Mad at Duolingo's new "improvement"

[Jean in Newcastle]

5 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

I think I had to click on that bar on the statistics page in order to get my 3 additional streak freezes and my creepy flaming owl Icon. 😄 Im jealous of you being rewarded with free Duo+. Although, now that I say that, I do get offered that occasionally and I've never clicked it because I figured it would lead to an even harder upsell, so I've just been tuning those out I guess. I'll have to rethink that!

At the end of the three days (or whatever it is) I get a "your Duo+ is coming to an end" notice.  They give a chance to buy it.  I click the "no thanks" at the button and go back to the free version.  No harder upsell beyond that. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

6 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

At the end of the three days (or whatever it is) I get a "your Duo+ is coming to an end" notice.  They give a chance to buy it.  I click the "no thanks" at the button and go back to the free version.  No harder upsell beyond that. 

Quoting myself to say that I don't do the "free trials".  I believe that those ask for credit card information and I refuse to provide that.  The free upgrades I get do not require me to provide payment information "just in case". 

[gardenmom5]

57 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

If I go to Statistics and hit my streak bar then it gives me a flaming owl with a "Streak Society VIP" label. 

Is that phone or computer?

I mostly use the computer, and don't see the flaming owl.

[Jean in Newcastle]

40 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

Is that phone or computer?

I mostly use the computer, and don't see the flaming owl.

Phone 

[Amy in NH]

The changes, which I've known about for weeks, have not hit my phone app yet.  This is really the only platform I use it with.  I didn't realize you could get points for listening to the excellent podcasts though... I've been listening to them on Spotify!

Edited November 17, 2022 by Amy in NH

[Miss Tick]

7 hours ago, Miss Tick said:

Is there no way to "repair" levels and earn hearts?

Figured out how to do this. Tap the heart count in the top right corner and then you can choose "practice to earn hearts"

[Matryoshka]

18 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

Figured out how to do this. Tap the heart count in the top right corner and then you can choose "practice to earn hearts"

Yes. And you can make mistakes with no penalty (you don't lose hearts, but you still get a new one at the end of the lesson!). If I have 2 hearts or less left at the end of a lesson,  I usually do a practice session or two to top off my hearts before moving on.

I hope that doesn't go away with the new format!

[Pam in CT]

"earning hearts" without penalty for mistakes

9 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Yes. And you can make mistakes with no penalty (you don't lose hearts, but you still get a new one at the end of the lesson!). If I have 2 hearts or less left at the end of a lesson,  I usually do a practice session or two to top off my hearts before moving on.

I hope that doesn't go away with the new format!

Also because of this feature you can use "practice for more hearts" to be SURE to get those "double your XP for the next 15 minutes" flash-bonuses.  You don't get many XP points for the practice-hearts reviews (I think it's 10 with a boost of 5), but they're quick -- I'm pretty slow what with my ten thumbs and all; and I can fit 2 lessons into those 15 minute slots, so: 2(10+5) + 2(10+5) = a guaranteed risk-free (somewhat boring) 60 points.

(In the event that you happen to be absurdly motivated by imaginary XP points in a constructed competition against imaginary friends on the internet, not that I know any such fools, ahem!)

[Matryoshka]

Just now, Pam in CT said:

"earning hearts" without penalty for mistakes

Also because of this feature you can use "practice for more hearts" to be SURE to get those "double your XP for the next 15 minutes" flash-bonuses.  You don't get many XP points for the practice-hearts reviews (I think it's 10 with a boost of 5), but they're quick -- I'm pretty slow what with my ten thumbs and all; and I can fit 2 lessons into those 15 minute slots, so: 2(10+5) + 2(10+5) = a guaranteed risk-free (somewhat boring) 60 points.

(In the event that you happen to be absurdly motivated by imaginary XP points in a constructed competition against imaginary friends on the internet, not that I know any such fools, ahem!)

I was totally doing that when I could still see my league status.  But now that I have no idea where I am, it seems way less important...

[Ottakee]

For Spanish is there a huge difference in using the computer va the phone app?  I have only ever used it on the phone

[maize]

I have infinite hearts and no idea why. Maybe because I at some point signed up as a teacher? I'm not a paying member.

[Pam in CT]

7 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I was totally doing that when I could still see my league status.  But now that I have no idea where I am, it seems way less important...

