"You drink water."
Tricky though: that's the collective you, not the singular form. At this point, I have finally gained the confidence to move forward with the second lesson, and it has already proven to be an immediate challenge. I have found that it takes so long for me to remember how to conjugate verbs for the forms "I," "you," and "he/she/it" that when I am presented with a new form, my understanding and comprehension seems to take a hit. The nature of the gamified version of this app results in me constantly second-guessing myself. Therefore, while I was able to breeze through the opening lessons, I find myself routinely doing the lessons over and over again until I gain confidence again.
The question that people have approached me with and commented on in my previous post is, "How could I extend my learning beyond the use of Duolingo?" Several of my colleagues have pointed me in the direction of others who are tackling a similar 20% time project, suggesting we get together and try to improve our use of the language through communication. Two problems on my end, however: time is of the essence these days and I am not at a point where I can use the language practically (unless you want to talk exclusively about the consumption of bread and water).
I am still finding it difficult to maintain consistent use of Duolingo while tending to my other masters duties AND my teaching job. I welcome the challenge, but my schedule has seriously hindered my ability to meaningfully attack learning a new language. Due to the fact that I know only a limited, irrelevant amount of German, I do not believe that trying to maintain a conversation would help, and again, where would I find the time. I enjoy that Duolingo offers me flexibility. I can work at improving my language skills on my own time and other than the occasional reminder email, I do not feel pressured to continue on during specific intervals.
Tricky though: that's the collective you, not the singular form. At this point, I have finally gained the confidence to move forward with the second lesson, and it has already proven to be an immediate challenge. I have found that it takes so long for me to remember how to conjugate verbs for the forms "I," "you," and "he/she/it" that when I am presented with a new form, my understanding and comprehension seems to take a hit. The nature of the gamified version of this app results in me constantly second-guessing myself. Therefore, while I was able to breeze through the opening lessons, I find myself routinely doing the lessons over and over again until I gain confidence again.
The question that people have approached me with and commented on in my previous post is, "How could I extend my learning beyond the use of Duolingo?" Several of my colleagues have pointed me in the direction of others who are tackling a similar 20% time project, suggesting we get together and try to improve our use of the language through communication. Two problems on my end, however: time is of the essence these days and I am not at a point where I can use the language practically (unless you want to talk exclusively about the consumption of bread and water).
I am still finding it difficult to maintain consistent use of Duolingo while tending to my other masters duties AND my teaching job. I welcome the challenge, but my schedule has seriously hindered my ability to meaningfully attack learning a new language. Due to the fact that I know only a limited, irrelevant amount of German, I do not believe that trying to maintain a conversation would help, and again, where would I find the time. I enjoy that Duolingo offers me flexibility. I can work at improving my language skills on my own time and other than the occasional reminder email, I do not feel pressured to continue on during specific intervals.
What is nice is that the more I use the app, the more I discover. It took me until the sixth mini-lesson to discover that the website includes a detailed itinerary of what is to be learned during each lesson. Duolingo gives users tips and notes to help them develop a foundational understanding and conceptual knowledge of the language, other than just simply completing language exercises. (I admit, that is all I thought the website was for, but this adds a whole different dimension to the learning that I appreciate as a novice German language learner.) I am hoping that by studying this newfound information, the exercises in the mini-lessons will make more sense and perhaps enhance my understanding of the language even further.
At this point, I am open to new ways to expand upon my learning in ways that are conducive to my schedule and I would love to hear your suggestions!
At this point, I am open to new ways to expand upon my learning in ways that are conducive to my schedule and I would love to hear your suggestions!