If I had three wishes, one would be to become fluent in every language. I believe communication is essential to the advancement of individuals and the progress of the world. And what better way to communicate than having a face-to-face conversation with someone? You get to see their perspective, hear their beliefs, debate opinions and explain your own.
1. Break Out Of Your Shell
I know it’s cliché, much like knowing what your three wishes would be, but I hope to one day see the world. Although I currently live in an area where only speaking English is sufficient for everyday life, I greatly wish to visit—and maybe even live in—some linguistically and culturally diverse places one day. Hopefully, this will bring me further out of my comfort zone and expand my personal paradigm. I want to break out of my shell more, but I also want to be able to adequately communicate in these other countries. Immersing yourself into another culture is the best and quickest way to become fluent, but Duolingo can lay the groundwork before you get there.
2. Learn Useful Phrases From Anywhere
Duolingo is an educational website and app where you can take lessons to learn a new language, no matter your current skill set. You can either start the language from the very beginning or take a placement test to move ahead to your current level. It focuses on teaching you the essential words and phrases normally and frequently used in conversation, unlike middle school Spanish class where you started with classroom supplies and random household objects. Plus, you can use it from practically anywhere. I mean, who doesn’t want to get a personally-tailored, effective and efficient education while still in bed?
3. Be Entertained, Challenged and Educated
quality education and is easy to use. There are options to set your daily goal to five, ten, fifteen or twenty minutes, but you can practice for as long as you want. It’s very interactive, so you don’t get bored and zone out like when reading a vocabulary list in a textbook. There are also virtual metals and such for passing certain levels, so it makes the process feel more like a game than a class.
4. No Matter The Reason
Last summer I used the Spanish course to improve my proficiency. Going back to class in August was easier after using it over the summer; I didn’t feel like I’d forgotten everything I’d learned the past year. I’m taking AP Spanish now. Recently, my cousin and I have taken an interest in our German heritage, so we're trying to improve our knowledge of the German language. Since the program teaches applicable vocabulary, we’re already able to have basic texting conversations in German. I’m excited to see how advanced we’ll become as we graduate to new levels.
5. Pick From Dozens Of Languages
You can relive your high school memories of sitting in the back of French class or try an entirely new language. Duolingo offers Greek, Italian, Ukrainian, Hebrew, Polish, Esperanto, Vietnamese, High Valyrian, and Swahili, to name a few. They are also developing Hindi, Czech, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, and best of all, Klingon to be released soon.
Next time you’re playing Candy Crush on your phone to kill time, consider putting that time towards something more useful. Expand your mind, try something new and learn a new language with Duolingo.