It's so weird how we're all seeing DIFFERENT changes kicking in at DIFFERENT times.  I can still see my League status; I just don't have the audio lessons or the podcasts anymore and I have less flexibility in choosing my own adventure. 

 

7 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

For Spanish is there a huge difference in using the computer va the phone app?  I have only ever used it on the phone

I've only done the lessons on the phone too -- I've only used the computer for the podcasts (before, because my phone was upstairs and I was downstairs or the computer was connected to the bluetooth speaker or whatever; now because that's the only way I can find them.)

I'd expect, though, I'd make fewer typo errors if I were using a real keyboard.

[Amy in NH]

I'm wondering... I might possibly have turned off auto updates for apps on my phone.  Maybe it will never update to the new format?

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, maize said:

It moved me way back as well.

I was annoyed and decided to test ahead almost twenty units (closer to where I was before); on questions I was uncertain on on the test I used Google translate. My personal goals do not include perfect grammar and spelling on the earlier levels before moving ahead.

I think this will be the most frustrating part for me as well. I think I’m slightly ADD and I like to have new interesting content, and I will often make small stupid errors. It’s really frustrating to have to not be able to move forward for not noticing that is said an apple not the apple or something similar. I don’t think it’ll matter much for me for Italian because I’m so close to the end but I planned to try something else afterwards and now I’m less sure.

[Jean in Newcastle]

This is a Japanese specific thing but occasionally there are no Japanese words to choose from and I have to type from my phone’s Japanese keyboard. This makes it much more difficult because Duolingo requires me to use the right combination of Japanese kanji, hiragana and katakana. I often have to take a stab at it, fail, write down the “correct “ answer (which often varies very little from my incorrect version) so that I can move on because otherwise I can’t move on from that section. Ticks me off. 

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

For Spanish is there a huge difference in using the computer va the phone app?  I have only ever used it on the phone

Enough of a different I preferred using my laptop, and would cringe when I was stuck having to use my phone.

[catz]

1 hour ago, maize said:

I have infinite hearts and no idea why. Maybe because I at some point signed up as a teacher? I'm not a paying member.

I do too on my iPad, but not on my laptop.  Super weird but I'll take it!

[chiguirre]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

This is a Japanese specific thing but occasionally there are no Japanese words to choose from and I have to type from my phone’s Japanese keyboard. This makes it much more difficult because Duolingo requires me to use the right combination of Japanese kanji, hiragana and katakana. I often have to take a stab at it, fail, write down the “correct “ answer (which often varies very little from my incorrect version) so that I can move on because otherwise I can’t move on from that section. Ticks me off. 

Something like that was happening to me in Russian. 

There is no Cyrillic keyboard in the PC version of Duolingo, so I had to open another tab with keyboard and cut and paste. It was a major pain, especially since I don't really care about writing correct Russian. I just want to be able to decipher tweets and sort of follow along and pick out words on Russian TV clips. 

The new version did away with the Russian spelling torture, so I'm very glad about that. I seem to have landed in the same vocabulary that I was working on before but I'm only on level 2 so they really couldn't have bounced me back very much anyway. Between Duolingo and Pimsleur, I'm pleased with my progress. 

[maize]

20 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

This is a Japanese specific thing but occasionally there are no Japanese words to choose from and I have to type from my phone’s Japanese keyboard. This makes it much more difficult because Duolingo requires me to use the right combination of Japanese kanji, hiragana and katakana. I often have to take a stab at it, fail, write down the “correct “ answer (which often varies very little from my incorrect version) so that I can move on because otherwise I can’t move on from that section. Ticks me off. 

On the android app there is an option to do speech-to-text for Japanese. I don't know how accurate it is overall; I've only tried it a couple of times and it was fine but I've only recently started Japanese lessons on Duo so wasn't very far along.

[Ottakee]

20 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

Enough of a different I preferred using my laptop, and would cringe when I was stuck having to use my phone.

I might have to try it….if I can remember my log in and password.  I just have my phone handy all the time and only sit at the computer once or twice a week.

[wendyroo]

Well, Duolingo finally got around to switching me to the new format...and I HATE it. I don't like the lack of flexibility. I also don't like that if I want to hand my phone to Audrey to practice the first few levels, we have to switch to a whole different "course" instead of just scrolling up the tree.

Duolingo is slowly losing me as a loyal user. I have a streak of 2382 days, and spent over a year in the Diamond League, but now I just don't care. I still do a lesson a day, but that is it. I have now dropped down to the Amethyst League, and will probably continue to free fall until I decide the whole thing isn't worth it anymore.

