google translate .... it's not very accurate some of the time.

I use:

https://www.deepl.com/en/translator/l/en/es

[Prudie]

Just to add, I didn't mean exactly that I use google to translate, I meant I put the question into google and various sites come up with explanations. Most recently (which I still find confusing) is whether adjectives go before or after the noun for example.

I would also add that I have French & German to A level so already knew a bit about language rules and tenses. I think that's helped me a lot and anyone who's not studied a language the old-fashioned way will find it that bit harder.

[barry1010]

Understood re reverse tree, excellent suggestion 

[Gizmonster]

Ah right .... sorry I misunderstood  :)

Just to help with the placement of adjectives:

If an adjective is placed before the noun, it's an subjective point of view, if it's placed after the noun, it's a subjective point of view.

For example, un viejo amigo means an old friend.  Old as in you've known them for a long time, it's a subjective point of view.

Un amigo viejo also means an old friend, but old as in elderly .... it's objective.

If someone is buying una nueva casa, they're buying a new house.  It's new to them (subjective) but not necessarily a brand new build.

Una casa nueva would be a brand new house, newly built.

[Gizmonster]

Sorry I made a mistake in my second paragraph, it sould read: 

 

////  If an adjective is placed before the noun, it's a subjective point of view, if it's placed after the noun, it's an objective point of view.  ////

[Khandro]

I agree with giz; DeepL is better than Google translate.

[barry1010]

Thanks again, all very helpful pointers, appreciated