Learn a language! … or don’t!
A few years ago I learned about this free language learning environment called Duolingo. It's a game-based program that offers free language lessons to anyone who is interested. Duolingo is full of gamified lessons with incentives and rewards . There is an owl named Duo serving as a mascot that cheers for you as you go through your path of language learning and doesn't get off your back until you achieve your daily goals. As a language enthusiast who spoke multiple languages at various fluency levels I was intrigued to give it a try and see how it works for me. Although Duolingo started as a free platform it now operates in a freemium model. Everyone can use most features for free but you can now upgrade to a premium service for a fee.
According to Duolingo's data, which is supposedly more reliable than my memory, I joined the platform in June 2013. I first used it to refresh and maintain my German, Spanish and French skills using their lessons. At the beginning days of Duolingo these lessons were not perfect. There were mistakes here and there but the user could flag questions or discuss other possible answers in a discussion forum. There were no formal lessons or tips. Learners helped each other out by answering questions and providing explanations. There were many flaws that needed addressing but I'm happy I did not dismiss Duolingo altogether and gave it a chance. Today many of these issues have been rectified and Duolingo has "over 500 million total users and around 40 million monthly active users, representing every country in the world."
The lessons always had a translation component to them. To make the elementary lessons more fun I used to do my best to come up with a translation that was technically correct but maybe not the first option to come to one's mind. I found it rewarding to receive these Duolingo emails which added my responses to their accepted answers database, dating all the way back to 6/21/13.
I went on to use Duolingo on and off for years. I dabbled in learning Italian and Portuguese but I never found the time in my busy schedule to dive deep. The last time I quit Duolingo was when their algorithm was encouraging me to spend more time reviewing past learning and less time developing new skills. It is difficult maintaining any skills when you are not actively applying them day-to-day.
One valid and common criticism to Duolingo is its low effectiveness for advanced learners. According to this study from 2012 the main factor predicting the effectiveness of Duolingo for Spanish learners was the user's motivation. I would take the results of this study with a grain of salt. There have been significant changes and improvements to Duolingo's pedagogy and features since 2012. Having said that, I can only agree that motivation is the primary factor in learning any new skill. Learning is not something that happens to the learner; it is what the learner actively does. On the Duolingo platform, the learner has a choice to spend time reading the lesson tips or skip them. They have the choice to ask questions and follow-up in online discussions. They have the choice to engage with Duolingo stories and podcasts. They have the choice to keep a notebook. Outside the Duolingo platform they have the choice to practice with friends and family, watch movies, listen to music and read books. Like every other learning platform Duolingo provides the basics. It is up to the user what to do with the resources. I wonder if linguistically the more passive users are acquiring the language like a child rather than learning the language like an adult.
Observing Duolingo for years on its continuous journey of self-improvement. I find it difficult to criticize it without giving it credit for giving many people across the world the opportunity to learn a language for free. Professionally, I have to admit I can often see now how their algorithm successfully distinguishes between the recall and recognition (familiarity) memories while training learners. Many online Education algorithms fail at that distinction. I'm grateful for the free access for my students and me and I'm hopeful that one day Duolingo can give me tips on the Spanish poem I wrote. Be patient we will get there.
Last year, in the beginnings of the lockdown, a dear friend resurrected Duolingo for me by suggesting I pick it up again. "Why not?", I said. I started on 3/4/2020 and have been practicing religiously almost every single day since. This time my main focus was to keep and improve my Spanish skills but I also dabbled in learning Turkish and Latin. Learning Latin was the most peculiar experience but that's a story for another time.
The blog image is By Balurbala. - Own work., CC BY-SA 3.0 — I was inspired by the Spanish-born artist, Jaume Plensa, and his artwork Mirror which I believe was added to the public arts collection on Rice University Campus when I studied there.