Since I have learned a few foreign language over the (starting with English, and then with German and Italian), all with “Méthode Assimil”, a rather crude, old French self-taught method. I know how difficult learning a foreign language can be.
Especially when the student had to figure-out the pronunciation from a dreary book, then read a sentence out loud and try to remember it along with its construction as well as the meaning of the few new words that were loaded into it.
What I can say is that it was hard, imprecise, very time consuming as well as taxing. All along the danger to falling prey to discouragement and abandonment was looming large. Now, fast forward to the 21st century, its smartphones and the many foreign language apps that have populated this particular educational landscape and you see a sea change!
Since we’re planning to go on a vacation with friends in the not-too-distant future in a Spanish-speaking country I have decided to finally learn the language of Cervantes that I had threatened to embark upon, but never acted on it for the past 10 year as my recurrent new year resolution.
So, less than 2 weeks ago, I reactivated the Duolingo app that was sitting unused on my phone and I discovered that it had been significantly improved over the pre-Covid era when I briefly attempted to use it.
I immediately found the new version totally addictive and as a result, I’m hooked on it. Sure, my enthusiasm stems from the terrible “Méthode Assimil” of yesteryear that was what the old horse-pulled buggy is to a Tesla.
Of course, of all, Duolingo is the least intellectual method, but perfect for a guy like me who’s never understood the basic rules of grammar whether French or for any other language and who sees speaking a foreign language as a risk-taking endeavor or a game of chance.
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