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Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afraid

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Gottogetout
France

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Gottogetout »

You know what? I personally type only the vowels without any accent in the German course, and for "ss" for the "ß", it works and I can type fast. I talk of the the courses. Not in a mail of course. No problem. Yes : I know it s not the same but in my mind I try see /imagine that the accent is there, and most of all I say the sentences. Simple and efficient. Same thing in the Portuguese course.

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User avatar
PtolemysXX
Uganda

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by PtolemysXX »

Gottogetout wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:50 pm

You know what? I personally type only the vowels without any accent in the German course, and for "ss" for the "ß", it works and I can type fast. I talk of the the courses. Not in a mail of course. No problem. Yes : I know it s not the same (...)

I like this leniency o Duolingo too. In my native language that uses a lot of diacritics I also ignore them at times in informal settings for the sake of speed. It is ugly but it works.
As a side note i believe that Serbians occasionally use latin alphabet for quick typing even though it is not their "native". Same for Persians typing Farsi in Latin characters. Depends on the keyboard you have access to. I wonder how far this goes. I can hardly imagine Chinese typing pinyin instead of Chinese characters. It would be just too ugly... Also I believe that you can't type Vietnamese without diacritics or else your message becomes unintelligible.

User avatar
Gottogetout
France

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Gottogetout »

Yes, you're right. With Duo you are not talking with a person. The goal is to learn and the faster you type the better, in my view.

🇪🇸 Español 🇫🇷 Français (Bilingual) - 🇺🇸 English (Fluent) - 🇩🇪 Deutsch 🇮🇹 Italiano, 🇧🇷 Português (Exposing to, acquiring) 🇷🇺 русский Image عربي (initiated, very interested)

User avatar
Thomas.Heiss
Germany

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Thomas.Heiss »

Thomas.Heiss wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 8:18 am
Saperlipopette! wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:01 am

I found a new - actual old - type of challenge on the Web.... hadn't been seeing since the switch to the snake in August until maybe a week ago.

I don't think the Web had English tiles in the Fr-En course on the tree ....With the snake I got English tiles so I stopped getting these free-form English challenges.

That's another elegant way to get rid of user reports from true beginners and overfilling their bug queue or from users who can't handle English well...
......or in general despite being an intermediate- or advanced/native speaker in both language pairs.

I'm also astonished that staff has not added an English sentence checker like Grammarly (Premium) which can be used BEFORE submitting our alternative answers from the text field as second EN language speakers.

But after one year of French on Busuu A1 would I mainly want to be forced into word banks, especially for the English or German side?
Not so much.
Still thinking to start the shorter De->Fr contributor tree on the older Android app, to focus on grammar.

Maybe it's OK for the first L0 crown run to get used to the FR language a little more...not sure...
......that would even work here on my Redmi Note 10 Pro 6.67" smartphone and their Android 5.52.5 app doesn't let me access typing on lower crowns anyway.

At least Duolingo staff should add key number bindings 0-9 / a-z for the Web like that Chrome extension or userscript did it before (on the tree, has anyone retested them with the snake?).

To be honest STT (Speech to text) doesn't work that great on the phone on the Web with Gboard, especially within Firefox Nightly, don't know why.
But now the internal wrong Duolingo Portugal keyboard suddenly popped up on the app for Portuguese.
Would need to check how they at least respect the existing French Gboard keyboard layout and deactivated multi-language typing/voice detection.

:de: Native | :us: Upper-B2 (BritishCouncil) | ImageL25 (Duo) / A2 (6+y, McGraw-Hill) - Learning (Busuu): :fr: (A1 McGraw-Hill) | :brazil: (interm.)

User avatar
Corinnebelle

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Corinnebelle »

Why do they not give you options all the time? I am doing strengthen exercises at the moment since the tree is down. I am stuck in the writing mode. It's good for spelling, but the switch is only sometimes. It seems there is a lot less challenge to the exercises than previously, they get you to fill in one word sometimes. But I kind of like it, it is a good combination of hard and not so hard exercises.

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

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Madness
Finland

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Madness »

I have noticed this issue on the web too. I don't think it's a bug, but that it's related to the "difficulty" of a lesson/skill. The app on Android has been doing this for a very long time now, where also with the tree it'd give only the word bank for the first level or two before letting you switch to typing yourself. On web, there always used to be the option to type or use word bank regardless of your level in that particular skill.

