For this blog post, we were required to discover a new tool which we have not used before fro our learning project. I decided to use Duolingo as it is a language learning app which I have heard about my entire life. Even though I knew about this app, for some odd reason it never occurred to me that I should give this app a shot and see what it is about. Nevertheless, I went onto the app and decided to use the free version as money is expensive :). Once signing up, the app throws a couple of questions to understand the user’s needs and circumstances. One particular question caught my eye and was as follows:

It asked me the purpose behind learning Arabic. I thought of this to be a unique question as this delves into the inner purpose behind the user. My opinion regarding this is that it is possible Duolingo asks such a heavy question is to understand the customer dynamics and background for their service. They also asked my age which also was of interest to me. I am not sure why the app would care about my age if I want to learn Arabic. I think this all ties into collecting valuable data from users and somehow find a way to monetize it. I don’t know, call me a conspiracy theorist but hey, I just don’t get it.

anyhow after a series of questions regarding my Arabic level (which makes more sense), the app decided to give me a short quiz. some of the questions are below:

This question asked me to select the word which matches the sound provided.

This question asked me to translate the Arabic sentence into English.

And so the after completion of the quiz, Duolingo provides users with the opportunity to move onto the next level and continue to progress.

In terms of how I would use this in the classroom, I think this is a great tool for SAMR Model and can easily fit into the French classroom. Students can engage in technological systems to build upon their knowledge and comprehension in French. This tool provides a curricula from beginner to expert and so there is much benefit in this app.

For the Learning project, I used this tool to further enhance my general knowledge of Arabic. I was previously working with Verb conjugations but this app brought me onto translations and hearing.

This question in particular enabled me to work on my listening skills which can be vital in Arabic conversation. During the first quiz, I had the opportunity to refine this Arabic skill and this app allowed me to recognize the importance of some areas in Arabic which I disregarded. Overall, I had a good experience with the app.