[gardenmom5]

10 hours ago, wendyroo said:

Well, Duolingo finally got around to switching me to the new format...and I HATE it. I don't like the lack of flexibility. I also don't like that if I want to hand my phone to Audrey to practice the first few levels, we have to switch to a whole different "course" instead of just scrolling up the tree.

Duolingo is slowly losing me as a loyal user. I have a streak of 2382 days, and spent over a year in the Diamond League, but now I just don't care. I still do a lesson a day, but that is it. I have now dropped down to the Amethyst League, and will probably continue to free fall until I decide the whole thing isn't worth it anymore.

This,

I don't feel I'm learning as much as I did before either.  I'm still in diamond, but . . . 

[ktgrok]

On 11/16/2022 at 2:43 PM, Maus said:

So, Duolingo just decided to switch to a linear model. You can no longer choose the story tab -- the stories are integrated into the path. You can no longer choose which topic to learn next inside each level.

I am not happy. I was focusing on comprehension myself by repeating each story until I actually understood the conversations without having to translate every word in my head.

And I will never be able to get my kids to stick to it. They've cried their way through Waterford's Upstart, K12, and BYUonline because they were locked into the learning path and couldn't go back to the parts they enjoyed.

I sent an email to Duolingo at their "support" address, but they announced this change as being directed by their "learning experts," so I don't have my hopes up.

I think you can still go back, just not ahead? I remember the email I got having some way to "practice" stuff you already did. 

On 11/16/2022 at 7:00 PM, Ottakee said:

I must be in the minority, I was kinda happy to see the change as I never knew which level to go to when.

 

Same! The indecision of which thing to work on made me less likely to practice. 

[catz]

I got switched LONG ago, like last summer.  I finally hit my groove, I had dropped several leagues and didn't care for a while.  Now I'm back in Diamond and look for hitting sweet spots when I can get double points and go heavier.  I keep considering paying for membership but haven't yet.  It's grown on me over time.  

I do still miss being able to do stories.  I REALLY enjoyed the Spanish podcast (super interesting and nerdy topics!) and without points I haven't been listening, though I should.  I do listen to podcasts when I walk in general so I guess I could throw this into the mix.

[Ottakee]

18 minutes ago, catz said:

I got switched LONG ago, like last summer.  I finally hit my groove, I had dropped several leagues and didn't care for a while.  Now I'm back in Diamond and look for hitting sweet spots when I can get double points and go heavier.  I keep considering paying for membership but haven't yet.  It's grown on me over time.  

I do still miss being able to do stories.  I REALLY enjoyed the Spanish podcast (super interesting and nerdy topics!) and without points I haven't been listening, though I should.  I do listen to podcasts when I walk in general so I guess I could throw this into the mix.

I need to find the podcasts.  Can you start at the very beginning with those?  My reading skills are much better than my listening skills

[catz]

Just now, Ottakee said:

I need to find the podcasts.  Can you start at the very beginning with those?  My reading skills are much better than my listening skills

Yes for sure!  I found them on google podcasts on my phone, I can see them in apple podcasts on my iPad too.  

[Matryoshka]

They finally switched me only like a week or two ago.  I guess fortunately it didn't affect me that much because I was so far along the trees I was doing already.  For one language I just had to do a final 'test' and the whole thing was done.  I have one unit left in the other (like 10 circles).  A bunch of my stuff is already purple, but I can go back and purple up what isn't. Looks like all of the end of units have about 8 practice sessions to 'level up' to purple.  And you can always choose to 'practice', either to earn hearts or just because.  LOL, maybe I need to start some new languages...  actually, looking at the languages I've only dabbled in thus far, it looks like you can jump ahead to units farther up the tree if things are too easy (I hear that's a big complaint?)  Has anyone tried that?

[Matryoshka]

32 minutes ago, catz said:

I got switched LONG ago, like last summer.  I finally hit my groove, I had dropped several leagues and didn't care for a while.  Now I'm back in Diamond and look for hitting sweet spots when I can get double points and go heavier.  I keep considering paying for membership but haven't yet.  It's grown on me over time.  

I do still miss being able to do stories.  I REALLY enjoyed the Spanish podcast (super interesting and nerdy topics!) and without points I haven't been listening, though I should.  I do listen to podcasts when I walk in general so I guess I could throw this into the mix.

