The Rosetta Stone / Duolingo style of language learning has never really worked for me; I generally have more success and an easier time staying engaged with the "comprehensible input" approach.
Are there any open platforms based on this method out there? Maybe something along the lines of LingQ, though perhaps without all the attempts at gamification.
If someone could just create a list of of youtube videos with subtitles in my language it would be huge. Doesn't matter if it is a blacksmith explaining how to shape metal, or a knitter showing some pattern, I just need input.
Here's a video (in French) that I found reflects my own experience quite well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KQ1qRJ2wQc
In a nutshell, I've got two complaints. First, while flashcarding is wicked efficient (I'd say essential) for review, it's not a particularly good tool for learning things in the first place. And an overly flashcard-oriented approach has real problems with a sort of streetlight effect: You tend to get stuck on what's easiest to illustrate with pictures, which often isn't what's most useful for communicating with others.
edit: Also, for what it's worth, the existing research seems to indicate that, while subtitles in our target language can be hugely beneficial, subtitles in a language you already speak actually inhibit language acquisition: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal...
(There was another study with Brazilian English language learners that I found more compelling, but I'm unable to find it right now.)
That's where I like LingQ so much, at least in principle: It's theoretically a clearinghouse where you can find lots and lots of these kinds of materials for learning. (The truth is, it can be a bit difficult to sift through.)