This was familiar and funny. I use Duolingo for brushing up French, Japanese and Italian too, but my children swear by ChatGPT. Might not be as weird, though.
I know other people (my age) who swear by ChatGPT. Whether it's weird or not, I can't say. But in my experience, AI brings with it plenty of weirdness.
I recently suggested your Substack to a patient who is going to move to Spain. 🇪🇸 I told him he could learn some of the pitfalls from reading your essays. He’s a New Yorker who has a place in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 so he knows some of the red tape. I’m not moving anywhere but I enjoy reading about your journey.
Thank you, Charlotte! That's very nice of you. I hope your patient will take some inspiration from the things I've published here. There are also several good Substacks written by people in Spain that he might want to check out. Let me know if you need references.
Oh, trust me, Andrea, the original exercises aren't entertaining—they're dead boring. This is me desperately trying to make them into something entertaining!
I take Duolingo screenshots all the time! They tend to be hidden messages to inform my day.
Have you also noticed that the majority of names used are people in your life? I actually have a husband who’s name is Daniel and friends and family members named Ken, Kay, Naomi, and Hanna. Maybe I’m just destined to learn Japanese.
Interesting that those are the names they use. In Italian, they are called Lily, Eddie, Junior, Vikram, Priti, etc. Not names of anybody I know, for the most part! Maybe I'm destined not to learn Italian? 😳
I see. None of the names you listed have appeared in any of my Italian sentences, so I guess they are language-dependent. But still, none of them have triggered any recognition on my part. I think you are simply meant to study Japanese!
I am totally fed up with my Duolingo. I have a 1500-day-plus streak in Italian, but the only sentences it ever gives me are ones like these, and I quote: “I want to buy that bird in another store.” “This doll is clean.” “What’s this person’s nose like?” “He is looking for an apartment with a ghost.” “Your hamster is also dirty.” “Your friend’s hamster is very dangerous.” It seems obsessed with small animals, and there was also a period a couple of years ago where all of the sentences were about death.
I swear, it’s dumbing down the teaching. The lessons I got at the beginning were miles ahead of these. Luckily my subscription expires in a week or so. I’ll be moving on to Plimsleur.
I understand what you mean. The Italian exercises feel mostly off-target and uninteresting, and at the same time not even entertaining. I believe they should go one way or the other: either make them very useful or make them so much fun as to be motivating. This mashup is me trying to perform a kind of alchemy.
I believe that’s no longer the case. But I have trouble retracing where I read this. Some humans must still be involved, but from the often nonsensical sentences I get to translate, I believe a lot is written by AI.
“Is that doctor three years old?” is one of my prime examples.
you're right, claire. duolingo is the number one company the AI folks are talking about as having replaced most of their human employees with AI. i bet that's why the quality has downgraded.
This is hilarious, I was giggling throughout. Karen already hinted at whose dirty mind might be behind all this. Duolingo, you say?
Would it work to say that I was channeling you?
🤣🤣🤣
this is very funny. your duolingo (or its user) has a dirty mind and clearly some deeper psychological issues that freud would have a field day with!
Thank you, Karen. It is clearly Duolingo, and not the user in question, who has a dirty mind and lots of Freudian issues. Certainly, without doubt.
Obvi
This was familiar and funny. I use Duolingo for brushing up French, Japanese and Italian too, but my children swear by ChatGPT. Might not be as weird, though.
I know other people (my age) who swear by ChatGPT. Whether it's weird or not, I can't say. But in my experience, AI brings with it plenty of weirdness.
Molto divertente ma non sicuro per il lavoro (h/t Google translation).
Può darsi.
I recently suggested your Substack to a patient who is going to move to Spain. 🇪🇸 I told him he could learn some of the pitfalls from reading your essays. He’s a New Yorker who has a place in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 so he knows some of the red tape. I’m not moving anywhere but I enjoy reading about your journey.
Thank you, Charlotte! That's very nice of you. I hope your patient will take some inspiration from the things I've published here. There are also several good Substacks written by people in Spain that he might want to check out. Let me know if you need references.
Aside from this being super adorable, looking at the #1000, I feel super inadequate. ;-) Fun "mashup"! xx
Thank you very much, Lisa! I'm glad somebody enjoyed it.
This is great! 😂
My streak is 1724. 😳
Wow! Well done, Elizabeth!
Thank you!
I wish my Duolingo excersises were as entertaining as yours!
Oh, trust me, Andrea, the original exercises aren't entertaining—they're dead boring. This is me desperately trying to make them into something entertaining!
Well I hope you do more! I'll have to give it a go!
I take Duolingo screenshots all the time! They tend to be hidden messages to inform my day.
Have you also noticed that the majority of names used are people in your life? I actually have a husband who’s name is Daniel and friends and family members named Ken, Kay, Naomi, and Hanna. Maybe I’m just destined to learn Japanese.
Interesting that those are the names they use. In Italian, they are called Lily, Eddie, Junior, Vikram, Priti, etc. Not names of anybody I know, for the most part! Maybe I'm destined not to learn Italian? 😳
These names stay the same—I have them, too. I was referring to the names inside the sentences.
I see. None of the names you listed have appeared in any of my Italian sentences, so I guess they are language-dependent. But still, none of them have triggered any recognition on my part. I think you are simply meant to study Japanese!
I am totally fed up with my Duolingo. I have a 1500-day-plus streak in Italian, but the only sentences it ever gives me are ones like these, and I quote: “I want to buy that bird in another store.” “This doll is clean.” “What’s this person’s nose like?” “He is looking for an apartment with a ghost.” “Your hamster is also dirty.” “Your friend’s hamster is very dangerous.” It seems obsessed with small animals, and there was also a period a couple of years ago where all of the sentences were about death.
I swear, it’s dumbing down the teaching. The lessons I got at the beginning were miles ahead of these. Luckily my subscription expires in a week or so. I’ll be moving on to Plimsleur.
I understand what you mean. The Italian exercises feel mostly off-target and uninteresting, and at the same time not even entertaining. I believe they should go one way or the other: either make them very useful or make them so much fun as to be motivating. This mashup is me trying to perform a kind of alchemy.
The nonsensical and nonpractical aspects bug me too. But the app people are proud that it works on 99% AI.
What does that mean, Claire, that it works on 99% AI? I'm pretty sure the exercises were designed by teams of humans. Is that no longer the case?
This is not what I originally read but it's about the same thing: https://www.inc.com/robin-landa/duolingo-made-a-huge-announcement-what-happened-next-was-anything-but-expected/91193614
I believe that’s no longer the case. But I have trouble retracing where I read this. Some humans must still be involved, but from the often nonsensical sentences I get to translate, I believe a lot is written by AI.
“Is that doctor three years old?” is one of my prime examples.
you're right, claire. duolingo is the number one company the AI folks are talking about as having replaced most of their human employees with AI. i bet that's why the quality has downgraded.
So sad! They're probably not even using a real green owl anymore!
lol
Reminds me of the Monty Python phrasebook sketch.
Maledicta, the magazine readers swear by, did something similar with an old-school traveler's dictionary.
I'm doing Duolingo Spanish and have yet to encounter sentences like this. Need to watch out for them.
I have some real doozies from DuoLingo. To date, the only Dutch person who has asked me if I am a duck did so after being prompted. 😂
Wat was je antwoord?
Natuurlijk, nee! Ik ben geen eend, ik ben een neushoorn!