Learning a New Language Using Duolingo
Over the past week I have been using the app Duolingo which is a app created to help people learn a new language. The language that I choose to begin to learn was German. Considering the fact that my father is German and is fluent in the language, I thought it would be pretty fun to learn some German and surprise him with a sentence or two the next time I would see him.
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Overall I was very impressed with the app, as I think it's a great way in beginning to learn a new language whether you are very motivated or only slightly motivated. When you first choose a language you wish to learn, Duolingo asks the length and frequency with which you will be using the app. For example, if you only plan on putting forth 10 minutes a day on Duolingo, it will arrange questions that will only take approximately 10 minutes a day. If you're more of a avid user, you can select to put forth 30 minutes a day which will make each session on Duolingo much longer. I think this is a massive pro to the app, because it doesn't group every user the same. Some users are more determined and focused on learning a new language, and others are less focused, therefore it would be illogical to group both of these users together and find a mean time for each user session.
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Another thrilling aspect to the app is the thematic vocabulary. The app divides each section by theme and allows you to test each vocabulary through translation to and from the target language.
The one pro of this is that searching for various forms of vocabulary is relatively simple. There isn't a need to browse through various lessons and try to find a specific word or grammatical phrase. However, the con to this is that most of the vocabulary is unnatural and robotic, and by this I mean it sounds like it is like something a robot would say.
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Although I am no means an expert in German, another pro to the app would be shortcuts. This is very ideal for those who are not beginners in the language and already have some prior knowledge before using the app. If these people would like more of a challenge, they have the option to pass a specific test that will allow them to skip ahead of rather basic and simple language. One must pass the test containing all vocabulary, phrases, and grammatical patterns in that section. The user only has three attempts to advance to a higher level. If the user does not pass the test after the three failed attempts, then will have to wait 24 hours before being allowed to attempt the test again.
The pro of this is shortcuts give more advanced learners the ability to bypass irrelevant or far too simple material. Although, the con to this is that the failed attempts to this test don't necessarily prove that the learner is ready to advance Website Source: Koko.
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I personally think that this app could possibly be used in other fields, other than just one individual trying to learn a new language by themselves. I think that teachers in either high school or elementary schools educating their students on mandatory second language classes, could benefit greatly from using this app. If these second language teachers assigned homework to their class, students through the use of their smartphones, laptops, iPads, and desktops at home, could complete the necessary assignments through this app. The app is enjoyable to play and has rewards for those who complete more tasks or complete tasks in a quicker amount of time. This would hopefully create a form of internal competition in the class, and increase excitement in students to complete their traditionally tedious homework.
Image Source: Cisco Blog
There is something Duolingo could improve on to make the experience for each user better. This improvement would hopefully help to prevent spam. After reading some user's experiences with the app, some people unfortunately experienced spam from forums in the app. Duolingo could possibly implement an algorithm to prevent spam and filter out bad language from users in forums Website Source: Duolingo.
Image Source: MakeUseOf
Overall I was very impressed with the app, as I think it's a great way in beginning to learn a new language whether you are very motivated or only slightly motivated. When you first choose a language you wish to learn, Duolingo asks the length and frequency with which you will be using the app. For example, if you only plan on putting forth 10 minutes a day on Duolingo, it will arrange questions that will only take approximately 10 minutes a day. If you're more of a avid user, you can select to put forth 30 minutes a day which will make each session on Duolingo much longer. I think this is a massive pro to the app, because it doesn't group every user the same. Some users are more determined and focused on learning a new language, and others are less focused, therefore it would be illogical to group both of these users together and find a mean time for each user session.
Image Source: WordPress
Another thrilling aspect to the app is the thematic vocabulary. The app divides each section by theme and allows you to test each vocabulary through translation to and from the target language.
The one pro of this is that searching for various forms of vocabulary is relatively simple. There isn't a need to browse through various lessons and try to find a specific word or grammatical phrase. However, the con to this is that most of the vocabulary is unnatural and robotic, and by this I mean it sounds like it is like something a robot would say.
Image Source: HighQualityGifs
Although I am no means an expert in German, another pro to the app would be shortcuts. This is very ideal for those who are not beginners in the language and already have some prior knowledge before using the app. If these people would like more of a challenge, they have the option to pass a specific test that will allow them to skip ahead of rather basic and simple language. One must pass the test containing all vocabulary, phrases, and grammatical patterns in that section. The user only has three attempts to advance to a higher level. If the user does not pass the test after the three failed attempts, then will have to wait 24 hours before being allowed to attempt the test again.
The pro of this is shortcuts give more advanced learners the ability to bypass irrelevant or far too simple material. Although, the con to this is that the failed attempts to this test don't necessarily prove that the learner is ready to advance Website Source: Koko.
Image Source: Giphy
I personally think that this app could possibly be used in other fields, other than just one individual trying to learn a new language by themselves. I think that teachers in either high school or elementary schools educating their students on mandatory second language classes, could benefit greatly from using this app. If these second language teachers assigned homework to their class, students through the use of their smartphones, laptops, iPads, and desktops at home, could complete the necessary assignments through this app. The app is enjoyable to play and has rewards for those who complete more tasks or complete tasks in a quicker amount of time. This would hopefully create a form of internal competition in the class, and increase excitement in students to complete their traditionally tedious homework.
Image Source: Cisco Blog
There is something Duolingo could improve on to make the experience for each user better. This improvement would hopefully help to prevent spam. After reading some user's experiences with the app, some people unfortunately experienced spam from forums in the app. Duolingo could possibly implement an algorithm to prevent spam and filter out bad language from users in forums Website Source: Duolingo.
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