Take our quiz to find out what your revision personality is! >>

Use Duolingo effectively GCSE

hi,
I have Spanish gcse mocks soon so I want to start getting on with revision but does anyone actually fine Duolingo + Memrise useful. I don't know how to use them properly so half the time I'm just going through the lessons mindlessly. Can someone help? also can you give general GCSE Spanish tips tyvm.

Reply 1

Old Skool Freak

Original post by dystopiasrbest

I'm using Duolingo for the fun of it :tongue:

I can't help you with GCSE syllabus but I can talk about Duolingo.

I'm currently learning French and Spanish with it, and it's succeeded where my school teachers couldn't (with me, at least anyway). The thing about Duolingo is that it's using very old & traditional methods of learning (word repetition; and examples of it being used; separating reading writing, speaking & listening etc.)... but they implement them all in a very clever way (i.e. turning it into a game). IMHO, Duolingo does work if, and only if, you commit to using it regularly; therefore they utilise all these tricks to keep you on the app doing more and more lessons (e.g. turning it into a competition with their leagues; following friends; rewarding you with 2xp boosts etc.)

I pay for the premium version, so I'm not distracted by adverts, and I get unlimited lives for the exercises (for the free version, you're only allowed to make 5 mistakes is it?).... as well as some personalised exercises / lessons. For me, because I actually want to learn those languages to use in Francophone or Hispanic countries, if & when I visit them. Furthermore, I'll often repeat lessons I've already done multiple times so I become used to the new words and how they're used. It's a slower progress, but it's far more thorough and robust than ploughing through everything at 100 mph, and you're far less likely to forget things. .

If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend you listen to the podcasts... they're free to download from wherever you download your podcasts from (just search for Duolingo), and they have true stories told by the people who experienced them in intermediate Spanish / French... and the host talks in English, so you don't get lost. I think there's well over 100 available in Spanish alone, and they're about 20-30 mins long... so lots to get through.

If you can, I would also recommend you speak to some native Spanish speakers. For me, the company I work for is French owned, so when the bosses & French counterparts come over ... "je peux practiquer mon francais avec eux" and the cleaners in my office are all form South American countries like Ecuador and Columbia... "Y muchas de las mujeres no hablan nada de ingles, enotnces las hablo espanol" (lo siento por los errores :wink:

).

So, in short, Duolingo isn't a miracle worker, but it DOES work if you commit to using it every day (even if it's only 10-15 mins a day)... but I think the key is consistency... it's probably a waste of time if you only use it, say once a week or so.

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 2

melancollege

I self-taught my Spanish GCSE, most of it on Duolingo. My advice is to supplement it by actually reading up on grammar rules and things like conjugation tables. Obviously, if you're also having lessons at school, this should be taught in class. Duolingo has definitely changed since I did my GCSEs back in 2018 and I think it's definitely a much longer course so I don't know how much use it will be in the time frame you have unless you're very committed; however, it definitely helped me a lot and my streak is still going even from back then.

Reply 3

Old Skool Freak

Original post by melancollege

Duolingo has definitely changed since I did my GCSEs back in 2018 and I think it's definitely a much longer course so I don't know how much use it will be in the time frame you have unless you're very committed;

Well the OP said they've been "going through the lessons mindlessly" so I'm assuming they've been using Duolingo for a while. They can always go back and repeat the lessons if they wish. I think they're constantly evolving the app and the course.