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pegkerrI ran across this TED talk yesterday, which I found very fascinating:
So what do I think of Duolingo? After using it for 24 hours, I'm sold. It's slick and easy and fun and awesome. I am going to keep going back to the site, and I think I will try more than one language. I'll work for awhile to firm up my French, but then, I think I'll try Spanish. After that, perhaps German? I have read that knowing/learning a foreign language helps as a bulwark against mind/memory deterioration as you age. My dad was still studying Spanish into his 80s, and his mind was sharp as a tack when he died. He would be absolutely thrilled to know I was learning Spanish.
Anyway, take a look at the video, which is very interesting, download Duolingo and leave a comment to let me know what you think. Right now, they offer Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, with more languages coming.
Again: it's free. No ads. And it's fun.
Edited to add Bonus! If you sign up now, you can join the Add1Challenge, which is open from January to April.
After re-purposing CAPTCHA so each human-typed response helps digitize books, Luis von Ahn wondered how else to use small contributions by many on the Internet for greater good. In this talk, he shares how his ambitious new project, Duolingo, will help millions learn a new language while translating the Web quickly and accurately -- all for free.So Duolingo is a site where you can learn a foreign language absolutely free while helping to translate the web. I found they have a free app as well. I downloaded it last night and have spent the last day happily re-acquainting myself with French. I studied French on and off for ten years, from 5th grade through graduate school. As I've been restlessly trying to figure out what to do with my energy now that I'm not trying to write for publication or studying karate, one thing that has crossed my mind more than once is picking up French again and maybe even learning another language. Cost and convenience was always a consideration.
So what do I think of Duolingo? After using it for 24 hours, I'm sold. It's slick and easy and fun and awesome. I am going to keep going back to the site, and I think I will try more than one language. I'll work for awhile to firm up my French, but then, I think I'll try Spanish. After that, perhaps German? I have read that knowing/learning a foreign language helps as a bulwark against mind/memory deterioration as you age. My dad was still studying Spanish into his 80s, and his mind was sharp as a tack when he died. He would be absolutely thrilled to know I was learning Spanish.
Anyway, take a look at the video, which is very interesting, download Duolingo and leave a comment to let me know what you think. Right now, they offer Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, with more languages coming.
Again: it's free. No ads. And it's fun.
Edited to add Bonus! If you sign up now, you can join the Add1Challenge, which is open from January to April.