Thing 22: Languages

I have used Pronunciator before, and have recommended it to a couple of patrons who were looking for World Languages materials. So for this Thing, I decided to try Duolingo, something brand new to me. One of my big goals in life is to learn Spanish - I actually taught in inner-city Houston and didn't make the effort to learn it then, which is something I have always regretted.

I downloaded the Duolingo app to my phone, set up an account, and completed the "Basic Lesson 1". Each lesson is supposed to take approx. 10 minutes, which is perfect for my short attention span. I learned the difference between "el" and "una", and heard the correct pronunciations of several phrases. I moved the app's icon to my main home screen, and really do plan to continue with one or two lessons per day. The reviews are somewhat mixed, so I don't know how far it will actually get me in my functional language learning, but it certainly cannot hurt!

I took quite a few German classes in college, and might also try Duolingo's "placement test" to see where I fall in their German lesson sequence.