If you ever wanted to learn Klingon, today is a good day to try. Duolingo has launched their own Klingon language course. There has been a lot of anticipation for this new course for the popular language learning platform since they first announced they were working on it 3 years ago.
Like all of Duolingo’s courses, The Klingon course was created by a small team of volunteers using their incubator platform. In a statement, Klingon course leader Felix Malmenbeck said:
“Many Star Trek fans become curious about the Klingon language at some point, but learning a language takes time, energy and regular practice, especially when you’re just starting out. Therefore, if the language isn’t one of your primary interests, chances are you’ll end up investing that energy elsewhere, whether it’s cosplay, fan fiction, reading novels or any of the multitude of forms that fandom can take.
The Duolingo course should help lower that barrier to entry by giving people a simple way to get regular exercise with the language. I suspect that this will lead to an increased number of Star Trek fans continuing their studies of Klingon. It also helps that Star Trek: Discovery has taken the language very seriously, meaning that there is now a stronger connection between the show and the language.”
The free course allows you to learn at your own pace, starting at lessons as short as 5 minutes a day.
From the starting lesson in Klingon
Duolingo offers 30 language courses to over 200 million users globally. Klingon joins High Valyrian (from Game of Thrones) as the second “conlang” offered by Duolingo.
Currently Duoligno’s Klingon language course is available on their website. It will be launched on the Duolingo Android and iOS apps at a later date. They are also holding their first Klingon meetup in Chicago on March 22.
I wish they would not use the swastika inspired klingon symbol It served it’s purpose in Undiscovered Country, but is rather dark here
Um…what? I can’t tell if you’re serious or failing miserably at being funny. First, it’s not inspired by the swastika according to anything I’ve ever heard or read about it. Second, it’s not just from the Undiscovered Country, so that’s an odd thing to say. Third, how is it “rather dark” here? It’s not a swastika, it’s not in a political context–it’s not an issue.
I apologize that my English is not elaborated enough to make my point clear. I was not trying to be funny. English is not my first language. The original klingon symbol is not swastika like, but they modified it in the klingon trial scene in Undiscovered Country to look swastika like by using the red white black color scheme to allude to the nazi show trials.
„The Klingon flag has a distinct “Nazi” look;.“
António Martins, 4 June 1999
https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/fic%5Etrk1.html#klingon
Um, no. One man’s opinion is nothing more than an opinion.
1) Um… what? It’s nothing at all like a swastika.
2) The symbol long predates The Undiscovered Country. It’s been in use since “Elaan of Troyius” and also showed up in The Animated Series. It’s been the Klingon symbol since almost the very beginning of the franchise.
3) It’s not dark here. It may be your monitor–adjust the lighting.
Why would anyone want to learn how to speak a fictional language? That is an entirely useless pursuit.
Some people just like to learn different languages. Doesn’t matter whether they are real or fictional. While not too many, there are some people who speak Klingon so it’s not completely useless. Of course, if your main focus is being able to communicate with other people Klingon may not be the best choice of language to learn.
Learning a fictional language is a huge waste of time.
There are millions of people who speak Esperanto. This is also a constructed language, and in that sense it is fictional. So it is not a huge waste of time. You only think that way.
I’m just going to say opinions are relative and walk away…
Very few people are productive 100% of the time. Some people watch TV in their free time, others browse forums, others learn Klingon. It’s not really a waste of time if you enjoy it without it interfering with the rest of your life.
Some people just enjoy a challenge and the experience of learning something new. Not everything in life should have direct, practical application. Does watching Star Trek have an impact on potentially increasing your income? Probably not — it’s just for fun.
Conversely: Why would anyone want to watch a fictional tv show? That is an entirely useless pursuit.
It’s called ENTERTAINMENT, Guy. People do what entertains them. You’re on a site about fictional movies and shows, mocking people for learning a fiction language from those movies and shows. Um…yeah, you should try thinking that through again.
Oh sorry, those aren’t Klingons anymore. Klingons are now hairless, humorless, purple trolls. Didn’t you hear? GREAT BRAND MANAGEMENT, CBS! As if it weren’t already confusing enough, now in ten years time, most people will have no idea what a Klingon is.