Dot Languages

The beta version has now become the default version and even though you can switch off Interactive mode (the conversation is presented one speech bubble at a time) and go into Reading Comprehension mode (the whole article is presented at once), there are some issues. The interface has a minimalist feel to it compared to before and while it looks sleek, it’s become more complicated to actually use and there’s a lot of friction points due to the design choices that were made at the cost of functionality (e.g., it’s very clunky if you want to restart the audio of the article from a specific spot). There seem to be more updates recently but it feels like changes are being made without thorough or thoughtful user testing. Sad because I used to use the app a lot more but now these changes and new friction points are causing me to get less out of the app and less excited about using the app. I will say though that I appreciate the team being fairly responsive and they seem like they do care about user feedback but they will probably not go back to the version of the app I loved.

I started off with Duolinguo to practice Chinese every day, in addition to working with a tutor and textbook. After about a year I'd finished all the Chinese content it had. After looking at many apps I chose this one. I'm grateful to the team as they're very responsive if there's a problem. And my tutor appreciates it as it's helping me quite a bit with tones and writing hanzi. And I'm so glad that this app will not run out on content as I continue learning. I recommend this app!

This app is really solid for helping you learn mandarin Chinese, especially with stroke order! I’m taking a college elementary mandarin class currently and wanted to find apps to help give me a leg up on the homework, tests and quizzes and this has definitely helped! When I first downloaded the app it didn’t work and I left a review saying so. Shortly afterwards the developers responded to my review and suggested certain things for me to do to get it to open and that they had fixed it and sure enough they had! Things I love about this app: - Stroke order learning! - Stories that include the vocabulary - Ability to select what you want to work on (i.e., listening, reading, or writing) Things I think could be improved: - Speaking exercises. I know the app says it’s being developed but this would really round out the app - More vibrant colors. The colors aren’t bad, but I feel like a wider variation in colors, backgrounds or something similar during exercises and practice lessons could give this app a very eye appealing look it it’s users - Pictures to help remember words. There is another app I use for learning mandarin which provides some illustrations of the characters to help one remember them better. It’s not a make or break, but it is something I've found helpful in remembering certain characters. Overall, this is a really great resource for learning mandarin and from my experience with it I highly recommend it for mandarin learners!