I am sharing the results after a month of learning English using the LinguaLeo service.
So, a month has passed since the start of my little experiment with learning English in the LinguaLeo application. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to study every day without interruptions, but it’s equal to telling you about the service.
In short, I was satisfied with the service. It's definitely not a pity to pay 700 rubles for a year of study at LinguaLeo. However, here it is necessary to clarify that the application is more suitable for maintaining the level of the language, so to speak, in 'good shape', for replenishing the vocabulary, learning the rules and practice of grammar, as well as training certain skills – translation of texts and listening. Without a minimum base, like knowledge of the alphabet and phonetics. In general, school education is enough for those who are not afraid of foreign words. Although even for such users there are special courses 'for beginners', but this is already for a fee – $ 14.
Language learning
LinguaLeo has excellent grammar courses for those who are easily self-taught and do not require an explanation from the outside, for example, a tutor. The premium subscription includes a full grammar course with 25 topics. Start by studying tenses, types of nouns, learn to use pronouns, prepositions, adverbs and make conditional sentences. Finishing off with more complex topics like participial phrases and stylistic devices.
Each course looks something like this: an explanation of where to apply this rule is given, then how to use it, and then the practical part comes in the form of an interactive test to consolidate the material. There are separate practice exercises to help you improve your grammar skills.
For example, a sentence is given and you need to translate it into English in the future tense, composing it from the suggested words. If you have forgotten the theory, you can repeat it right there by clicking the 'show rule' button. At the same time, the service determines that you have not repeated any rule for a long time, then the application will certainly remind you of this.
Another good thing about LinguaLeo is working with words. During the initial survey, the service will roughly determine your vocabulary and will constantly offer you to learn new words, phrases or phrases. For this, there are 5 different exercises that will help you repeat old words and remember new ones.
In addition, LinguaLeo constantly introduces the user to various media material in English – texts, videos, music. Whether it's celebrity quotes, book excerpts, music videos, instructional videos, people on TED Talks, and more, videos and music are subtitled. If you come across an unfamiliar word or forget its meaning, you need to click on it and then you will receive a translation, you can immediately add it to the dictionary for later memorization. Constant interaction with the language allows you to get used to it, relieve discomfort and learn to quickly switch between Russian and English . Which is what I felt for myself.
My results
Few numbers. I have been fully engaged in LinguaLeo from January 4th to today. Of course, there were days when I did not study the language due to lack of time, sometimes I just forgot to go to practice. As a result, at least a little I did 27 days during this period, of which 11 days I fulfilled the norm – to learn the language for more than an hour. Here are some statistics:
What did I get in practice. During this time, I managed to improve the theory and skill of using tenses in English, and also increased my vocabulary. Feels like it became easier to understand texts and spoken language. Of course, unfamiliar words are constantly encountered and you have to find a translation for them. Previously, when I saw foreign words, I needed to make an effort to switch to the perception of English. Now it takes less time, like the barrier is gone.
In general, it got better, but the miracle, of course, did not happen. Although I did not expect that some service or book would help to learn the language in a month. It all depends directly on your desire. I was not able to devote as much time to learning the language as I planned, but I am still happy with the result and the service itself.
Conclusion
I spent most of my time in the web version of LinguaLeo, it’s much easier to immerse yourself in the process, concentrate and work with the material, and the exercises themselves are slightly different. In particular, the grammar courses in the mobile application are not performed in the best way and there are many minor flaws.
LinguaLeo is not suitable for mindlessly completing tasks. You need to pronounce every word, delve into, learn the rules and, most importantly, constantly practice. But it should be understood that no exercises and tests can replace live speech. Additionally, surround yourself with language – read texts, watch videos, films, TV series, listen to original music.
I recommend trying the free version of LinguaLeo first. In it, you can learn words and view various materials in English – texts, videos, music, but you will not have access to grammar courses and some exercises. Although this is enough for acquaintance. If you want to improve your knowledge of English, I still recommend purchasing a premium subscription. I bought a subscription for a year for 700 rubles as part of the New Year promotion. There is now another promotion in honor of Valentine's Day – for 23 dollars you can buy an annual certificate for two users. A three-month subscription costs $ 10.
Well, I probably will continue to study in LinguaLeo and, perhaps, in a few months I will share my successes again. If I missed something important and did not tell about it – ask questions in the comments, I will try to answer.