[LocationUnknown]

So, I'm thinking of dedicating the later stages of the pandemic to learning a second language, and came across Duolingo as an app that claims it can help. Does anyone have any experience with this, and can tell me how good it is for that.

[Waku kook]

I think it is best to use Duolingo as a mini game app for when you already learned a small chunk of the language you want to learn. For example, when I knew nothing of a language and went to use Duolingo it didn’t help much, but when I learned more of the language elsewhere Duolingo became more of a game for me to use to test my memory and what I’ve learned.

[Wattson]

Duolingo can definitely help you learn a language but you unless you use it more as a secondary learning method you probably won't get very far. At some point the program will limit what you can do per day if you use the free version and I've seen many people get annoyed by the ads and constant notification harassment when using the app so watch out for that.
Personally, I've used the app to help me grasp the basics of the spanish language while also learning spanish in class. It actually did help me quite a bit but like I said earlier, don't make it your main learning method.

[snacksforeverr]

I've looked into this topic before and a lot of people say it's really good to start getting into a language but ultimately it should be used as a supplement to other learning methods. I suggest using something like udemy to really get a grasp of a language. Buy a class there, but only when it goes on sale.

[red10minutes]

I second the above, I used it to learn basic phrases but nothing can replace conversational learning

[forumuser1]

yeah. it’s a pretty good program and makes it pretty easy.

[ghulaky123]

It's a secondary tool that is most useful when used in that way.

[Haashi]

Haven't tried it yet but maybe soon

[Tropicthunder99]

Use it to help gain vocabulary but it doesn't help in other things like grammar or when certain words should be used. Directly translating an English sentence to another language will often confuse whoever it is you're talking to

[ceratsiv]

I also picked it up since quarantine and have using it for a streak of 246 days so far (801 minutes total). That comes from about 5-10 minutes a day. It's useful for learning basics, simple sentences, and everyday vocabulary. Only downsides are that you don't really learn about grammar usage aside from the basic sentences they give you. I also noticed a difference between the web version and the app version. On the web, you can pretty much use it indefinitely. On the app version, you get 5 lives and they deduct one for every miss you get I believe, unless you get the subscription. Still, it's extremely free though because once you run out, you can just take additional practice lessons for extra lives. Overall, I think it's great for an introductory to a language. I've learned the full alphabet of a couple of languages, how to count from 1 to at at least a 100, and according to the stats summary about 1,500 new words. It's worth a try. It's free anyway so you won't hurt to give it a week or two chance.

[robotfox]

I've been using it to learn Spanish on and off for about two years.
I agree with everyone above - it's really useful to learn the vocabulary, and maybe basic grammar (present tense). They are constantly updating though, and I can't think of an easier or more fun way to learn a language. I highly recommend their other app, Tinycards, for things like numbers or other vocabulary that you're struggling with.

To really, really nail the pronunciation though, you'll need to have conversations with people. Depending on what language you're learning, you might be able to find movies or TV shows on Netflix/the internet, and that's a decent substitute considering the pandemic. You could also look up virtual exchange programs or international pen pals, which are free alternatives to tutors.

[Jdoe32]

Tried it before but ended up not staying on top of it and then eventually deleting it. Feel like you can definitely a lot from it though

[Gottaeatramen]

I tried to learn Japanese, it was pretty good. You can learn basic stuff from there.