I don’t think it teaches incorrectly per se. It doesn’t really “teach” a whole lot to begin with. There’s not a lot of explanations. Mostly just a bunch of example sentences and vocabulary in escalating complexity.
And it’s just that what’s technically correct may not sound very natural. And the way Japanese omits a lot of particles and parts of sentences, can make it very hard if not straight up impossible to reverse engineer what’s going on. And it doesn’t help when Duolingo hasn’t coded in every possible variation of how you could say something. So you can input a perfectly correct version, but have it be marked wrong, simply because the authors didn’t think of that possibility.
I don’t think any app is free of faults.
I think it’s best to branch out into different sources for grammar study and different sources of immersion. Apps, if you’re gonna use them, are IMO better for convenient repetition of vocabulary and basic sentences.
Personally I use Duolingo just to get some basic practice in. Then do some Anki cards for some basic vocabulary. And rest of the time I watch various guides on certain grammar on youtube, and read various websites with explanations, and then try to immerse myself in anime and streamers to try to put it all into practical use. I go all over the place because I find having multiple different viewpoints can make it easier to find one that resonates with your way of thinking.
Mango! You learn grammar, vocabulary, culture, and hiragana. And if you have a library card, chances are you can get it for free.
I think WaniKani is good for absoulte beginner. The app will teach you about srs system and memorizing kanji with mnemonic which I personally feel really useful for the long run.
4 comments
I don’t think it teaches incorrectly per se. It doesn’t really “teach” a whole lot to begin with. There’s not a lot of explanations. Mostly just a bunch of example sentences and vocabulary in escalating complexity.
And it’s just that what’s technically correct may not sound very natural. And the way Japanese omits a lot of particles and parts of sentences, can make it very hard if not straight up impossible to reverse engineer what’s going on. And it doesn’t help when Duolingo hasn’t coded in every possible variation of how you could say something. So you can input a perfectly correct version, but have it be marked wrong, simply because the authors didn’t think of that possibility.
I don’t think any app is free of faults.
I think it’s best to branch out into different sources for grammar study and different sources of immersion. Apps, if you’re gonna use them, are IMO better for convenient repetition of vocabulary and basic sentences.
Personally I use Duolingo just to get some basic practice in. Then do some Anki cards for some basic vocabulary. And rest of the time I watch various guides on certain grammar on youtube, and read various websites with explanations, and then try to immerse myself in anime and streamers to try to put it all into practical use. I go all over the place because I find having multiple different viewpoints can make it easier to find one that resonates with your way of thinking.
Mango! You learn grammar, vocabulary, culture, and hiragana. And if you have a library card, chances are you can get it for free.
I think WaniKani is good for absoulte beginner. The app will teach you about srs system and memorizing kanji with mnemonic which I personally feel really useful for the long run.
I really liked LingoDeer