Speaking of TidBITS, I'm proud to announce my first article for this respected operation has been published. It's a review of Duolingo:
Learning a new language from scratch is a massive undertaking: getting started with basic words and phrases is a common approach, but leaping beyond these ordinary words to a solid understanding of grammar and pronunciation requires dedication and a lot of practice, particularly for adults. This is often so much to ask that the new language is quickly set aside, turning something that should be a fun and rewarding challenge into a boring chore that’s easy to put off.
Duolingo is a free Web site and app designed to solve this problem.
Bonus points for my first podcast appearance, too! (Big week.)