voiceover:
Language Learning (Dev)Log Week #4
I didn't read any Re:Zero, a Japanese light novel, unfortunately, but I did practice Japanese for at least an hour each day since I got back from college this Tuesday. I rediscovered a language learning app that I tried before, but didn't like last time: Busuu. It is formatted like a textbook, which isn't ideal imo, but it's way better than Duolingo's near 0 structure. The tests likely aren't that accurate, but I was proud to pass the upper-beginner certificate test on Busuu. Most of my Japanese study this week has been on Busuu.
I think the lesson structure is pretty good for introducing grammar. The correction system is mid since if there are way fewer users of your target language than there are users learning languages you know who already know your target language, you will never be corrected. This seems to be the case for me as an English speaker learning Japanese. This is why I plan to have staff/contractors do corrections in my language learning app. The grammar review works well, but only if you haven't memorized the answers to the relevant chapter's exercises. The vocabulary review is contextless and thus useless in my opinion.
I also tried watching anime without subs (since Crunchyroll does not have Japanese subtitles) and then watching the same episode again with subs. The anime that I watched kinda sucked, but the challenge was fun.
As for progress on the language learning app, I decided I would rewrite it to just be a web app that relies on only a static site generator and a separate API server. I am nearly finished email-based sign in, and I'm thinking that the main page will be more like a dashboard instead of a main menu like in the previous iterations of the app.
I intend to apply for the $10,000 Venture Lab Summer of Impact Award, but I must finish it by midnight tomorrow and the application is very long, so who knows.
Hickey, C. L. (2024, May 18).