Frequently asked questions

They are both useful tools. The app has more risks and additional features and functionalities.

No, you can choose only the risks that are interesting and helpful to you. We recommend at least 2 risks per week. If you are participating through a language course, your professor may require a certain number of risks per week or per term. 

No, we trust you! Once you complete a risk you must simply check off the box in the passport booklet.

Click on the Contact Us tab for more information about the members of the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative.

A new one may be downloaded from this website and printed. Click on the How to Participate tab. You may also choose to use the Linguistic Risk phone app instead of the printed passport booklet. A valid email uOttawa address is required. For outside requests, please contact the team by email at [email protected]

Certainly! Most risks can be repeated up to three times. However, If you have already taken a risk three times and marked it in the passport booklet or the digital app, we encourage you to move on to a new risk.

Feel free to pick and choose whichever risks you find appropriate and complete them as you see fit. Remember, not all risks need to be completed and there is no required order in which you need to be taking the risks. Look through the different categories of risks to find something challenging for you. