i just finished the portuguese duolingo tree.
they have a few bonus modules that you can do as well as some duolingo stories, which i'll play around with.
here are my thoughts on the program:
pros:
-it is probably the equivalent of 3-4 years of high school portuguese
-it will give you a good understanding of grammar
-makes learning portuguese funner (not fun, but funner)
-teaches you a lot of vocab
cons:
-it teaches you sentences that you are not applicable to real life
-it only teaches you basic portuguese.
-a computer program won't be able to help much with pronunciation
have some realistic expectations:
-at the end of the day, duolingo will only take you to about an A2 level. duolingo is only a beginner tool.
-you will not have a good understanding of the imperative, subjunctive, or past participles. Having said that, subjunctive and past participle grammar is advanced grammar. in my experience, after studying spanish for 3 years in junior high, 4 years in high school, and several years on my own after college, i didn't know how to use the subjunctive in spanish.
will you be able to talk on the phone in portuguese after finishing duolingo portuguese: no
will you have conversational portuguese after finishing duolingo portuguese: no
will you be able to easily order at a restaurant in portuguese after finishing duolingo portuguese: probably not
is duolingo worth it? yes. it is a free program that is the equivalent, in my opinion, of 3-4 years of high school portuguese. it will give you a strong background in basic grammar and a lot of vocabulary, but it is only the beginning. it will give you a foundation, and then you have to seek out new tools to raise your portuguese level.
how to use duolingo:
-i can't stress this enough: only do each lesson once. absolutely do NOT repeat lessons. it is a waste of time, and will hold you back. you have so much shit to cover when you learn a language. you can't be reviewing the fucking basics for 2 years. i know this from experience, as i've used duolingo for another language for awhile and kept repeating lessons, which ultimately made me waste almost 2 years.
-the desktop/website version of duolingo has grammar notes and also grammar discussions, which makes it superior to the app. actually, i've never used the app, but i don't think the app has these grammar notes or discussions.
-in my opinion, the most important part of learning a language is speaking to others and having them correct you or give you tips. however, i think it's also necessary to learn grammar from formal lessons or duolingo or from a textbook or website. the grammar puts all the speech in a framework.
-if you're serious about learning another language, then duolingo can NOT be used as a standalone program. it must be supplemented by other learning tools, whether that be through other websites, a textbook, watching movies in portuguese, taking a class, or having language partners.
