Week #7

     Hello!  I'm back with an update on my progress through the Portuguese Learning Challenge!  Thus far, I have been able to keep up with the DuoLingo app.  I have completed the sections titled "Basics," "Phrases," "Food," "Plurals," "Animals," "Food 2," "Posession," "Tu/Voce," "Clothing," "Questions," "Colors," and am currently working on "Present." I have found that my progress has been steadily increasing in Portuguese and it has become easier and easier. However, I have found that while DuoLingo is beneficial as far as increasing vocabulary goes, it is more helpful for reading Portuguese than it is speaking.  While it does include audio, it is easy to rely on reading while using the app.  After this discovery, I would like to change my 30 day challenge to rely less on this app and more different resources.

   Taking all of this into consideration, I feel as though the challenge would be much more beneficial if I was more immersed in the language.  For example, I would like to include a challenge to spend a few minutes a day watching part of a Portuguese TV show or movie.  This way, instead of simply being immersed in the language on the weekends, there would be a more constant immersion in the language throughout the week.  I have really been slacking on keeping up with the podcasts on iTunes and keeping up with the weekend challenges.  In the next couple weeks, I plan to focus less on DuoLingo and more on these aspects of the challenge.  This way, I will be able to truly see which is more beneficial for language learning and will be able to tailor the challenge.

Week #6

This week, I added a page to my blog of Additional Language Learning Resources.  This is only the beginning of a list that I plan to continue to add on to, but in order to create it, I did a lot of research on available resources for learning language.  While doing research, I specifically looked into websites that catered to Portuguese, the language I am currently learning.  However, I would like to research other language other languages and add them to the list as well.  Also, I found a fantastic website that has many resources for learning a wide variety of languages.  I am really excited about this addition to my 30 day challenge website and certainly plan to make this section of the site more extensive.  

Continually, I have begun the 30 day challenge this week.  However, I have realized that the challenge as I have originally created it isn't really realistic.  The challenge is meant to be doable for someone that's really busy and doesn't have hours a day to spend on it.  However, the Duolingo app takes much longer than I had previously realized, and completing 6 modules in one day is absolutely unrealistic.  I will continue on with the challenge and will have to certainly make changes to the plan as is.

Week #5

These are a few pictures of my semi-finalized 30 Day Language Challenge.  The website is officially completed, unless I have to go back and edit the challenge based on my personal experiences.  So far, in my personal language learning experience, I have been simply working on learning the basic 100 Portuguese phrases.  The phrases are taking much longer to master than I expected, though I have been working on them little by little every day.  Right now, it's looking like I'll definitely have to go back and edit the challenge or at least modify for the amount of time it takes.  I don't know that people would practically be able to finish 6 Duolingo lessons in one day!

This week, I have been brainstorming for ways in which I can improve my language challenge. I would like to create practical tips in which the plan followers can incorporate speaking a language into their daily routine.  Furthermore, I would like to include a bonus resources page with links to useful websites that will benefit my followers in learning Portuguese.  I could also incorporate a section for future teachers and how the language could specifically benefit them. I would definitely like to add a section of the challenge that specifically caters to English teachers.

In the next week, I would like to officially begin following the 30 day language plan. As I go, I will make a running list of struggles that I encounter, things that go well, and things that completely fail.  I will track this list here and make changes to my 30 day challenge accordingly.

Week 4

This week, I focused on completing my website.  It includes a Question and Answer section about the challenge with answers about how much it costs (FREE!), what language they should choose, and further explanations about the challenge.  The page also includes a video about the importance of learning a second language.  I found this video on YouTube and figured out how to embed it into the site!  Finally, I created a calendar on Word that provides an outline for the challenge.  I turned it into an image by using the Snipping Tool on my computer and added it to the bottom of the site. I then posted the image of the calendar to Pinterest and shared it with my followers, which I then encouraged to Pin so that it their followers will then see it.  When making this calendar, I roughly estimated how many Podcasts and Duolingo episodes people should complete.  I plan to test this out as I complete the challenge myself.