Hmm… This link is better, I suppose: http://www.lingq.com/help/en/lesson/ :))
Danke, danke, danke! I can be such an idiot!
I can never remember how to get to the wiki either. Shouldn’t there be a link to it on the header?
Yeah. Daily e-mails for beginners. That’s what www.about.com do. You decide to learn hang-gliding or whatever, and you get offered a free e-mail a day for the first few weeks which basically tell you about all the cool resources they’ve got, with a bit more info every day.
In fact if you look at http://walking.about.com/ they have not only the free e-mail newsletters, they also have a 10 week “course” of daily e-mails which aims to get you from complete beginner to lower intermediate, with a structured programme and links to useful articles. I used it and it did help me get over the “I’m too stupid/lazy/unhealthy to do this” mental block. See Walking for Weight Loss.
I like the “Getting started at LingQ” because it is very short. Most People like to get information in a short manner. Otherwise they feel overwhelmed. But the lessons should also be available in the native language of the learner. Maybe they could send them as an email with a Link to study the lesson in the language he is learning. I had some knowledge of English when I started at LingQ but the English mails at the beginning made me feel uncomfortable.
I think the “LingQ Academy” is more interesting for people who are somewhat of a professional in language learning. These articles would apply to new members which have experiences in learning to get them used to the idea of LingQ. I can imagine that members who are newbies in language learning would be overwhelmed. For such learners you have to keep it simple. Or you send them this information when they are working for 2 or 3 weeks with LingQ.
My niece and her partner started last week with LingQ. They liked the instruction video (maybe because they listened to my voice? I’m just joking). I’ll ask them what would help them, and what is difficult to understand. They are not experienced learners. I think they represent typical internet users.
Recently, I started to write some scripts for videos about how to use LingQ. I thought about these subjects (I started to write the script for the first 5 subjects):
LingQ Practise: 1a. Register (How to)
LingQ Practise: 1b. Orientation (Navigation on LingQ: Where do you find what at LingQ)
LingQ Practise: 1c. Settings, account and points
LingQ Practise: 2a. The library – Orientation (Main page of the library)
LingQ Practise: 2b. Explore the library (Search page of the library)
LingQ Practise: 3. Working on a lesson (like Marks video, but maybe there should be more short videos? I have to think about this.)
LingQ Practise: 4. Vocabulary (Working with flashcards and email with LingQs of the day)
LingQ Practise: 5. Importing text and audio
LingQ Practise: 6. Community and Forums
LingQ Practise: 7. How to speak (sign up for a conversation)
LingQ Practise: 8. How to write (submit a writing)
You have to recognize that people are different.
a) A lot of people like video instructions.
b) Some people like written instructions (with screen shots included).
c) Other people like to figure out things on their own.
d) Some like to have as much information as possible.
I would like to have a lot of different options. It’s nothing wrong with having all of these helpful things.
I figured out how to put videos into the Wiki. Maybe you could put some instruction videos into the Wiki. Also the Wiki could be a good place for written instructions.
One difficulty is that videos or written instructions have a short lifetime if the surface of LingQ changes often. It is worth to make the video if it is for sure that the surface will not have major changes in the next time.
One of the main problems is how people could find all these helpful information. How do they find the
- FAQ
- Wiki
- LingQ plaza
- and helpful content in their own language!
At the moment, it is not obvious that there is a lot of helpful information. The Links on the FAQ page aren’t easy to find.
I would think of a Start page with all this information.
I suggest renaming the “Start page” into “Personal desk” or “Personal overview” or something else.
If I were an ordinary websurfer who comes across those wiki pages, probably after 4 seconds I’d leave the page. Sorry, but this is the truth. People want everything “in your face”, nicely designed videos, step-by-step how-to-s and such. But it can’t hurt to have those wikis.
IMHO, LingQ should concentrate on its niche market and promote ideas to them - to the hardcore language learners. Get together all the good fundamentals in a pack and put them in their face.
Ooo, I like the “hardcore language learner” label. Seriously though, I agree that many, many people are impatient and want to see what’s what (or perhaps they just want to be spoon-fed). KISS = Keep it short and sweet or Keep it simple, stupid!!? Could Og and Thag guide people through the site?
Thank you for all the good advice. Here are some comments from me.
- Quick start videos can be helpful to people and we have some and are gradually getting them versioned in different languages. I am not sure which versions are still missing.
- Yes a problem with videos and the help is that we have been changing the site, improving it, so that videos are soon out of date. Still we need them, at least to get people started.
- I see no problem with people making their own videos, in fact I encourage it. There are many videos on youtube on how to use different products and software, done by a variety of people in a variety of languages. Vera’s videos are a prime example. These can be effective. They do not just reside in LingQ Plaza but are out there on the Internet. They are like a video testimonial as well as a How To video.
