What Babbel & Duolingo DON'T Teach You about Foreign Languages

You have the app, you have been practicing for months, but you aren't sure if all of those days of practicing your Spanish or French will pay off. Well here are some of the most common problems people have when they try to speak a foreign language abroad.

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Copyright Mark Wolters 2024

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[ItsGroundhogDay]

I appreciated the people who would understand and slow down. Not dumbed down, just slower. It takes a while to get used to the speed at which people normally speak.

[lucianfrust]

When I was in France, I'd ask people to please repeat more slowly. They were happy to repeat, but just as fast as the first time LOL. I eventually got used to it.

[RFXZ]

I was an English language teacher for 9 years, I've taught myself 2 languages to fluency, visited 71 countries and lived in 5. Personally, if you're a tourist you just need about 50 phrases: numbers, directions, phrases to speak to cashiers and basic 'about me' q&a. If you want to get to A2, B1 you really need to be focusing on some basic grammar and high frequency words. Imho, apps do a horrendous job at teaching useful words and phrases and too few language courses are focused on the words and phrases you will need.

[libbyd]

My awesome Italian language teacher, Manu, at Italy Made Easy, says a lot of great stuff. One of which is, especially as a beginner, to focus on pronunciation. If you pronounce well and your grammar is bad you will still be understood. If your grammar is good but they can't understand your pronunciation, you will probably NOT be understood. 🤩

[AdamGordon]

Thanks for sharing. I love Duolingo. However, it can’t be the only way someone learns a language.

[saskiaschoonderbeek]

I've lived in Missouri for about a year (a long time ago). During my year the people from Missouri first asked if I came from England. As time past by they placed me in countries which came closer and closer to Missouri. People from out of state asked me if I came from Missouri. I thought that was pretty funny. Thanks for the interesting vlog. Love from the Netherlands.

[sherrile]

I taught English in Japan back in the 90s and prior to going there, I took a couple of years of college level Japanese. I thought I knew the language but I kept having people say “I understood you but we would say…” I came to the realization that written Japanese was not the same as spoken Japanese! I started watching lots of TV and let go of my fear of making mistakes and my Japanese rapidly improved.

[SometimesPerplexed]

Nice video!
Another language hiccup that’s OK (has happened to me a few times): If you polish your accent and grasp of basic grammar well enough to “fool” someone into thinking you’re a fluent speaker, only to have to jump in when they speed up to say wait, I’m more of an intermediate speaker and I’m not following everything.” It’s not a problem and nobody is likely to be annoyed.

[PIANOPLAYJAZZ]

When you watch language videos: 1) opt for "street" versions. Most people you'll encounter won't speak formal versions.
2) watch the country...Brazilian Portuguese is not continental Portugal Portuguese
3) Quebeqois is not European French....etc.

[aresee]

My German has never been very good. But I found that I could hold basic conversations if the people I was talking to worked with me. Had a much harder time when the other person didn't account for my weak German skills. But, I also found that I understood other people, or even, say, the news on the radio, if I didn't try to catch - and translate - every word. If I tried that, I'd fall hopelessly behind. And when speaking, if I tried to be perfect, like in front of a teacher in German class, or treated each sentence like a math equation to be solved, I'd never be able to complete a thought. And finally, I realized I didn't have always to speak in complete sentences. Hell, I don't always do that in English. Anyway, I managed to a poiint that I always felt so much more comfortable in Germany than other countries on the continent because I knew I could understand, and make myself understood to a much greater degree in German than any other foreign language.

[leyenda]

I speak Spanish, but there are places I visit I cannot understand the locals at all, although they tell me they understand me pretty well

[shanojebs]

I used Duolingo daily for 1.5 years before travelling to Germany and Switzerland, I instantly realised I could not reply when someone spoke German back to me. Restaurant menus and street signs and train stations were really easy to understand but Duolingo teaches you to read and learn words but not to have conversations, that's why it's flawed.

[AbsoluteApril]

Great tips! The speed is always what throws me off when I was working to learn enough French to visit, people always seem happy that one is trying. Finland is next on my wish list and I've started working to learn. Kiitos!

[gabriellag]

These are great tips, thank you! And I love your new intro!

[kathebrank]

I studied "high German" in high school and College. My Husband is also German. I get my best practice at the local German Club, watching Fussball and having a beer.

[wncjan]

I agree. I'm quite good at English but the first couple of times I visited southern USA i had to ask people to repeat all the time. But today after about 20 visits, I'm beginning to get the hang of it. I actually managed to get through a 30 munute interview at a local radiostation without asking the host to repeat a question a single time 😄

[Chlovan]

I was in Latvia last Summer I was in a store with my friend. We brought a nesting doll there and I said "Paldies" which means thank you and the woman at the store had such a big smile on her face. I know Latvians don't really show emotion that often so it really stood out to me. I always try to learn some basic phrases. Hello, goodbye, thank you, Where is? the bill.

[JoelGarza-swsu]

Hi Wolter from Detroit Michigan my brother just retired and moved to mazalan Mexico and loves it I’m sure it will be fun learning Spanish he got tired of cold Michigan weather.

[siobhanw]

Spot on, Mark!
Nothing compares to human-to-human language learning. I even got a better understanding of English grammar when I was in Mexico studying Spanish!

[hyggemcb]

Great advice. Language learning is a companion to world travel. Be curious, respectful, and confident! You will go far