Unfortunate Update on Duolingo's PC Version: Hearts Depleting

Introduction to Duolingo

Duolingo, known for its catchy jingle "デュオリンゴロゴロ, デュオリンゴロゴロ~♪" from its commercials, is a popular language learning app. It offers the opportunity to learn languages from around the world for free, making it a great choice for international communication and pre-study abroad preparations.

As I've mentioned in previous articles, Duolingo focuses on simple and basic phrases, which may limit its use when it comes to more complex topics. However, it's a useful resource for acquiring the essential vocabulary needed for everyday situations, such as ordering at a restaurant.

My Duolingo Journey So Far

I've completed both the Japanese-based Chinese course and the English-based Chinese course on Duolingo. Additionally, I've reached a self-studied level of HSK3 in Chinese. You can find a detailed study method in this article.

More recently, I've started learning Indonesian, which is similar to Malay, and I can now understand a few everyday words.

Duolingo's Recent Update

However, there has been a somewhat disappointing update within Duolingo's service recently.

A while back, I introduced the "Daily Refresh" feature, which was particularly helpful for me, as I wanted to review Chinese lessons. This feature allowed you to refresh your memory on lessons. But in this recent update, there's an unfortunate change: on the PC version, you now lose "hearts" for making mistakes, just like in the app.

When using Duolingo on the PC, you used to be able to work through lessons without losing hearts, even if you made mistakes. But from now on, the PC version also follows the same system as the app, where making mistakes costs hearts. Moreover, the number of hearts appears to be synchronized between the PC and app versions.

This might slow down my learning pace a bit. Occasionally, the SuperDuolingo, which is a paid feature, becomes available for free (for reasons I don't entirely understand). It would be great if such moments occurred more often so that I could make rapid progress.

In Conclusion

The once beneficial feature of unlimited retries on the PC version appears to have been removed by this update. However, the fact that Duolingo remains a useful language learning app and service hasn't changed.

It's worth noting that there is news of Duolingo introducing learning features for mathematics and music, set to be announced during Duocon on October 11th (though the exact availability date for the Japanese version is still uncertain). So, I'm looking forward to that as well.

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A Day in the Life of Studying at a Language School in Malaysia

One Month at Language School

It's been a month since I started attending a language school in Malaysia. I was placed in the highest class on my first day after taking an entrance test, and I've been working hard every day, inspired by my classmates.

I've gotten used to life at the language school, so in this article, I'd like to summarize and introduce what a typical day looks like for me.

Morning School

School starts at 9:30 a.m. I usually arrive about 15 minutes early after taking care of things like going to the restroom and reviewing homework.

Lately, my classmates who used to arrive earlier than me have completed their study abroad period and left. As a result, I'm often the first one in class now. Sometimes, the teacher arrives early, and we engage in conversations even before class begins, which is a great opportunity for extra English practice.

Morning classes are taken with other students at the same level. The content is primarily grammar and writing based on our textbooks. Unlike classes in Japan, we often have time to check answers with our classmates at the same table for each exercise, and there are moments for discussions on specific topics, providing many opportunities for conversational practice.

One of the drawbacks often mentioned when studying abroad at a Malaysian language school is that classes are group-oriented. Some might prefer one-on-one classes. However, even though it's a group setting (which I think may also depend on the number of students in your current level), our classes rarely exceed 15 people. Occasionally, there are only three of us during holiday periods or when new students arrive. It's a small class setting.

Being in a class with friends of similar English levels, we help each other out when we can't find the right words during conversations. This has boosted my confidence in spoken English, something I wasn't very comfortable with before.

We also ask questions and get explanations about grammar and nuances in word usage. This is a unique advantage of studying at a language school, where you can focus on English.

Lunch

During lunchtime, I go out to eat with my classmates at nearby restaurants.

In particular, the food court in the nearby shopping mall and fast-food joints like Jollibee are quite popular choices.

While I sometimes eat alone, it's easier to find good places to eat by gathering knowledge from friends about which restaurants are delicious or where foreign visitors might find prices a bit higher.