- Maitee:
Many of our tutors do make a point of contacting new learners of the language they teach.
The points limit is there for a reason. It forces people to do something. A newcomer usually has not bought any points, or would buy just enough for a couple of discussions. Only once they have a regular habit do they buy more.
Those are great pitches but I do not know where we can pitch them. We cannot afford to pay for advertizing. Of the people who find our site, about 25% sign up. That is quite good. It is what happens next that is disappointing. Not even 1% actually get active.
The Forum is open for people to talk about whatever they want.
Tutors can and should describe their backgrounds at their profiles. - Oscar: An email to those who stopped is a good idea, even if only a few reply.
- Yes we may have generated the beginning of information overload between the Help, FAQ, Wiki, LingQ Plaza etc. They all have slightly different purposes. We need to keep the site itself uncluttered, and as simple as possible to figure out. We have to think through how we use all of this information.
- I will work on a Getting Started series for Intermediate and Higher learners.
- Yes the LingQ Academy would have to be in the language of the learner.
- Rasana: Lesson counters noted and I will include it.
- Balint: The hard core language learner comes to LingQ and often says, “yeah, that is exactly what I need.” These are few and far between and we are not worried about them There are many more people, many, many more, who would like to learn another language and are either unsure of themselves, or are looking for more traditional approaches. We also want to appeal to these people.
I probably forgot a few things but I will be working to include these ideas and welcome more.
I see. Although I’d also like to point out, with absolutely no ill intent, that LingQ’s design is not “fancy” enough for those that you mentioned. And the harcore language learners don’t mind it. But those who look for something new, those who are unsure of themselves, who might as well take traditional classes - well, they do mind it. Don’t get me wrong, I like LingQ as a language learner, but as a software developer I find it user “undfriendly”. But this is maybe only me. Unfortunately, we like it or not (probably not), the design and the interface are the most important things when it comes to getting and keeping a new visitor. Because everything else is there what a language learner would ever want. Seriously.
errara: unfriendly. sorry.
errata, damn. I should really sleep now. 
(btw: there should be an “Edit post” button :))
How about an optional e-mail notification whenever someone joins who has the same native language +1 or more target languages as you? So if I were a Japanese person learning Spanish, and feeling a bit lonely, I would get a notification every time a Japanese person starts learning Spanish, so I can put a nice message on their wall and invite them to study with me?
Could there be an issue about data protection in a case like that? I suppose, a new learner could opt to release his/her details on joining for just such a time of loneliness?
I’ve been thinking about Balint’s comments and I think you hit the nail on the head. LingQ is absolutely for hardcore language learners. Obsessives adore it. Casual users don’t get it. You can try and change it into something it isn’t or you can advertise it like it is.
LingQ: for language nuts!
LingQ: it’s not for softies!
A LingQ account is for life, not just til your next holiday in Majorca!
LingQ: because there is life beyond GCSE French!
On that last point, it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to learn any language in Britain beyond GCSE level, or at a pinch, A-level (that’s about intermediate 1 to us). So why are you trying to target LingQ at absolute beginners? I know there are a lot more of them, but it’s EASY to find a course which teaches you the basics of French. A course that offers to get you up to native proficiency is rarer that a hen’s tooth here.
LingQ: it’s like a university course you can study in your pyjamas.
How about having people (native speakers) volunteering as mentors (for free) ? You could have a list of mentors that could or not accept a new mentoree depending on their profile.
My view only: Free informal helping each other might work, but free official mentoring does not appeal to me. I wouldn’t want to do it, nor would I expect others to do it for me. It can lead to resentment, feelings of obligation etc etc (and ultimately loss of pleasure in using LingQ - dreadful thought).
Thanks for all the comments.
Videos. It is a lot of work to make videos about all the different areas of LingQ, in ten languages, especially when things are still changing.
We have our Getting Started Video. We are still looking for people to help with the voice over in the following languages.
Portuguese
Italian
Swedish
Korean
Japanese
We have the translations for all but Swedish and Italian. We need translations as well as narration for Swedish an Italian. For the others we only need a voice.
Any volunteers?
Please refer to this website for the video. the video has the text in subtitles to help the narrator stay on time with the picture. http://bit.ly/6eB1n6
There is a lot of contacting of new learners happening. I do not think we can institutionalize it. It has to be on a volunteer basis.
I’ve just looked at Steve’s two pages to check out Balint’s comments. Two thoughts: 1. Does an “enforced” first lesson contradict LingQ’s culture of free choice? 2. The Academy page would be the more interesting one to see first for someone coming across the Wiki by chance.
(By the way, it seems as if Steve got interrupted while editing: “Take the time to edit the little phrase that is saved for you when you create a LingQ, either when you save them”.)
I have often thought of having slogans like
LingQ - for serious language learners
LingQ - the elite language learning community