Now however, I have noticed that also on web they have changed to this same approach as on mobile - earlier and therefore easier levels start with a mandatory word bank without the possibility to switch to typing. On more difficult levels it lets you choose or makes you write yourself, but since there are no colors indicating levels anymore, you can only guess whether a skill is easy or medium level, as there will be text only on hard levels.

Personally I don't like this change at all. I mainly use web for the sole purpose that I get to write and not pick up the words - I just don't learn if I never have to do any work myself! Especially when the words I need to pick often are English words rather than in my target languages. I really need to write and think in my target language in order to learn and improve, and currently Duolingo is doing everything with its updates to hold me back. It's really slowing me down when I go through several steps without learning and then should suddenly know how to write something without having any memory of the words because I didn't need to think about them myself at all beforehand. It also makes it really frustrating and boring, and I am currently struggling a lot and having so many skipped days because I just don't feel like continuing either of them when all I am allowed to do is use the word bank mode.

Native: 🇫🇮 | Fluent: 🇬🇧/🇺🇸 | Learning: 🇩🇪 (B1-B2), 🇸🇪 🇭🇺 🇷🇺 (Beginner or so, learning for fun and out of curiosity!)

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Gottogetout
France

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Gottogetout »

Yes, that's what happens. You have to click on the words and after some answers you 're eventually able to write the words. I hate that too. But, so, that's how it is, now.

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verdensrommet
United States of America

Less type the answer questions?

Post by verdensrommet »

Has anyone else noticed a decline in the number of questions where you can type the answer instead of just picking from a word bank? If so is there a way to type more often, I found that more helpful?

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User avatar
Corinnebelle

Re: Less type the answer questions?

Post by Corinnebelle »

verdensrommet wrote: Tue Feb 28, 2023 2:55 am

Has anyone else noticed a decline in the number of questions where you can type the answer instead of just picking from a word bank? If so is there a way to type more often, I found that more helpful?

I merged this with another question on this topic. I hope its helpful for you.

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

Languages without borders, languages bridging gaps, the Red Cross are my heroes.

Jean Melkovsky

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Jean Melkovsky »

That is actually the worst thing that could happen to Duolingo. Clicking on word bank options is next to useless.

NikolaiYourin

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by NikolaiYourin »

As of today, I'm no longer allowed to type Chinese in the Chinese-English tree,
where it is - just think about it for a second - the source language!
This is absolutely insane.

JOKOJOKO83
Spain

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by JOKOJOKO83 »

I can no longer type answers in Russian in my "German from Russian" tree. All my hard work in reverse courses will probably turn out to be useless now. This is the worst change I have ever seen in Duo, and I have seen plenty of bad changes during the last few years.

User avatar
L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Without the ability to type from the keyboard, Duo lessons cannot be called lessons. Because there is no test of what you've learned. How do you know what you remember and what you don't? I don't need to be shown the words, I want to type them myself. 'Word bank' is only for kids and I don't know who else. It's a huge frustration. Just wish they'd fix it.

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L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

I just registered here because of the 'word bank' problem. Can anyone tell me what is the point of discussing in this forum? To compare what's going on in your Duo account with what's going on with other users? I mean, it's likely that everything discussed here doesn't get to the Duo developers.

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linus
Sweden

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by linus »

yes please add back the option to type the answers with keyboard!!! Using the word-bank feels like a really crappy way to practice in comparison

Came back to duolingo after a long break and really disappointed to see this feature missing now, cancelling my subscription until it's added back

Rickiefl
Scotland

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Rickiefl »

Agree with L-profile. Pretty much a last straw scenario….if this doesn’t change then I will be quitting. Already just doing a story revision most days to keep my streak going. (Couple of days did nothing, thanks streak freeze) I have pretty much lost interest. I was usually hitting around 150 xp most days, now struggle to be bothered reaching 50 (my target) and no crowns means no incentive to do more.

Native: British 🇬🇧 Scottish. Learning: French 🇫🇷,German 🇩🇪,Spanish 🇪🇸

User avatar
L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

I am suffering. To me, Duolingo is not only a way to learn languages, but also a kind of psychotherapy, when I sit calmly, pressing the keys, thinking about the translation of words.
My perfect Duolingo is:

  1. Type all the words manually. My native language is not English, so when I have to write a translation in English, I check my knowledge of this language at the same time. That's very important. If my acquaintance with Duolingo had started with not being allowed to type normally, I would not have loved this website and it would not have become my daily habit.
  2. I want to learn effectively. So I dream of a button in the settings that turns on one-way translation. For example, from English to Hawaiian. Duolingo shows me English-only sentences and I write a Hawaiian-only translation. That is perfect. That would be a blessing. I learn Hawaiian and I write in Hawaiian. Is that really hard to establish? I'm sure it's not hard.
  3. No 'type in the missing word'. No 'pick one of the answer options'. I want it to be Difficult. Difficult and effective. I want the ability to type every sentence in its entirety. Please. If they want to make Duolingo a game, let them give people different levels of difficulty. I want a hardcore level of difficulty.
    That is strange, very strange, that the developers don't give people what they want, a lot of people want. A tree instead of a path, a choice of difficulty. Keyboard typing, man.

