Duolingo

13 comments

1. The only thing Duolingo is good for is kana flashcards to learn hiragana and katakana. If you want an app to learn bunpro is better. I use the web version instead of the app because it’s better built for that (I use the mobile browser version on my phone). You get to try it for a full month for free and it works on a subscription or buy unlimited access for like $150 US dollars.

   I use wanikani for vocab and kanji (I paid for lifetime access for that too. it’s more expensive but goes on sale at Christmas time)

2. No, try nativshark or busu.

3. It was useful for learning hiragana and katakana.

4. Duolingo is the worst resource for Japanese that I know of. In general, resources that were originally made for teaching other languages and only had Japanese added later tend to be bad. Japanese is different enough from western languages that you want to use something designed specifically for teaching Japanese.

   Here are my favorite beginner resources. Choose one based on which format you want to study with:

   – *Textbook*: Genki

   – *Online course*: From Zero Japanese

   – *App*: Human Japanese

   They all teach basically the same things and either one of them will give you a good foundation.

5. I can tell you from my experience.

   I’ve been using it atm to mainly learn Japanese with a 90 days streak.
   They said they are using algorithm to tailor the lessons for each user.

   Yet, I do agree with the others. The teaching process is way too long, and too repetitive. (I haven’t yet get pass the katakana lessons)

   I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of time though. It’s more for “busy” learner, keeping themselves fresh with the language, however not the best practice for seriously learner, that I’m sure.

   Unless that’s what you opt for, which I am, for now.

6. I’m using it for drills, but I have bunpro for grammar and wanikani for kanji

7. After a year of using Duolingo to learn Japanese, I can say with the utmost confidence that I now know how to Duolingo. (My Japanese is horrid. Don’t use Duolingo for anything other than practising Hiragana or Katakana.)

8. I use duo and I would say it’s useful and convenient for some quick learning, like while I’m waiting for a bus or whatever.

   That said I do not believe for one minute you could learn Japanese by using it alone, it’s certainly been improved a lot recently but still has its shortcomings like introducing new concepts with zero explanation?

   However its good addition to your learning toolbox

9. Duolingo is good to force you to practise everyday. It is interaction with the language, seeing words, hearing words, forming sentences, etc.

   Is it a good way to learn a language without any other resources? No, I don’t think so.

   There are also some small stories every now and then.

10. I think if you need to learn hiragana (and to a less extent katakana) and you need something to get you into the habit of practicing every day it can be good at the very beginning for those purposes! I credit my hiragana learning to duo, because it gave me a change to practice reading it every day in a low stress environment.

    I also think if you’re also learning elsewhere, doing a few minutes of it (at beginning levels) isn’t bad for reinforcing vocabulary.

    When I come across grammar concepts that I learned in class, the drills aren’t bad for reinforcing that knowledge. But things I ‘learned’ solely in duo before class didn’t make any sense in the app, even though I knew enough to get right answers.

    So i think if it’s still fun for you it’s fine to spend a few minutes on it and think of it as drills or exposure, but if you’re super motivated to learn as much Japanese as quickly as possible your time would be better spent elsewhere

11. It’s a decent supplemental source of learning Japanese, not one you’d want to use in isolation. One thing in particular that it’s really bad with is kanji. But lessons can usually be done in like 2-5 minutes. I do one or two lessons in the morning on the toilet most days. Sometimes on the weekend I’ll be bored and do it for like an hour, or sometimes I’ll be waiting on a flight at the airport or even on the plane and do it on and off for several hours. It’s good for practicing listening comprehension and making sure you’re pronouncing things correctly. Plus it’s free, so you might as well go for it.

12. Im using it right now for a few languages, on its own it definitely is not enough, you should find other recourses to read, listen and learn from. It is great in combination with an app called Kana to practice hiragana and katakana though!

13. I do not like Doulingo and think it’s almost completely useless after the first 4 hours of study.