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I'm gonna go ahead and just throw this out there: the principle of specificity. Like, if you wanna get good at cycling, running will help an aerobic base, but

I'm gonna go ahead and just throw this out there: the principle of specificity. Like, if you wanna get good at cycling, running will help an aerobic base, but will not help in terms of generative force (vs load bearing), handles, situational awareness with traffic and fellow riders and learning to pick lines, balance and weight distribution on a bike, pedaling techniques for various pitches, etc. Shoot, not even running, but Zwift vs actual cycling on the roads very much demonstrates the principle of specificity to the T. Just makes me think, if you wanna get good at a language, you gotta use it in actual real-life situations with weight and stakes, as opposed to a game where you learn incidental stuff that may or may not have bearing in the real world.

zarzavat 3y ago
This is absolutely true but also applies in reverse. There’s many people who can speak languages conversationally but if they have to read in that language they become lost because all their experience is in conversation. If you’re very unlucky, in some languages (Arabic, Chinese, English) the written language has little resemblance to the spoken language, most languages are more forgiving. Speaking/listening and reading/writing have overlap but if you want to master a language you also have to be doing exercises with text and reading text. After you reach a certain level of proficiency you need to start reading books (start with children’s books) As far as Duolingo goes I don’t think it’s particularly good, except as a 101 introduction to a language.
- AlecSchueler 3y ago
  In my experience living abroad in a country where English is well spoken, text is practically far more important. You can always work an understanding out with a human, but you can't ask a signpost to repeat itself or a letter to explain something in English.

zarzavat 3y ago

This is absolutely true but also applies in reverse. There’s many people who can speak languages conversationally but if they have to read in that language they become lost because all their experience is in conversation. If you’re very unlucky, in some languages (Arabic, Chinese, English) the written language has little resemblance to the spoken language, most languages are more forgiving. Speaking/listening and reading/writing have overlap but if you want to master a language you also have to be doing exercises with text and reading text. After you reach a certain level of proficiency you need to start reading books (start with children’s books) As far as Duolingo goes I don’t think it’s particularly good, except as a 101 introduction to a language.

AlecSchueler 3y ago
In my experience living abroad in a country where English is well spoken, text is practically far more important. You can always work an understanding out with a human, but you can't ask a signpost to repeat itself or a letter to explain something in English.