Practice. And then practice more And more And even more. Unlike all the shame people give it, I still think that Duolingo is a good tool. But, Duolingo on its own is not enough. Without using the language you won’t get it.

I used Duolingo for Italian French czehc and Greek. It is enough for me to allow me know what an article is about in these language. If you want to get to conversation level, be ready to embrasse yourself. Without willing to make these mistakes, no matter what you do, you won’t manage the language.

For context, my experience: Italian: started with Duolingo, eventually hired a teacher to improve my speaking level. I’m not perfect, but I manage to joke with the casual Italians I meet. French: used almost only Duolingo. There are however plenty of books and films and shows in french. I was in Paris a year ago, communicated almost solely in french and managed to do everything I need (including taking a friend to a clinic after he hit his head) Greek: started with Duolingo and hired a teacher for a while. It is hard to find communication partners and material so my level is not as high as I would like. To manage reading an article I need to concentrate very hard. Czech: still basic. I’m only half way through the Duolingo tree. I’m searching for other rmaterials, but I’m mostly lacking the time to dedicate myself to the task.