A while ago, like at least a few months before they switched my tree up, they disappeared the leagues from both my app and browser.  I have no way to see them anymore.  I had been in Diamond forever, but since I now have no way to track anything, I'm sure I'm in the basement somewhere.

I was only doing one language that even had stories, and had completed them all ages ago.  I wish they had stories for more languages!  I didn't know about the podcasts - do you know if they have them for more languages than Spanish (I don't need them for Spanish...).  

The Stories are supposed to be integrated into the new flow - if you hadn't finished them all you should still see them, you just have to do them when they come up rather than at your pleasure...

[catz]

4 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

A while ago, like at least a few months before they switched my tree up, they disappeared the leagues from both my app and browser.  I have no way to see them anymore.  I had been in Diamond forever, but since I now have no way to track anything, I'm sure I'm in the basement somewhere.

I was only doing one language that even had stories, and had completed them all ages ago.  I wish they had stories for more languages!  I didn't know about the podcasts - do you know if they have them for more languages than Spanish (I don't need them for Spanish...).  

The Stories are supposed to be integrated into the new flow - if you hadn't finished them all you should still see them, you just have to do them when they come up rather than at your pleasure...

Oh I was misusing stories and podcasts, sorry.  Yes, I am seeing the stories in my flow.  I actually went back in stories, they seem so easy now when I hit them lol.  

I am able to see the leagues though and get notifications if I am going to get bumped still or if I am close to moving up.

[Miss Tick]

11 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

it looks like you can jump ahead to units farther up the tree if things are too easy (I hear that's a big complaint?)  Has anyone tried that?

The update moved me from ⅔ of the way through German back to about ½ way. I need the language practice, so I've stuck with it. To your question, I've recently started alternating, skip a level, work through a level. The levels are really repetitive, so that has been working pretty well. I am making progress, but still getting enough practice. Skipping a level is not a money maker, though. Although it doesn't cost you regular hearts to try it, when you pass you just get 50 XP points, a lot less than you would get if you went through the level unit by unit.

I'm missing the explicit labeling of the grammatical concept being used. I'm starting to move into grammatical concepts that I would like to read about in a grammar book, and it isn't easy to identify which concepts I'm going up on any more.

[Matryoshka]

7 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

The update moved me from ⅔ of the way through German back to about ½ way. I need the language practice, so I've stuck with it. To your question, I've recently started alternating, skip a level, work through a level. The levels are really repetitive, so that has been working pretty well. I am making progress, but still getting enough practice. Skipping a level is not a money maker, though. Although it doesn't cost you regular hearts to try it, when you pass you just get 50 XP points, a lot less than you would get if you went through the level unit by unit.

I'm missing the explicit labeling of the grammatical concept being used. I'm starting to move into grammatical concepts that I would like to read about in a grammar book, and it isn't easy to identify which concepts I'm going up on any more.

At the beginning of each unit, there's a banner that tells you the focus and there's a little notebook icon and that's where they've put all the grammar tips.  It looks like all the same tips from before.

For example, scrolling back I see a unit called "Unit 49, use infinitives" and then on the right is the notebook icon for "Unit 49 Guidebook" which includes the associated grammar tips.

[Matryoshka]

21 minutes ago, catz said:

Oh I was misusing stories and podcasts, sorry.  Yes, I am seeing the stories in my flow.  I actually went back in stories, they seem so easy now when I hit them lol.  

I am able to see the leagues though and get notifications if I am going to get bumped still or if I am close to moving up.

LOL, I don't think you were misusing them.  I finished them all up waaaay ahead of time.  I just also got to much more of the tree before they switched me, since I only got switched now.  They are fun!  I just never found the podcasts... it could be the languages I'm doing don't have them...?

I have no idea why they took away my leagues.  Boo.

It's really weird how they seem to have all different configurations for different people, and how some people got 'upgraded' ages ago, and some just now.

[Murphy101]

I was disappointed in duo Korean before the change but it had some little benefit. After the change I was so frustrated I haven’t been back in weeks. I much prefer LingoDeer. ETA: which is sad to me bc many in my circle really love the competition game aspect of duo and now I’m the lone kid not playing. 😔

Edited January 18, 2023 by Murphy101

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

They finally switched me only like a week or two ago.  I guess fortunately it didn't affect me that much because I was so far along the trees I was doing already.  For one language I just had to do a final 'test' and the whole thing was done.  I have one unit left in the other (like 10 circles).  A bunch of my stuff is already purple, but I can go back and purple up what isn't. Looks like all of the end of units have about 8 practice sessions to 'level up' to purple.  And you can always choose to 'practice', either to earn hearts or just because.  LOL, maybe I need to start some new languages...  actually, looking at the languages I've only dabbled in thus far, it looks like you can jump ahead to units farther up the tree if things are too easy (I hear that's a big complaint?)  Has anyone tried that?

