And I agree about the weird vocabulary and thematic choices. A whole section dedicated to complaining about a hotel seems like a weird pick, especially considering grammar-wise the course has only scratched the surface of JLPT N5.
I've heard it said "something you're NOT familiar with already!", and I'm just... Not to start with? The context makes up a little for not having enough vocabulary yet. I think when you reach some threshold is when you dive into listening to entirely new stuff.
i will be incorporating this into my vocabulary IMMEDIATELY 🤣
I feel no matter what language you're learning, you've got to listen to it a lot. Vocabulary and grammar in a vacuum is not usually going to sink in.
Anki is probably the best app out there for vocabulary learning for languages at the very least if only because it's both completely free and completely customizable
There are IoT specific protocols like Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread that provide a limited vocabulary and connect to your computer phone etc via a bridge device.
All of my complaints about Duolingo have to do with being a longtime freemium user and watching that experience deteriorate. I have, in fact learned a good bit of German vocabulary and grammar and, other than hearts, I would say it's still good for self study, but it used to be way better.
I use homemade flashcards for vocabulary. If I come across something in a text that I don't understand, I refer back to the grammar, or find a more comprehensive one that explains everything. It's a long, slow, time-intensive process, but it works for me. Speaking is different, of course.
Bungle is now part of my vocabulary because of an online community I'm in and I know I'm going to say this to someone IRL. I just used it on a tumblr tag because it was the best word for the situation at hand, but not one I would have used before like... a year ago