Languages 14.01

I alluded to learning languages in an earlier post some time ago, but I found an online way to get me back into practice.

Duolingo.com

My boyfriend  fiance and I signed up a few months ago to participate in beta testing and I got an email a couple weeks ago inviting me to join the beta group.  My fiance didn't get an invite, but as a beta tester I got three invites, and brought a few friends in on it, including him.  I decided to start with Spanish, since I wanted to refresh my skills before starting rotations again - especially since one rotation has a doctor who I might become friends with, and he emphasizes Spanish-speaking patients in his practice.  I also wouldn't want to misrepresent myself as being "proficient in Spanish."  

It's a neat idea - I've leveled up to level 10 now, I believe.  You get to translate random things on the internet, in addition to doing lessons which teach you with a variety of media - audio, visual, writing and question answering...  They also make you repeat phrases into your microphone and confirm whether you are saying it right.  You can test out of certain basic things if you are more advanced.  The languages they offer currently are Spanish, French, and German (for English speakers), and English (for Spanish speakers).  When it becomes available to the general public, I highly recommend people try it out!