About two month ago, I started using Duolingo. To be honest, I randomly chose Spanish without any prior knowledge or specific intention. The main reason I began using Duolingo was to avoid filling my spare time with Instagram. While I still use Instagram for fun and enjoy the funny content, I dedicate at least 15 minutes daily to Duolingo.

Now, after consistent daily practice, I know around 400 Spanish words and have a basic understanding of sentence structure and reading in Spanish. I quite enjoy learning Spanish and aim to master it to a level where I can easily travel to Spanish-speaking countries on vacation or watch Spanish movies in their original accents.

Initially, I considered learning Hindi as well, but since it has a completely different alphabet, I found it challenging to follow the course and gave up on the first day. I realised that having some basic knowledge of a language, such as familiarity with the alphabet or similarities to a language you already know, makes Duolingo a good starting point. Otherwise, it can be quite hard to follow.

I also tried learning Arabic. Since I already knew the alphabet and had some basic Arabic knowledge, it was easier to follow. However, I found the lessons on Duolingo quite boring. I think I should give it another go by skipping some of the initial lessons.

In summary, I found Duolingo an amusing and achievable pathway for anyone interested in becoming a linguist. It’s an excellent tool if you want to make productive use of your spare time and learn a new language.