[2023-01-23] Number 1 in the Diamond League
Last night, in addition to publishing my 900th post, I achieved a first in Duolingo: I finished in the #1 position in my league. Moreover, I finished #1 in the Diamond League, which is the top division in Duolingo's 10 leagues. That earned me two new badges: the Winner badge for finishing #1 in a league, and the Legendary badge for finishing #1 in the Diamond League.
Competition can be quite fierce in the leagues, with the positioning within the top three spots changing up to the final minutes of the week. I went out strong early in the week, telling myself: "This is my week!" My lead was insurmountable in the final hours of the competition, so I didn't have to scramble to maintain my #1 position in the last few minutes.
Some may feel that leaderboards and points and badges detract from the real goal of Duolingo, which is to learn a new language. But gamification works for me. It motivates me to push myself a little more than I might otherwise—to maintain a streak, to earn additional points, to acquire a badge. And, in the midst of all this "play," I'm learning a lot.
A friend of mine, who has been using Duolingo for the past few months to learn his fifth language, recently told a colleague about the mental health benefits of learning with this app. Doing the lessons keeps his mind busy, he told her, displacing unwanted thoughts.
For me, Duolingo combines the best of two worlds: having fun because it feels like a game, and feeling productive because it is teaching me something that serves me and others.