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David680268
Germany

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by David680268 »

I wonder who always comes up with these brilliant ideas. Reverse trees are officially dead now.
It took me literally minutes to figure out how to translate an easy Russian sentence with the help of the word bank because the words I was looking for weren't there.

User avatar
L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Folks, let's send frequent requests to the Duo team to make them fix the 'word bank' bug. There are many bad words to call what's going on, but let's call it a bug. And let's just send letters to tech support. I don't know any other way to protest, but even if there is no response, letters are still better than nothing.

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L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Does anyone know Duolingo's contacts for users other than this https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new ?

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Corinnebelle

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Corinnebelle »

L-profile wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:35 pm

Does anyone know Duolingo's contacts for users other than this https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/requests/new ?

Here's the boss

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

Languages without borders, languages bridging gaps, the Red Cross are my heroes.

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L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Thank you very much, Corinnebelle. I'll try to be heard by the boss.

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User avatar
Corinnebelle

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Corinnebelle »

Has Duolingo given us a reason why we can only write in the target language? Having to switch all the time, kind of effects productivity. Maybe you learn better this way?

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

Languages without borders, languages bridging gaps, the Red Cross are my heroes.

User avatar
L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Corinnebelle wrote: Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:22 am

Has Duolingo given us a reason why we can only write in the target language? Having to switch all the time, kind of effects productivity. Maybe you learn better this way?

In my opinion, the Duolingo team is guided by the simplest notion - the simpler, the better. Simplicity satisfies the laziness of many people and increases the excitement of doing lessons for experience points. The focus is on those who play rather than learn. And even no, not on those who play, but those who just enjoy poking their finger and getting rewarded for it in the form of enthusiastic moving pictures, congratulatory trumpet sounds, and forming an addiction to feeling like you're great for doing almost nothing. A huge sadness.

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Corinnebelle

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Corinnebelle »

[mention]L-profile[/mention] It's complicated when you are switching back and forth. Maybe it keeps you focused?

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

Languages without borders, languages bridging gaps, the Red Cross are my heroes.

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L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

@Corinnebelle , It's complicated for me to deal with a 'word bank'. Instead of typing the translation, I'm searching for the right words from the mess that Duolingo offers. Searching, composing the correct word order. It's a lot longer than free typing. It's unnerving, upsetting, spoiling my mood. They take away the opportunity to think, to remember. It's not learning, it's fun for early childhood.

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Corinnebelle

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by Corinnebelle »

@L-profile Typing is so much easier and faster! You can try different translations too!

🇺🇸 L1 🇮🇱 Advanced beginner Duolingo levels

Languages without borders, languages bridging gaps, the Red Cross are my heroes.

User avatar
L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

I feel bad from doing stupid things. The word bank is unbearable stupidity that ruins my lessons. I hate the word bank and will never get used to it. I will keep writing letters to tech support asking them to put their word bank away. They have taken away my daily joy!

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L-profile
Russia

Re: Unable to use my keyboard anymore, only a words bank, after a 365 day streak! I'll have to stop using DUO, I'm afrai

Post by L-profile »

Folks! Would it be possible to create some kind of browser extension so that it removes the word bank and allows us to type all the words on the keyboard? I don't know how to do such things, but the idea seems feasible.

Last edited by L-profile on Mon Mar 13, 2023 3:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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dochawk
United States of America

video game only on web version now? and where to go from here?

Post by dochawk »

I was away for a couple of months.

I logged in today, and it appears that the web version has gone over to the video game phone app!

click on words instead of typing them, and juggle hearts?

I'd been on the verge of a paid subscription when they dumped the forums, the single most useful tool it had for getting a more advanced understanding.

And then that idiotic snake to force everyone into a single pattern.

And now they want a click-only understanding?

Unless I've been caught in some AB hell that will go away, duolingo has has gone from something i was willing to ;pay for to something that I can't see a reason to use for free.

Have I missed something here?

I guess it's now a question of what program to go to from here . . .

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