Duolingo is a fun way to read Hebrew

I am recently using Duolingo to learn how to read Hebrew without the dots. If you have mastered the Aleph Bet and want to read Modern Hebrew as it is actually written (that is, without the nikkudot) then Duolingo is a fun way to do it. But before you do that, you need to download a multilingual keyboard and its Hebrew plugin first. Most importantly, sign up for an account on Doulingo.com so you can start learning Hebrew or any languages of your choice. I am currently learning two languages on Duolingo and so far I am enjoying the experience. Hebrew, though, is a bit difficult without the dots but if you know your Alef Bet and its rules then you can get by and you will be proud of your progress.

You can play it on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. I find it easy to use the smartphone, though. If you are using an android phone, you may download Multiling O Keyboard app and its Hebrew plugin.

Duolingo is an amazing app and using it is a fun way to learn any languages you would like to know because it has an entertaining style of teaching as if you are just playing a kid’s game but actually you are learning a foreign language in the process. It also pronounces the words and sentences you are learning and it shows interesting images that correspond to the words you are learning. You can also play some of the unfinished lessons offline as Duolingo saves your current course on your device.

The other amazing part is, Duolingo is FREE! Thanks Duolingo for making language learning so much fun! Try it to enjoy your language learning experience.

Free Learning Materials on Chinuch.org

Chinuch.org is one of the sites that has valuable learning/activity materials  to help learners of Hebrew and/or Judaism. Their  learning materials can also be used in classroom setting. They cater to all grade levels (from Early Childhood to High School ). Signing-in is required to download their free materials.

Learning Modern Hebrew vs. Learning Biblical Hebrew

It’s been a while since I decided to learn Modern Hebrew before going deeper into my Classical Hebrew studies and the result is amazing!

Using the Pimsleur Modern Hebrew, I become confident in the Hebrew language–something I didn’t have when I started learning the Classical Hebrew. The structure of sentences and the use of masculine and feminine words make sense to me now.  I’m also surprised how I can now understand a little or make out what a native Israeli speaker is saying when I watch something on YouTube. I tried other Modern Hebrew books and audio but this method is I think one of the best in the market. It is really a  good start and an unintimidating method for those who are learning the basic and want to have a quick conversation with a native Hebrew speaker but I think this can also help you if you want to study Hebrew further, either on your own or in a formal classroom.

I know someone who is a member of a clergy in a particular church who studied Biblical Hebrew in seminary and he still teaches Biblical Hebrew in seminary but he confessed he found the Hebrew language difficult and until now he said he is not confident in that language and doesn’t know how to have a conversation in Hebrew. He also said one of his students in seminary quit because he found the Biblical Hebrew language very difficult. I feel sorry for them but I don’t want to end up like them so I changed my study method.

For me, learning Classical Hebrew exclusively is quite frustrating because after I’ve invested so much time on it I still couldn’t understand the Hebrew grammar  without the help of my reference books so I shifted to learning Modern Hebrew and fortunately, with the Pimsleur method, my love and excitement for the Hebrew language has grown deeper. I even feel Hebrew is not that difficult to learn anymore. Of course, I didn’t mean to say I’ve wasted my time learning the Classical Hebrew. I just wished I started earlier first on Modern Hebrew to save me from frustrations.  I taught myself to read and understand the Tanakh in Hebrew, with a big help from Bible apps and Biblical Hebrew Lexicon  and Grammar books, but this procedure is exhausting. Being able to learn Hebrew in a relax and enjoyable way is more likely for me to remember things in the long run.