Today I received an email starting with the question “Are you serious about learning your target language? …” and this link: Login - LingQ
Lifetime access to the content library
Unlimited LingQs
Unlimited imports
50% off tutoring
for 199 bucks
BUT ONLY ONE LANGUAGE!!
What do you think about this offer? I don’t understand what will happen if I switch to a second or third language…
I’d be interested if it were for multiple languages, but not for only one.
I’m very intrigued by the offer, but I’m not sure. If it were simply a lifetime subscription, even for a little more money, I would definitely do it, but right now I’m leaning against it. I could in theory do it for Spanish, since I know I will “always” have that interest and could use LingQ for reading more difficult novels, etc. (for example, Don Quixote).
However, what would happen when I wanted to undertake French, Russian, Chinese or efforts? I am also waiting for Arabic to be a fully supported language and for Steve to undertake it. Latin would be good for reading certain old texts, as well as Irish/Gaelic, but I don’t plan on taking them all the way to “fluency” (whatever that means for these languages). And lingq is greatly seeking to expand with the mini-stories, etc. If the new lifetime offer is only for one language, I would be locked out of these other languages that interest me. And if I wanted to explore other languages, or even learn them to fluency or other respectable proficiency, I know at some point I would eventually return to Spanish anyway and thus wouldn’t need to bother with the lifetime subscription.
In short, I think the lifetime subscription offer, in its present form, is good for someone looking to learn only one particular foreign language (likely ever) for a particular reason, and to go “all the way” with it over the course of years of study. But for those looking to go the way of “the lingquist” in the Steve sense, maybe a more appropriate offer is in the works.
I tried to pay but it does not work in any browser on any computer neither by card nor via PayPal.
I am not interested if it is only for one language. If I choose another language I will pay exactly the same as I pay now. So where is the advantage??
If I had been given this offer when I first started, I probably would have balked at the cost. But if I had taken the offer when I first started, I’d already be ahead by a hundred bucks or more, and I’ve only dealt with one language. So not necessarily a bad deal.
“Lifetime” is a long time, though, so it’s not too hard to see why Lingq thinks it may be best to make it a one-language deal. Ultimately up to each user to decide of course. I’ll probably stick with monthly payments, and still be here in 20 months after which point Lingq comes out ahead anyway (less time value of money). What I don’t know is whether I’ll still be on just the one language in two years since others do intrigue me.
If you are going to study more than one language, one solution is to buy multiple Lifetime memberships or to stay on Premium. Depends on what works better for you.
It’s an interesting offer, and Lingq is right to experiment with these kinds of options. From a practical sense, a lifetime membership dedicated to one language would make sense for someone who is: a) focusing on just one language, b) just starting out on LingQ, c) is fairly sure that they wanna stick with the method and the site for the long run.
But, I’m working with three languages on LingQ, that would be around $600 for the lifetime membership – the equivalent of 6 years of yearly memberships, or 5.5 years of monthly.
If I do the math of 5.5 years, and what I hope to accomplish in that time, I’m not sure it works out for me as an upfront expense on a per-language basis.
However, this is just my feedback, and as I said I totally understand that the site needs to test these kinds of offers as it might work out for a lot of the people.
An upfront lifetime subscription covering ALL languages would be something to evaluate on its own merit and math should it ever be offered.
Too expensive especially as there are free alternatives to LingQ which don’t cost a penny.
What is the guarantee that Lingq will exist in my lifetime?
Couldn’t it be for one language at a time, with an option to export our lingqs and to reimport them later if we want to come back to a language, maybe for a small additional fee.
Remember if you take the lifetime subscription for one language you are still able to read and listen to the whole library in all languages for free - only neither lingqing nor vocabulary tools.
Big advantages for this offer
Still very expensive - lifetime only means as long as lingq exist. Will our grandchildrens take our account ? Is it possible to reset an account to first time state ?
I agree with others that having this as a per language option only makes it not worth it for me, and I find it especially disappointing since no other LingQ subscriptions are per language. If there was a scaled discount per additional language, or a reasonably priced unlimited language option, then I’d definitely be interested.
My thoughts exactly. It is actually interesting to compare t_harangi’s informed opinion with Droopie Cock’s trolling.
My goal for French is not spending a lifetime on LingQ, rather getting rid of LingQ as soon as possible. I want to read paper-based books, e-books on my kindle, or French newspapers on their respective websites without importing to LingQ. I am here at least one more year but I plan to be out two years from now (max 2.5 years). So I don’t want to take this offer just to save a couple of bucks. But I like this site a lot and I definitely try out the other languages and be a LingQ member for many years. That’s why unless there is an offer for multiple languages, I am not interested.
Agreed with you and Aydin on this. If it where say, $400 unlimited, or other scale upward I would do it, because i know I’m going to be hear that many years with maybe another year of Spanish, and then maybe another couple for another language, but I want to explore for a while, and/or return to Spanish for some harder more advanced stuff, say Don Quioxte. If I do multiple languages, which I definitely want to do, I’m doing going to do 1.5 hours a day year in and year out. I’m going to let it sit for a while, months, or a year or more, and when I take up the new languages, I’ll use non-LingQ sources to start, so I obviously won’t be paying the monthly during that time.
It all depends on how committed one is to learning languages in general,
It definitely make sense for die hard lingqers.
I’ve been using lingq for the past 8 years, if this option would be available back then it would save me a lot of money.
If learning a language is just a phase it might not necessarily be advantageous.
Exactly. Back when I started my Spanish journey, I would have signed up for this, knowing I would be in it for the long haul. Now, like you in French, I’m nearing the “end” of my (aided) learning efforts. If I go for French next, I would gladly do the life option since I know I’ll be learning for a few years, even if I did it off and on, since I know I could always return. But then what if I want do something more advanced in Spanish just a little bit (you can always improve)? I’d half to sign up for a regular subscription, which would give me French anyway.
I have to say, I really do appreciate the LingQ team offering this, and I probably would have done it years ago it it were offered. I just hope this is the first of future similar offers that aspiring “Linguists” can take advantage of.
Not quite. It only makes sense for hardcore lingq’ers who do ONE language. To do two languages as you seem to be doing, it you would have to be here for 40 months to make it pay.
Simple math mate, 101 months on lingq at this very moment. I would have saved hundreds of dollars.
Can I still buy the lifetime membership? If so, how please? I think I’m pretty much going to stay with French so it works out for me quite good.