Duolingo has been great for learning languages. I just wish that it started with words and phrases that you actually need to know. For instance,
In Duolingo, Swahili, “He is wiping the window.”
Is not a sentence that I would probably need to use.
Here is what would actually help:
Where is the bathroom?
That is not a toilet. It is a hole in the floor.
The toilet is not working.
The air-conditioning is not working.
There is no hot water.
This food is terrible.
I want to book a room.
Do you accept a credit card?
Your credit card machine is not working.
The Wi-Fi is not working.
The website is down.
How come there are soldiers everywhere carrying guns?
Yes, the last twenty drivers also told us that a super potholed road is an African massage.
Duolingo French isn’t much better. For example, “ The horse is in the living room.”
For the life of me, I don’t think I would ever need to use that phrase.