• ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Duolingo isn’t a good resource for learning a language, it’s focus is user retention

    Innovative Language and Lingodeer are better

    • sylverstream@lemmy.nz
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      1 year ago

      But, retention means repetition, so you learn more, right? Not trying to defend Duolingo but I’ve been enjoying it for the last 3 years or so. Almost got 1000 day streak and my Spanish is getting better.

      • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        It is fair to say it helps people stick with it but it ends up avoiding harder facets and puts more focus on memorizing rather than learning

        • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Well, proper language learning is more about memorization than understanding. People learn language as a child through repetition, and the understanding comes later.

          • lazerCovenant@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            Just because people learn that way as a child, that doesn’t mean that it’s the best way to learn.

          • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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            1 year ago

            it’s not really memorization, children don’t learn languages by sitting there desperately burning every word into their memory, they hear it repeated over and over and the brain just passively soaks it up and eventually starts making sense of it.

            And i’m pretty sure this is why people who learn to speak languages in school are generally terrible at them, it’s shoved down their throat and the brain is given no time to process understanding the language before trying to speak it.
            I’ve found that my ability to speak languages i learnt in school has become significantly better a couple years after the fact, presumably from my brain having had time to process the information.

    • Flax@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

      I’ve learned more with Duolingo than any other resource to be fair.

    • java@beehaw.orgBanned
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      1 year ago

      Duolingo isn’t a good resource for learning a language, it’s focus is user retention

      These two statements contradict each other. To learn a language you must practice it every day, week after week, month after month. It’s an appropriate application of addictive game mechanics, because our motivation doesn’t last long: 1-3 months for most people.

      Duolingo might not be the best place to learn some languages (e.g. German), but it can be a very helpful tool for everyday practice. And stuff like streaks, leagues, and other things are rather helpful.

      • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        More lesson focused than game

        lingodeer explains the grammar and innovative does a classroom approach with video lessons