Learning and speaking another language always seemed like such a cool thing growing up. Most of the kids on my favourite shows could speak another language, at least a little, and I wanted to be just like them. I wanted to impress people when I ate out at restaraunts and didn't stumble over the Italian names. (A skill I have yet to master. Also, I was eight, I never went to restaurants, unless you count McDonalds.) I wanted to be able to greet everyone in French and rant angrily in Spanish - something I still cannot do coherently in English.
I wanted this so badly as a youngster that I tried to convince my parents to buy me Rosetta Stone. But, sadly, my dad declared it a rip off - as he did with anything that wasn't free - and insisted on trying to teach me the limited Spanish he knew from his times living up in the mountains in Malaga, where he was surrounded by other English people. Safe to say that by the age of ten, I knew all the Spanish swear words and several jokes about his friend with the name C. A. Jones, but couldn't ask you how you were.
Then, at the ripe old age of 21, I found Duolingo.
My nephews (well, two of them, 6 & 7) were intrigued by the little green owl icon on my phone (don't act like that isn't the cutest green owl you've ever seen) and decided to play it. They sat quietly for over an hour guessing the words and learning new phrases, cheering as the owl celebrated their ten day streak with them. I mean, I completed the other nine, but they wasn't paying attention enough to that, they were just happy they were winning their game. It's been a few weeks now and pretty much the only word they remember is 'Hola!' which they like to yell at random moments at the top of their lungs.
Duolingo is great as long as you don't mind the Spanish word for sandwich being stuck on repeat in your head at all times. (It's emparedado in case you were wondering. See, the app works!)
Duolingo is a free app (doi!) that can be found on both Android and Apple phones. Whether you're serious about learning a new language or just want to go at your own pace, Duolingo allows you to set your own targets and goals. And there's an online version too, so you can practice on your phone and on your computer. There's even a little reminder that pops up on your phone when it's time to practice.
There' a whole range of languages too - I have no idea what they are because I only chose Spanish, but there is a pretty impressive range. (Okay, with a little research, I found out that there are 23 different languages - all completely free!) Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Swedish, the list goes on.
Founded by Louis von Ahn and Severin Hacker (Please, take a long moment, those names are really cool) and built on the belief that 'free education will really change the world' this is a handy, well intentioned app that benefits everybody. The language-learning platform is constantly adapting and creating new ideas, with new courses for languages such as Hungarian, Hebrew and even Klingon in development. In the last year or so, Duolingo has released a new programme that allows teachers to use the site in schools and focus on each individual student's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to languages.
The app is easy to use and comes in different categories - from basics to medical talks to pronouns. And it uses both written and audio forms of learning, so you can hear and speak the sentences as you learn them. You can even add friends and compete with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment