Is Duolingo really worth it?

How’s everybody’s streak going?

To preface this post, no, the Lang Lab team is NOT urging you to delete the beloved owl app!

It’s not a surprise that many of us have been hooked on Duolingo: it’s simple yet entertaining interface along with straightforward tasks paired with audio and visual tools have aided many on their language learning journeys. Love it or hate it, as of 2024 Duolingo has reached 116.7 million active users and that number could even be 500 million if one takes into account not-so-frequent users.

As good as it is, Duolingo has been hit with AI accusations — experts claim the app has been firing workers preferring the low-cost AI algorithms. The topic of AI use in the contemporary tech industry has never been as controversial as it is right now — AI has been blamed for massive layoffs and “soulless” algorithms that deprive many apps and websites of human creativity and fact-checking. Duolingo isn’t an exception to this wave of artificially generated codes.

What should we do? Duolingo already holds a sizable monopoly in the online world of language resources and many have credited the app with its substantial help throughout their language acquisition paths.

It’s not a secret that AI generated content is (mostly) easy to spot — many of us have stumbled upon weird sentences such as “I like pink avocados” when doing our daily Duolingo tasks and that left us wondering as if that was ever human-checked. What’s really important in this scenario is to be in open communication with those who make decision in regards to Duolingo’s algorithms: leave feedback, comments, perhaps even write an email. Even a partial boycott could prompt the company to put its workers over AI bots but that’s a personal decision of every individual. What’s evident as of right now is that we should exercise awareness and AI consciousness to ensure that human intelligence and creativity remains in the core of every tech product

Language Laddering with Duolingo

Perhaps we at the Language Lab have been too harsh on Duolingo—it can’t all be bad. While I believe that learning a language from a (human) speaker of the target language works the best for me, there are still ways to use Duolingo in a way that complements what I learn in a classroom. I’ve found that Duolingo can be an effective way to try out the language laddering technique. Language laddering is when you use your second language to learn a third. For example, as a native English speaker, I could use French to learn Chinese. This technique takes your native language out of the equation entirely. Not only will you build skills in your third language, but it strengthens what you already know in your second language. For anyone with dreams of becoming a polyglot, this technique may work well for you!

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Need new music? I’ve got you covered!

Here’s a list of some fun German songs I’ve been listening to. I wrote down the exact mood you have to be in to listen to the songs. Viel spaß!

Do you need a song that makes you hyper-focus on doing your homework? Something like the Mario Kart theme song but less intense? Here’s two great pop songs for that:

Do you need to have a main character moment looking out the window while it rains? Here’s two songs that could be straight out of Grey’s Anatomy:

Need something upbeat? Want to impress your friends by memorizing incredibly fast German songs? Here’s two songs for that:

Beginner-friendly French songs!

Listening to music in French is a great strategy to absorb more of the language throughout your day. For beginners just starting out your adventures into the world of Francophone music, I found this album, Non Ouais! by Pink Martini (which fun fact – originates from Portland!). This album is well-suited for beginning French learners, as it has simple grammar, clear pronunciation, and familiar vocabulary. You might be surprised with how much you can understand! Here are two of the most popular songs to give you a taste:

Why even bother learning languages?

Es ist so einsam im Sattel seit das Pferd tot ist. That’s what my German step-mom’s Whatsapp status used to say. The sentence translates to “It’s so lonely on the saddle since the horse is dead”, so during my German-learning journey I thought to myself, it must be some sort of figure of speech! But it’s not. It means the same thing in German as it does in English. Learning languages independently though apps is tricky because the meaning behind language is put through conversation. Language is used when catching up with a friend, or through an author telling the reader a story. This type of connection is impossible to establish when taking online courses with Duolingo. Here at Reed we have such an amazing resource to put this meaning behind language: Language courses! As my time at Reed comes to an end, I would like to recommend to everyone that can to take a language class, as it’s one of the most enriching experiences Reed has to offer. Here’s why:

Add emotions to the language you’re speaking: One of my favorite classes I took during my time at Reed was Post-War French Cinema with Catherine Witt. The focus of the class wasn’t learning French as much as it was studying and, most importantly, discussing French media. Some documentaries were quite hard to watch, and others were incredibly moving. Being able to express these emotions with the class was a challenge. Going from being able to formulate sentences to being able to express feelings is not that simple, but classes like these give you the jump you need.

Retain vocabulary: If you’re currently learning a language, try to think of the word for ‘tadpole’ in the language you’re learning. What about street cone? Phone case? Words like these are so random that, if you’re not engaging in conversation with people, they might never come up. And even if they do, there’s a high chance you’ll forget them immediately. I’m taking a German conversation class, and you’ll be surprised on how many of these random words come up in one hour of talking! In my experience, when these words come up in conversation, you’re more likely to retain them afterwards because you get tired of going “How do you say that word again?” It’s almost like it’s easier for your brain to remember these random words than to have to keep asking for help. Fun fact: tadpole in German is Kaulquappe.

Build connections: Another language course I took was Latin American Revolutionary Century with Christian Kroll. While I’m a native Spanish speaker, I was curious to learn more about the history of Latin America, and doing so in Spanish was a huge plus. What I didn’t expect from the class was to meet two amazing Spanish speaking friends with whom I could get soup with afterwards. Sometimes you have to remember that the whole point of learning a language is to be able to use it, and what better way to use it than with people who also speak it?

This suddenly got very philosophical, but it’s important to know that people give language a meaning. This meaning is hard to find with a screen, so appreciate the opportunity that Reed gives you! Give the language you’re learning some meaning, it’s easy. Here, from now on “It’s so lonely on the saddle since the horse is dead” is a metaphor for language learning. The saddle (language) is lonely with no horse (people to use it with).

Why I’m taking language courses for fun, and you should too!

I LOVE the French pronoun triangle!

When I tell people I’m taking Beginning Chinese, the first thing everyone says is “Why?” It’s not a requirement—I’m taking it for fun! Learning French and Chinese at Reed has been the highlight of my time here. For both languages I started taking classes with zero experience—my first times saying Bonjour and 你好 were here at Reed! It was certainly difficult and still is, but I couldn’t imagine learning these languages all on my own. I’ve loved my language classes so much that I’m planning to take another one next year. Read on to find out why I find Reed’s language courses so special, and why I think you should consider registering for one next year!

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What’s in the Language?

There’s a prevailing idea that Languages — unlike Chemistry, Economics or Anthropology — can be self-taught without having to sign up for classes or immersion programs.

To what extent is it true? While self-teach apps like Duolingo made a lingua-revolution in the language learning sphere, taking a class specifically dedicated to acquiring a new language has its hidden perks that not many know of.

  1. Language isn’t just a collection of words and grammar rules — it’s about opportunities. Learning a language as a part of a college course can open doors that aren’t available if you decide to learn it on your own. Many college departments, especially those at Reed, have grants, fellowships and access to opportunities that are only known if you work in close contact with the Language and Literature professors. For instance, Middleburry Immersion program that we wrote about recently prefers students with some form of language background that can be easily proven if you have a language listed on your transcript. Or perhaps you want to carry out a summer research dedicated to your favorite book? Well then look no further than Ruby Lankford Grant — and being familiar with language professors increases your chances of being chosen!
  2. Practice. Independence in language learning is important and nurtures one’s discipline but any language is inherently a social construct that can be polished and perfected through other’s feedback. Enrolling in a language course will put you closer not only to other students but native speakers and Language Scholars who specialize in teaching language acquisition to non-native speakers.
  3. It’s “official”. And while many would say that a “piece of paper” doesn’t matter and that any language knowledge unleashes itself in practice, many employers would love to see a Language course spelled out on your official transcript as a strong evidence for the skills you’ve gained. Jus simply stating that you know a language might not be sufficient in contemporary-day competitive job market so having an extra skill that you can show off is a great reason to enroll in a college-level language course.

Did you encounter other reasons to take a language course? Share them with in comments below!

Middlebury Language School Immersion Program?

Have you seen these posters around campus? I see them all the time, so I decided to do some research on the program so you don’t have to!

How the program works:

The program takes place in Vermont, at either the Middlebury Campus or the Bennington Campus. It’s a summer program, typically from June 27 to August 15. You’ll be taking language courses, which can be transferred as 3 Middlebury credits (not sure how that transfers to Reed credits). You’ll live in dorms and eat at the dining hall. You’ll sign a language pledge in which you commit to only communicating in the language you’re immersing yourself in. This means only speaking, hearing, and reading in that language. It shouldn’t be too hard because they plan so many activities and you’ll live with plenty of students who are also committed to only speaking that language. You will eat with students and faculty, go to your language courses, and participate in optional co-curricular activities (cooking, dance, soccer, etc…) that relate to the culture of the language you’re learning. During the weekends, you’ll have cultural events and celebrations, which all seem pretty cool!

The downside

I looked at how much the program costs, and it’s around $12,320, which takes, food, housing, and tuition into account. There’s additional expenses such as transportation and books, which might come to another $500. There’s a need-based financial grant that covers a maximum of $5,500. Take into account that these would be the expenses for most of the summer, though.

Most people that participate in this program come out fully fluent in the language they chose to learn, so you can see it as an investment for your future! It also looks like a great opportunity to meet other students and overall have a great summer!

Atrapados (Caught) – Patricio’s Recommendation of the Week!

I just finished watching this show and I thought it was pretty good. It’s your classic Netflix original murder mystery show that has all the classic tropes: A troubled main character with a traumatic past, a million plot twists that sometimes make no sense, and a chilling classical music soundtrack. The show takes place in a beautiful city in Argentina named San Carlos de Bariloche. I would recommend watching it if you want to practice your learning comprehension in Spanish, specifically for accents that are harder to understand and not often taught in school. Things to remember about Argentinian Spanish:

  • The double l’s are pronounced like a ‘sh’ sound. Ex: ‘llamar’ is pronounced sha-mar.
  • The ‘s’ is sometimes aspired, such that it’s pronounced like an ‘h’. Mesa, as in table, is pronounced Meh-ha.
  • Tú and tí becomes vos, and the verb ser (to be) changes in the second person. Tú eres genial becomes vos sos genial.
  • Verb conjugation changes a lot for the second person. Verbs like “tú tienes” and “tú quieres” become “Vos tenés” and “Vos querés”.

YouTube en français

YouTube is a great resource for language-learning—you can learn new vocabulary, ways to use grammar structures, and hear different accents. If you’re just starting out your expedition into French YouTube, I’ve made a list of channels that can help you get started! These are more suitable for intermediate and advanced learners, as these videos only have auto-generated captions, and creators tend to speak quickly and use slang. (Sidenote – I found out the word in French is “youtubeur.euse” and I love it.)

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