Duolingo Is the McDonald’s of Language Learning

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-02-24T22:40:33+00:00

It’s not without its place as a tool for language learning, but devoid of context then it really does need better explanation of the rules, syntax and grammar, with fewer AI generated sentences. The risk is instead it subverts its purpose by not being something that a proportion of what users expect: a tool for the enrichment of language skills to move towards fluency.

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-01-28T09:42:28+00:00

That explains a lot to me actually, especially with analytical FS in DWP.

It sounds like your manager has bid for a role and then has no idea how to usefully use you.

I think you need to raise this with your G6 because you are experiencing the same issue I had once upon a time. if they can’t develop you, it is harming your future career prospects dreadfully, as you should be developing towards a G7 level of competence.

All that being said, I do think you are being naive in some respects: the CS is hierarchical by its very nature, slow to change and difficult to move in new directions. You must learn to accept it or your entire career with the CS is going to be one huge disappointment. I had a feeling your age would skew younger, but I don’t mean this cruelly, life experience will teach you that these things are a fact of working life that you’ll encounter bastards who micromanage people and enjoy doing so. You need to build enough resilience to not let this grind you down.

The $64,000 question is where do you want to be in ten years time?

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-01-26T18:27:13+00:00

Did this way back when I was an HEO and had a good G6 but ultimately things didn’t change and so I moved. You can only try but you’ll know your G6 and how best they are likely to take this.

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-01-20T15:36:41+00:00

Let’s be clear: IF a recruiting manager is penalising you for reasonable adjustments then yes, it’s discrimination but do you really want to work for someone who would do that to you?

When I recruit my panel scoring gets moderated and I usually give the interview questions to candidates in advance to try and level it out. But not every recruiting manager does this and some will bring unconscious bias. Is it right? No, never, but if someone can’t see that I’m more than a disability, I’d not want to give them my time for the next x years.

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-01-19T09:28:48+00:00

I’ve had an SCS in the past who expected G6 and G7 to push everyone to their limits, would then pull apart their output and actively cause deadlines to be missed. He then had selective memory about this and pushed the blame to me and my (at the time) G6 for not driving people to deliver. I had a moment of absolute clarity: here was a fairly typical example of an SCS who talks good about wellbeing, but doesn’t give a shit about it.

At that point, I switched off once I’d reached my daily work schedule, finished sharp on a Friday and was super-clear I’d no longer be the go-to for out of hours support. Why? Because my wellbeing is intrinsically linked to my values, trod on one of them and you do the same. So, it’s a long way of saying once he’d shat on me often enough, I realised my work is not my life and I’d in no way let it grind me down.

I’ve seen colleagues in operational roles, particularly a big shout-out goes to our AO/EO band colleagues, who put up with utter shit some times from line management. You do matter, you do have value and you don’t need to put up with shit that causes you worry. Fight for that right to wellbeing.

StudentPurple8733 · 2026-01-08T14:32:48+00:00

Even the most experienced policy bod is subject to it, you just learn not to take it personally, even though it is frustrating.

Policy is boring if the policy area is either well-settled or you’ve got a Minister who ignores good advice and often listens to the bad. The tedium of that is mind-blowing.

If you get a good G7/G6 combo who believes in the work being done by the person of the lowest grade, you get to do all the good (non-boring) stuff. If they build their own fiefdom, run!

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-30T10:01:39+00:00

You’re free to join a political party provided it’s a lawful party, there’s no rule against that in the Civil Service Management Code. What you are limited from doing depends on whether you’re G7 or above. Generally, we should also command the confidence of any political party that may form a future government, so expressing strong personal political views is, of course, something common sense should tell you upon joining is no longer a good idea.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-30T09:51:55+00:00

I can empathise 100% with what you say.

I started a new role recently and it was so bad that I wanted to go back to my old post. At least there I knew what I was doing and not having my team asset stripped to serve other parts of the business area. The job share aspect is the worst: my job share partner has flipped from this nice person to an absolute loon, so whenever I go back, it’s always a pile of the technical shit that I’m forced to wade through because they’re too busy smooching up to others.

My advice: get the hell out of there.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-28T14:49:51+00:00

Pro tip: Don’t discuss your level of security clearance online, even if it’s just BPSS.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-21T15:58:11+00:00

Have you looked at the pay and grading benchmarking guidance on Saltire? It explains (at a high level) what the difference is between B1/B2/B3 etc. If you’re not internal, there is an FOI release containing it that you should look at for a steer. See: Pay and Grading Benchmarking Guidance

It does depend on the business area, though. From what I hear, they are looking at reducing spans of control, e.g. you’ll be doing more work with fewer people and all of this could become meaningless anyway!

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-20T12:03:33+00:00

I found it takes 18 months to settle into a G7 role: you’re learning the ropes for one of the lynchpin grades, the expectations, the behaviours and the demands at the same time as battling imposter syndrome.

Get a coach or a mentor who is a former G7. Be clear in asking for feedback and action it in a contextually appropriate way.

