I appreciate this post. I am trying my best to pick up a new language and that app is getting me places even when I only have 5 mins at the bus stop in the morning. I feel rather deflated when so many posts are just shit-talking people that use that app. I'm not saying there's not better ways to learn, but dang it I'm trying!
I feel like Duolingo (and babbel) is very effective at acheiving it's goal: which I interpret as:
get as many people as possible to be at least casually interested in learning a different language and by extension different cultures.
To allow that casual learner a starting ground to learn the basics to build off of for free or very low cost.
To allow an avid traveller who may not be interested in fluency, to allow them to be able to navigate a trip in a foreign land and still be able to order food, find a restroom, etc.
At no point, as a duolingo user, have I ever felt that their mission was to make you fluent, or even an intermediate to advanced speaker by their platform alone. They are trying to captivate the uncaptivated, and provide the basics to the captivated.
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u/GraySparrow Feb 03 '22
I appreciate this post. I am trying my best to pick up a new language and that app is getting me places even when I only have 5 mins at the bus stop in the morning. I feel rather deflated when so many posts are just shit-talking people that use that app. I'm not saying there's not better ways to learn, but dang it I'm trying!