"A language isn't something you learn so much as something you join." ~Arika Okrent Now, they are talking about a computer language, but I think that the same

"A language isn't something you learn so much as something you join." ~Arika Okrent Now, they are talking about a computer language, but I think that the same holds for human languages as well. I've used Duo on and off for years now. It's near perfect for picking up the basics and keeping me motivated. However, as many others here report, it's not as good for fluency. For that, you have to join the language; you can't just expect to be able to sit on your phone and never talk to anyone. It's a bit of a scary step, you're outside your comfort zone, almost by definition. But I think that viewing the new language as something that is inherently done with others is a better way to view the process of learning it. That said, yeah, supplement Duo with a YouTube soap opera (that you like) in the language that you're trying to join, that helps a lot.