I’ve been hard at work with my lessons in kreyòl on Duolingo, and on paper it looks good—Level 21 / 25! Super, right?
Only I’m frustrated because it still seems so atomized. I’m learning words and some phrases, but Duolingo has limited flexibility to say things in other ways.
For example, “Sa k pase?” which means “How’s it going?” (“What’s passing/happening?”). But the more common phrase in Haiti is “Sa k ap fèt?” which means “What’s up?” (“What’s the festival?”). Or even the short “Anfòm?” with the response “Anfòm” (“Fit” / “Okay?” “Fit” / “Yes”).
It’s not wrong to say “Sa k ap pase?” It’s fine! But it’s more common to say “Sa k ap fèt.” So if you have any knowledge of kreyòl ayisyen, you’ll be “wrong” if you use what you already know. And Duolingo won’t accept these acceptable variants. It’s one way, mister.
And it is not a bad thing! Duolingo is going to teach you the basics of grammar and vocabulary, so eventually you’ll be able to expand your learning as you go find other materials and methods. For the major languages, Duolingo offers things such as “stories,” which are longform narratives to practice with rather than just words and sentences.
I accept what I have because in seven weeks I’ve gotten a lot of knowledge! I have a vocabulary of about 200 words that I’m about 98% accurate when I use them or need to use them. I’m about 99% right when I use either “vle” or “bezwen” to mean “want” or “need,” although the meanings are very similar and Duolingo isn’t precise about when they’re used—but will mark you wrong if you use the wrong one that “should” fit.
But it feels constrictive now, more than it should. “It’s this way all the time, except when it’s not, and if you use the right form but it’s not how you were taught, it’s wrong.” For instance, saying that something ‘is mine” or “mine” can be either “se pa m” or “se pa m nan.” That final “nan” stands in for an emphatic “this thing that’s mine” as compared to “this mine.” It appears that you can use either and be accurate. But if Duolingo presents two sentences, both saying “that’s mine,” and one was taught using “se pa m,” then if you use “se pa m nan” you are wrong, even though you aren’t.
This means you have to memorize complete sentences as-is even when it’s not necessary. Frustrating!
So here’s what I’ve done: I’ve found a site where you can find a language tutor in the language you want to learn, and they will work with you in personal sessions to teach you the language. They are experts in their language and they are skilled in teaching, and for somewhere between $10-$35 an hour, you get a personal session using materials that are much more flexible, and you have the opportunity to ask questions and explore other ways to say something.
I’m using “italki.com” for this. I found it while browsing some fan websites for Duolingo. I was a bit hesitant to try—what if the tutor thinks I’m way more terrible than I am, and gets annoyed.
But I am here to tell you, my tutor is amazing! He was very patient in our initial get-to-know-you meeting. We spoke a little kreyòl, I felt good & not too terrible although I did freeze up, and now after my second lesson I found that I am way stronger than I thought I was!
I’m still not really even at a basic level, but in just the past few days these two tutoring lessons helped me really solidify the stuff I’m learning. I’m getting more complex sentences, more examples of building conversations, and all in all it’s been just great.
When you sign up for italki, you can browse three tutors for a reduced price to see if you like them. If you pick one, you can take lessons with them for as long as you want, or switch to another tutor if you like. But—I am very happy with my current tutor, who is a young man in his mid-20s working from home just helping people learn kreyòl as well as his other two languages he tutors in.
If you’re looking for a cost-effect way to learn a new language, give them a try! It’s quite excellent.
If you want to sign up and you are okay with giving me credit, you can use this link: https://www.italki.com/i/ref/d0CabH?hl=en&utm_medium=user_referral&utm_source=copylink_share
Otherwise, just go to italki.com and sign up.