Learning languages with Duolingo

Can someone who is using Duolingo advise me on something please?

I have been learning Welsh.

Each time I have "completed a circle" a new circle has become ungreyed and I have followed that.

Having completed five circles Greet 1, Greet 2, Present 1, Present 2, Days I have found that each of those circles has a number of levels.

Is this what happens with the language you are studying?

I am thinking that perhaps I should have done each level of each circle in that order, but if that is the case, why did the next circle become ungreyed?

StarDreamer

Can someone who is using Duolingo advise me on something please?

I have been learning Welsh.

Each time I have "completed a circle" a new circle has become ungreyed and I have followed that.

Having completed five circles Greet 1, Greet 2, Present 1, Present 2, Days I have found that each of those circles has a number of levels.

Is this what happens with the language you are studying?

I am thinking that perhaps I should have done each level of each circle in that order, but if that is the case, why did the next circle become ungreyed?

I am studying Russian, and yes, each of the circles (skills) has several levels.

Personally, I do each level of each circle/topic in order, because I like to feel that I've given myself lots of practice with all the new vocabulary and grammar in that topic before I move on to a new one, but you don't have to do that if you don't want.

In fact, I've just Googled it, and the 'hovering' method is recommended. Here's the link to the page I found that explained what that means:
blog.duolingo.com/whats-the-best-way-to-learn-with-duolingo/

Hello StarDreamer I have been learning Spanish for coming up for 3 years and I am loving it. I complete a whole circle going from level to level. I don’t do the little stories very often.
I refuse to sign up and pay so make sure I don’t get 5 wrong answers. In order to do this I use a dictionary, occasionally check on Google Translate. I also keep corrected sentences in a notebook.

I just wish the whole procedure of using DuoLingo could have been explained clearly somewhere. It’s just a case of learning as you go along.

Thanks OldnProud for the link. ?

Thank you, Oldnproud. Thank you, NanKate.

When you have completed all the levels in a unit you get a chance to earn more points for each of four sets of questions.

If you run out of hearts you can go back and repeat a lesson from any circle especially if you are still not confident about that topic.

When you have completed a few, it is a good idea to recap and do what they call "cascade", whereby you are revising the units you have finished and simultaneously progressing on the new ones one lesson at a time

I am learning Welsh on Duolingo.

I am wondering how Duolingo assesses time studying.

As I proceed, unhurriedly, making notes in an A5 notebook, I note the time I start a session and the time I finish, though not trying to watch the clock as I proceed.

Yesterday afternoon I took 41 minutes for a lesson and yesterday evening I took 35 minutes for a lesson.

Yet the chart shows that I took, my estimate from the graph, 30 minutes in total.

The important thing is learning the language, but I am just wondering.

Looking at the chart it looks like it might be 15 minutes per lesson, as I seem to have, in thec six days from Friday to Wednesday, entries for 15, 30 (x2). 45 (x2), 75.

Nil points for today thus far.

Oh! I have made a mistake!

The graph is not of times, but of XP (experience) points!

Oh, well I now have 15 for today.

The 15, and the one from before, are shown as an unfilled circle, whereas the others are filled.

So it appears that the streak count increases for completing one lesson but to get the circle filled one needs to go above one's daily goal, which for me is 20 experience points it seems.

Halò Ailidh agus a Ghrammaretto.

Tha mi ag ionnsachadh beagan Gàidhlig cuideachd.

I have just started learning Gaelic with Duolingo, and I’m loving it. I really enjoy learning languages, probably because of the linguistic aspect rather than being able to communicate. I like to understand the why and the how of the grammar etc. I have registered for a zoom course so I’m hoping that will help to reinforce the Duolingo.

StarDreamer I think you are taking all the XP and times too seriously.
You can ignore most of that and just learn at your own pace.
You do have to watch out for losing hearts, tho, but you get more each day so no big deal.
Buying a 'Streak freeze' with gems can be handy if you'd like to clock up an unbroken streak for your number of days of learning (while actually missing one) but that's not really important.

Ps
My previous post said - I am learning a little Gaelic too.

FarNorth

StarDreamer I think you are taking all the XP and times too seriously.
You can ignore most of that and just learn at your own pace.
You do have to watch out for losing hearts, tho, but you get more each day so no big deal.
Buying a 'Streak freeze' with gems can be handy if you'd like to clock up an unbroken streak for your number of days of learning (while actually missing one) but that's not really important.

It is just how I am!

FarNorth

Halò Ailidh agus a Ghrammaretto.

Tha mi ag ionnsachadh beagan Gàidhlig cuideachd.

Halò a FharNorth!

Tha 716 day streak agam ach chan eil mi fileanta idir!

Hello, FarNorth.
I have a 716 day streak but I'm not fluent at all! ?

I had a 900 day streak but then went on holiday and lost it

Don’t want to depress any of younGaelic learners but did you read Jenny Colgan in The Guardian?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/25/why-i-quit-gaelic-language-forefathers-vocabulary

Yea, I read the article when it came out.

I think "Could try harder" would be good on her report card.

Speaking of "the article" - she's wrong, there very definitely is a definite article in Gaelic (the "the" she says it lacks), in fact there are 8.

And I'll take her neach-frithealaidh (waiter) and raise her an inneal-nigheadaireachd (washing machine).....

"I wouldn’t mind, but my books are often set in (fictional) Scottish isles where people speak it casually, which means I am being made to feel even more of a fraud by my own characters."

I think she's exaggerating for comedy effect.
And actually, Gaelic has a whole bunch of words for 'the'. If she's missed those, she hasn't been paying attention.

Some German people I met cracked up laughing at refrigerator - pretty silly compared to Kuhlschrank.

Btw, Gaelic for fridge is frids.

I have used Duolingo to brush up on my basic French, and a lot of vocabulary came back to me (buried deeply in the recesses of my brain). I only wish they catered more to travellers with asking for directions and menu items.

I greatly admire those with long streaks! I tended to log on 4-5 times a week, then gave it up for a while, then go back to it, etc. Very sporadic, which is perhaps why my French is not very good!

FarNorth

Some German people I met cracked up laughing at refrigerator - pretty silly compared to Kuhlschrank.

Btw, Gaelic for fridge is frids.

But Far North the German propensity for "making up" words us hilarious in itself
Bearing in mind that Zeug = thing
So Flugzeug (plane) = flying thing
Fahrzeug (vehicle) = travel thing
Feuerzeug (lighter) = fire thing
Etc etc

NB “Kühlschrank”:

Schrank = cupboard so Kühlschrank = “Cool cupboard” which I find even funnier than “refrigerator” , being “ that which refrigerates”

Another Duolingo fan here, I'm pretty sure someone mentioned it on GN a while back which is how I discovered the site. Thanks to whoever that was it has been a great addition to my day. I do French, it's part of my early morning routine, a few exercises with that first coffee now for quite a while. Shame it wasn't around when I was at school, I might have actually enjoyed French. My husband does Spanish but he's more of an occasional user of the site than me.

What does everyone do with their accrued lingots ?

Just done my morning stint on Duo.
This seemed appropriate.....