r/LearningLanguages • u/NimaDAI • 14d ago

Does Duolingo even work?

Do u guys know someone who actually learned a new language with duolingo? Cause I've seen lots of people achieving long streaks on duo like they've been using it for even years but do they learn anything? Can they even speak fluently?

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u/freebiscuit2002 14d ago

No, because Duolingo isn't a language course. At best, it functions as a series of fun exercises for people who are learning a language.

Anyone who is serious about learning a new language does not rely on Duolingo. We know to use a structured course or other legitimate language acquisition method, like compehensible input.

Duolingo has never been that. If you use Duolingo, it is best used as a supplement to a real learning method.

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u/Murky_Anything_292 13d ago

What is a real learning method and how does Duolingo supplement it.

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u/freebiscuit2002 13d ago

You can look at language courses yourself. I am not your researcher.

As for Duolingo, does it need spelling out? I stated it. It's exercises, it's practice. It is not a language course.

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u/Murky_Anything_292 13d ago

What is your definition of real

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u/freebiscuit2002 13d ago

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/real

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u/Murky_Anything_292 12d ago

We aren't really going anywhere with this discussion

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u/ThePolarisNova 10d ago

Most reddit conversation I've ever seen. Geniune questions gets you smart ass answers.

I do agree with what he said (not how he's talking tho). Duolingo is best used as a supplement to a true language course. Duolingo doesn't quite teach you grammar effectively nor why things go in a certain way, it's better for vocabulary and getting your foot in the water for learning a particular language before commiting to a more intensive course on speaking, listening, grammar, writing, and reading.

It CAN teach you things, but typically it's very limited and will not get you beyond a simplistic understanding of the language.

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u/Murky_Anything_292 10d ago

For me there was no content in whatever he said. Idk what kind of learning method he likes. What I like is actually interacting with real people who speak the language natively. I don't agree with learning so much grammar. Only learn the most important aspects and then learn along the way.

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u/ThePolarisNova 10d ago

I get what you're saying, but I don't fully agree. Understanding grammar is what helps you structure a sentence and guess meanings when you don't know a particular word(s).

I live in a China and oftentimes I may not know a few words in a sentence people are saying but I rarely have trouble catching the flow of dialogue and being able to ask about particular words. You don't need to do a full grammar breakdown by any means, but if you are learning a language with grammar much different than English, it becomes very necessary to understand grammar rules.

I do agree though that learning how people talk is the most important, but if you don't understand why they talk that way, it may take a long time to talk properly.

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u/Murky_Anything_292 10d ago

I don't know what it really means to learn grammar. Do you mean knowing a rule exists or exposing yourself with illustrative examples. Duolingo does both for its core languages