134 days of Duolingo
For 134 days I have been studying German as well as other languages every single day. In so doing my reading comprehension has gone up and I no longer become a “deer in the headlights” when someone asks me a question in Spanish. I was even able to understand the questions people asked, and able to answer.
As I have been focusing on German and Spanish I find it increasingly easy to understand words so I can go through exercises that translate from German to English easily enough. The challenge comes when I have to remember the words to write phrases from English to German or Spanish. With repetition, I will increase my fluency in the language. The goal is to get to at least a beginner level before I take courses.
I see no reason to learn a language at a beginner level because applications, books, news programs in podcast form and other forms of content can help with this.
I like to choose exercises and learn new words. In so doing I sometimes make no mistakes several exercises in a row and progress smoothly. At other times, for example, when I am tired I make mistakes immediately. When I make mistakes I practise until I have refilled the five “hearts” and then I continue trying to learn new words.
With this application, you can practise anywhere. You can practise in front of the TV, while waiting for food to be ready, in various forms of transport and elsewhere. If the place is not suitable for audio and speaking I turn off those exercises and practise with other exercises. The point is that for 134 days I have practised and earned 50 points every day.
At the end of every week, you get learning stats that show how many words you have learned, how much time you have spent learning and finally how many words you have learned. If you’re new to a language then the learned words will be much higher. I spend time consolidating what I have learned, hence the time spent and lessons completed being so high. These stats are new.
I would still recommend playing with Duolingo every day to learn a new language or to consolidate what is already known. I have German and Spanish lessons downloaded on the phone and practise anywhere I want.