Duolingo is one of those apps I really loved once but now can’t see as anything but creepy adware. It’s hard to complain when it’s teaching kiddo more French than I ever managed to, but I still worry I’ve sold her soul to that little green owl.

@spgreenhalgh Yeah, it's been feeling ickier and ickier lately. And there's been news (although unconfirmed?) that they've been laying people off and and using models instead. I'm not renewing my subscription and ended up restarting the course with Babbel instead. I like it a lot better so far. Feels a lot more human.

@spgreenhalgh my ten year old is addicted to Duolingo. He has a 66 day streak and is compelled to keep it going. Plus he's learnt some Spanish (which he previously hated). I'm in two minds. I don't like the addiction, but the five minutes every day is a good habit.

@KimberlyHirsh We're probably going to do at least a month of paid for her for the same reason.

@davidmarsden I've wanted kiddo to learn some French since she was itty bitty, but despite being a former French teacher, I've never really made it work as a daddy-daughter activity alone. If this opens the door, I'm willing to swallow some of my frustration (and pride).

@sherif We have a Mango subscription through our local public library, and that's what I'm doing for trying to (re)learn a bit of German. That feels more ethically sound, but it's just not as exciting of an app, especially for a kid.