Duolingo is extraordinary as a creation. But, to learn a language effective with intention to use, get results, usable outcomes – we need to take a different route.
This involves taking the effort to define real life useful outcomes, back tracking and filling up the blanks.
Using those final products or examples to bring vertical language skill growth that can then be used horizontally to widen your repertoire.
Also, going beyond remember and repeat (duolingo is just that, no higher hierarchies), stepping sideways, assessing, compiling, comparing the grammar and usages. No idea why this is completely ignored, but like said, I am sure they know what they are…
It is upto the learner to choose the right situations that are useful in real life, learn vocab and sentences that matter, to understand the underlying grammar instead of guessing while repeating random sentences.
Duolingo is fun. It won’t teach you language the way you need if you live in a country or to pass any basic language exam (good ones). Which is ok – it is our job to know our real goal and to avoid the easiest and instead move the levers that will actually give us the outcome.
Duolingo IS good to learn vocab, but it is random vocab. It is better to learn vocab and sentences of daily real life beginner use instead of learning the names of all animals.
Saying hello, introduction, what we do etc are the realistic language skills we need, which are not what Duolingo take care of.
I have absolute respect for Duolingo as a product, product creator. At the same time, we as students need to take the effort to build relevant syllabus and go beyond remember and repeat, practising towards final language products that we need and can really use.