@japaneselanguage On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being great and 1 being horrible, how good is Duolingo for learning Japanese?

  • setsubyou@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    Maybe 1.5?

    It’s not that it’s completely useless, but it’s not designed as a learning tool. It’s a game designed to keep you engaged. While it’s possible to pick up some things from Duolingo, what it actually rewards with streaks and leaderboard positions and so on isn’t learning, but just engaging with the app. It’s pretty easy to fall into a trap where it keeps telling you that you’re doing well, but you’re not actually making progress, because demonstrating progress is completely irrelevant for getting rewarded. And on top of that it teaches some things that are just outright wrong, it even gets kanji readings wrong.

  • mtlvmpr@sopuli.xyz
    0·
    1 year ago

    It’s just not good as a learning tool. I’d recommend learning elsewhere and using Duolingo for reviewing or getting familiar with the language. (and only if you like it)

      • mtlvmpr@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Do you know the kana already? Those should be your priority nr. 1 priority in whatever you do.

        Input is also very important. Fastest way is to start using Anki deck(free) or Wanikani(paid) so you’ll get past the kanji barrier. Learn grammar from a textbook or alternatively Youtube channels like TokiniAndy and/or CureDolly. If you like games, Game Gengo is an excellent channel as well.

        Are you a native English speaker? If not then you might want to pick up a Japanese textbook from your local library as some things are much easier to understand through your native language.

  • VioletTeacup@feddit.uk
    0·
    1 year ago

    This isn’t an easy answer, since it really depends on how you learn. On one hand, it’s free and useful for learning bite sized lessons on the go. It also doesn’t use romaji and tries to get you on kana very early on. On the other… well… There are a lot of grammatical issues you’ll encounter or bad habbits that you’ll learn. When I used it, I was having to check the chat logs on pretty much every question to make sure it was accurate. There’s also context that it misses out on, like when to use 「は」vs 「が」and other subtle differences. You will not learn the reason for any gramma. You will not effectively learn keigo, figures of speech, or really any practical Japanese skills. All in all, there are some benefits from using Duo, but it should never ever be your only tool. If you’re a total beginner, I’d recommend pimsleur or a similar audio program. Once you’ve learned some basics, you can move on to traditional gramma books, alongside media emmersion (reading, writing, and listening to things in Japanese are indispensable). And with all of this in mind, I think I’d have to give Duo a 3/10. I hope that helps and sorry that this turned into a novel!