Afternoon Classes

In the afternoon, business class and university preparation class students attend separate classes. In my case, I'm in the general English class, and I have a different teacher for the afternoon session.

These classes are more focused on speaking and listening skills.

During class, we engage in discussions more frequently than in the morning. The teacher listens to our discussions and corrects us when we use English incorrectly or when we need help with new expressions. It allows us to learn new English expressions and correct our usage on the spot.

Recreation

After afternoon classes, we have recreational activities several times a week.

I don't participate in all of them, but I've gone for a Batik art experience in Malaysia with university students interning at the language school. We also played Bingo in the classroom and had a great time.

Since I'm in a class with people of similar English levels and don't have many friends in other levels, these recreational activities help me make a wider circle of friends.

Shopping and Dinner

After school, I often go shopping and then have dinner before returning home.

Malaysia has many shopping centers, and besides the shopping malls near Bukit Bintang, I've also visited AEON Mall and SOGO by taking the train.

In September, I cooked at home more often, but in Malaysia, it's said that there isn't much price difference between eating out and cooking at home. So, in October, I'm planning to increase the days when I dine out or get takeout.

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Shocking Discovery: Blue Mosque in Malaysia Packed with Japanese Tourists? An Unknown Gem!

Visiting the Blue Mosque

Over the weekend, I paid a visit to Malaysia's famous Blue Mosque, a well-known tourist spot featured in travel guides alongside Putrajaya's Pink Mosque. Situated in Shah Alam, Selangor, a bit away from Kuala Lumpur, you can easily reach it by taking a bus from the Brickfields bus stop, near KL Sentral station, for about 3 Ringgit.

In Malaysia, you'll find "I♡City or Place" monuments everywhere you go. The one at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, with "I♡KL," is smaller compared to this monument, which boasts more characters and has a solid presence.

The Blue Mosque

The formal name of the Blue Mosque is the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, named after a king. Its distinctive features include four minarets and a captivating blue design. I've visited other mosques before, but this one is considerably larger.

You can tour the mosque outside of prayer times. You'll need a guide during your visit, but you'll be approached at the entrance, so you won't need to wander around looking for one.

Many Japanese Tourist?

What surprised me during this visit was that everyone in the guided tour group (around ten people) turned out to be Japanese. Later, when I asked my Malaysian friends, they knew about the mosque as a significant place but were unaware of its popularity among tourists, much like the situation with Central Market's sea cucumber soap.

As a Japanese person myself, I don't mind participating in tours with only Japanese participants when traveling abroad. The guides can speak a bit of Japanese, but it's primarily an English tour, focusing on the mosque's interior and insights into Islamic life.

However, probably due to past experiences, Japanese tourists are perceived as not very interested in religion, so about 40% of the tour was about the mosque, while the remaining 60% was geared towards Instagram-worthy photos.

I had visited the National Mosque, which is a self-guided tour, so this was my first time having a guide show me around a mosque, and I wished for a bit more depth. It depends on the guide, of course, so if you feel like you'd like to know more, don't hesitate to ask questions directly. Naturally, the guides can provide detailed information about the mosque and Islamic practices if asked.

Despite its vast size, this mosque has a local feel to it. I had the opportunity to witness an actual wedding ceremony and saw mothers watching their children play in the corridors, creating a heartwarming atmosphere.

When you visit, don't just admire its beautiful exterior and design; savor the ambiance as well.

Getting Back Home: Grab & KTM Commuter

After the guided tour ended, everyone promptly called for a Grab ride. You can return by bus, but the uncertain schedule made us opt for a Grab to KTM Shah Alam station.

As a side note, when I got off at the station, I was the only one. It seemed like everyone else had taken Grab rides all the way back to Kuala Lumpur. I waited for the KTM Commuter train among local youths and returned home from KL Sentral.

While it might not be highly recommended for those on a tight schedule visiting Kuala Lumpur, it's a perfect spot for a quick day trip.

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