If I get 100% (or perhaps in the 90's) a few times in the earlier circles I will get a notification that "this level is easy" (or something to that effect) and will ask if I want to jump ahead.  Sometimes I say yes and sometimes I say no and just keep on in the level. 

[Miss Tick]

1 hour ago, Matryoshka said:

At the beginning of each unit, there's a banner that tells you the focus and there's a little notebook icon and that's where they've put all the grammar tips.  It looks like all the same tips from before.

For example, scrolling back I see a unit called "Unit 49, use infinitives" and then on the right is the notebook icon for "Unit 49 Guidebook" which includes the associated grammar tips.

The guide book doesn't always seem to match the focus. My current level grammar tips are about dative case, but the example sentences and exercises have a lot of reflexive verbs. I recognize those, so I am able to look for outside info on that using the correct term. Although, since I already know what a reflective verb is I don't really need that. My difficulty, for instance is more like: trial and error (and sentence examples) have taught me how to deal with the idiom (?) um... zu for "in order to", but for *my* brain, I would learn it better if I could read rules or guidelines first and then start applying them. I guess I'm a whole-to-parts kind of girl, and Duo has shifted solidly to a parts-to-whole approach.

Nothing any of us can do, but thanks for letting me feel heard!

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

If I get 100% (or perhaps in the 90's) a few times in the earlier circles I will get a notification that "this level is easy" (or something to that effect) and will ask if I want to jump ahead.  Sometimes I say yes and sometimes I say no and just keep on in the level. 

It used to do that for me in the old version, hasn't happened to me yet in the new one (but it's only been a short time).

I'm talking about at the beginning of each unit in the languages where I'm still in the middle of the tree, there's a button at the beginning of every unit with a double arrow that says "Jump Here?"

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, Miss Tick said:

The guide book doesn't always seem to match the focus. My current level grammar tips are about dative case, but the example sentences and exercises have a lot of reflexive verbs. I recognize those, so I am able to look for outside info on that using the correct term. Although, since I already know what a reflective verb is I don't really need that. My difficulty, for instance is more like: trial and error (and sentence examples) have taught me how to deal with the idiom (?) um... zu for "in order to", but for *my* brain, I would learn it better if I could read rules or guidelines first and then start applying them. I guess I'm a whole-to-parts kind of girl, and Duo has shifted solidly to a parts-to-whole approach.

Nothing any of us can do, but thanks for letting me feel heard!

I think the mismatch is partly because they've switched to mixed pratcice - so the unit has that overall theme for 'new' material, but throws in review of old material, for which the info is somewhere else (and not so easy to find).

[ktgrok]

3 hours ago, Ottakee said:

I need to find the podcasts.  Can you start at the very beginning with those?  My reading skills are much better than my listening skills

if you go to the duo website in a broswer you can see them there as well. 

[Matryoshka]

8 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

if you go to the duo website in a broswer you can see them there as well. 

Where are they, though?  Under what menu / what does one click on to find them?  (my problem could still be that my target languages don't have them, but in case they do, I want to know where to look!)

[Amy in NH]

2 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Where are they, though?  Under what menu / what does one click on to find them?  (my problem could still be that my target languages don't have them, but in case they do, I want to know where to look!)

I am listening to their French podcasts on Spotify, and was able to start with their first season which came out a few years ago.  I just went and checked... Spotify only has their podcasts in French, Spanish, and English. There are other language learning podcasts and playlists available, though.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Amy in NH

[ktgrok]

6 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Where are they, though?  Under what menu / what does one click on to find them?  (my problem could still be that my target languages don't have them, but in case they do, I want to know where to look!)

On the left side - this is spanish. 

[Matryoshka]

47 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

On the left side - this is spanish. 

Yeah, looks like my languages just don't have them.  Also, like I said earlier, they took away my Leaderboards!  I also notice that your "Practice" is on the left; mine is a circle on the bottom left.  So weird how they give everyone a different interface!

Edited January 19, 2023 by Matryoshka