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kraitI started Duolingo!
It seemed like a good way to practise both the languages I know a bit of, and then in a wild fit of optimism I started on Russian as well.
(It's a running joke of mine that I ought to learn Russian because it becomes relevant to my life about every third fandom. Yuri on Ice, CA:TWS, Eroica Yori Ai o Komete...)
In the languages I'm not starting from scratch on, I'm cruising right along!
My main complaint is that between Russian and Japanese I feel like there could be a much better balance with introductions. The Hiragana lessons are dragging on e n d l e s s l y (I already know this! Why didn't the placement test ask this, so I could skip it?!) but Russian so far hasn't shown me how to pronounce or write a single letter. The "Alphabet" section launched straight into Дима, это Тим without bothering to so much as list the alphabet! What is this nonsense.
There needs to be some kind of swap system so I can trade some of these neverending hiragana lessons for a Russian alphabet overview. :D
It seemed like a good way to practise both the languages I know a bit of, and then in a wild fit of optimism I started on Russian as well.
(It's a running joke of mine that I ought to learn Russian because it becomes relevant to my life about every third fandom. Yuri on Ice, CA:TWS, Eroica Yori Ai o Komete...)
In the languages I'm not starting from scratch on, I'm cruising right along!
My main complaint is that between Russian and Japanese I feel like there could be a much better balance with introductions. The Hiragana lessons are dragging on e n d l e s s l y (I already know this! Why didn't the placement test ask this, so I could skip it?!) but Russian so far hasn't shown me how to pronounce or write a single letter. The "Alphabet" section launched straight into Дима, это Тим without bothering to so much as list the alphabet! What is this nonsense.
There needs to be some kind of swap system so I can trade some of these neverending hiragana lessons for a Russian alphabet overview. :D
no subject
Date: 2019-04-15 02:14 am (UTC)It's just so much worse in contrast to the HIRAGANA WITHOUT END happening in my other lesson, where seriously, I know this, please let me move on and not have to go through a 76-letter alphabet I have already spent months of my life on.
no subject
Date: 2019-04-15 11:46 am (UTC)I guess I just... find Duolingo more satisfying because I cheat constantly? That is, I mouse-over words to get the glosses, and look things up on Wikipedia or Google Translate when I need to, and eventually things sink in. (If I wanted more active, as opposed to passive, knowledge, I'd probably have to drill forms outside the app, as well.)
no subject
Date: 2019-04-16 02:29 am (UTC)Like, if they asked me to just say it, I might not mind. But Round 447 of Match The Hiragana is just... a lot... of... clicking. Tediously clicking... everywhere... all around the screen. And I'm on a laptop with a touchpad. My wrist cramps and it just takes so much time for, again, something I already know. And I don't feel like I'm making progress, so it's not rewarding.
At the very least they could throw katakana in the mix; I'm a little shakier on that it and it would pass as hiragana practice too if you're matching between the alphabets as well/instead of matching to English.
I'd totally cheat, except that I don't have to cheat on hiragana, they could wake me up from a sound sleep and ask me what is the character that looks like a little e on its side and I would answer without even thinking.* Let me go on!
Meanwhile I'd like to make some Russian alphabet flashcards so that I can drill outside of Duolingo, but they haven't bothered to teach me the alphabet, so that's a bit tricky.
*Hiragana learners, this joke's for you!