“I have a 300 day streak!”
“I am on unit ___ on Duolingo!”
“I’ve been using Duolingo for 100 days”
I hear comments like these all the time.
There isn’t anything inherently wrong with such comments. Just remember that your progress in Duolingo does not correlate directly to your actual proficiency in another language. I’ve met a number of people who have 1000+ day streaks and can barely hold a 1-minute conversation with me, even if I speak very slowly and simply.
Here are four better ways to track your progress.
Get your level assessed at a language teaching institute and/or by taking a standardized exam
Review material from 6+ months ago that you used to find challenging. Is it easier now? If yes, you’ve clearly progressed. If not, you likely haven’t
Do a gut check. Ask yourself:
Is it easier to speak with native speakers now compared to 6 months ago?
Is it easier to communicate in writing than it was 6 months ago?
Is understanding reading or listening material target language easier than it was 6 months ago?
Contact me for a free level assessment for your target language. I can do a comprehensive assessment for French, Spanish, Mandarin, Gujarati, or English. I can also do a relatively good assessment of your fluency, listening, and reading for a wide variety of other languages, even if I don’t speak it using an assessment process I’ve come with.
I hope this helps!
As always, feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.