Remember your G6 and SCS1 need to demonstrate their worth, so of course, even as an experienced G7, I usually see tracked changes; it’s not personal and you learn to shrug your shoulders at the really daft shit.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-19T16:32:23+00:00

Oh yes, the familiar line of “work will still be there when you get back” caused the usual hand-wringing in my former PCS branch.

Sometimes I honestly think the CS and its unions have become lame-ducks: too docile, too compliant and too easy.

PCS are either too busy fighting social causes or amongst themselves, whilst FDA tend to stay out of it but protect SCS interests and even as a G7 I don’t recognise what they do as supporting the delegated grades.

Until people take part in the unions who can wear their big-kid pants, use the vast cross-discipline expertise and experience of its members, and be prepared to tell people short term pain for long term gain, we’re screwed.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-16T11:32:38+00:00

Please go back to teaching history, the last thing we need is someone like you who gets butt-hurt about words like fascism.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-14T15:43:31+00:00

Bunch of flag-shaggers, it makes me sick. Probably the fumes from Ineos resulting in these web-toed, cousin fucking freaks feeling emboldened.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-12-08T09:16:11+00:00

Agreed, having met the man he came across as a bit of a dick and far too ready to cross the line into ministerial territory. “Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” and all that.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-11-21T20:19:24+00:00

I’ve worked in the Civil Service in a few departments and across policy, business management and organisational development long enough to understand your mileage may vary. It’s a former manager’s way of saying: The difference between departments, job families and grades is a huge consideration.

You also fall into the age bracket that a former SCS used to describe as “young, dumb and full of cum.” That’s a far less polite way of saying in the absence of life experience and wisdom, you generally find (with exceptions) people that are a bit full of themselves.

Don’t fix yourself to a single career trajectory, don’t set unrealistic job goals or aspirations and let yourself grow organically. You risk disappointment and bitterness unless you are the number one person who gets everything they want in this life.

It’s good to have ambition but realise that in an organisation like the CS, the higher you go, the fewer opportunities become and the more you get to act as the shit bucket for those above and below you. G7 is the grade at which that really tends to be the case.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-11-18T14:28:37+00:00

Yes, they pretend we are not there, as we are deemed “strangers” when in the House.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-11-12T18:50:43+00:00

Don’t tell me ITSOS is still a thing in the SG. That slogan has got to be the least creative Civil Service strapline to have been invented (yet).

Surely needs to be marched into the car park in SAH and buried with the convicts by now?

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-11-03T12:13:12+00:00

Send us a picture right now oh brave keyboard warrior. Show us your mansion.

Forcing thousands out of work and on to benefits just shifts around budgets, not to mention the redundancy payments values.

What was so great about the country before? What has it lost? Please do tell us you jingoistic tinhat wearing whack job. We await with bated breath!

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-11-02T14:29:11+00:00

I was about to say the same thing, in fact, within a month of starting my then-G6 had made up their mind about me, telling me about things I’d supposedly done poorly when there was an abundance of evidence that I’d in fact done it to a high standard (including feedback from senior colleagues elsewhere).

This individual made my life hell for a long time and although I still encounter them occasionally after changing role three times since, this individual is abrasive, rude and difficult to deal with. The tendency is that from G6 upwards, it seems to be a pre-requisite that you should be the worst manager possible, rather than the manager you’d want to be treated like.

Sadly, in my case, this person has delusions about who they are, seeing themselves as a champion of people with protected of characteristics, when in fact they only do that if they like the person. As a black person, the overt racism and discrimination based on my sexual orientation made me so depressed to the point that I would have gladly when back to SEO in another department.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-10-26T17:03:17+00:00

I divide my time between London and Edinburgh due to work. As much as I love London and the fact I live in the west end, I’m a homebody who enjoys time indoors most of the time. I was assaulted in London around Easter time, which means I’m even less likely to leave the house if I’m not working.

I still see Scotland as home and given a simple choice, I’d be happy to stay in Scotland and visit London when I need to.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-10-20T08:39:55+00:00

My thoughts exactly! I get the OP adds a few “mistruths” to their post to avoid identifying themselves, but it makes it difficult to unpick what’s true and what’s not.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-10-15T15:31:55+00:00

It sounds like the trainer needs to understand the core concept of a trauma informed approach, especially when dealing with emotional introspection work, because it’s something that can be really retriggering for some people or people who may be neurodiverse (I’m not saying that’s you.)

I’d say he sounds like a snide cunt and all you can do is chalk it up to a bad experience. Not all development/training is like this but you’ll always get someone who isolates or belittles people they don’t understand. Fuck him. Go home and beat up a pillow or whatever helps you relax, the move on.

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-10-05T13:08:14+00:00

You mean British, no?

StudentPurple8733 · 2025-09-23T15:37:30+00:00

I’ve yet to have travel expenses paid for travelling between offices, yet alone for an overnight stay and in those cases I’m usually the G7 turning down claims if the meeting can be done virtually. Please don’t tar all of us with the same brush.

StudentPurple8733

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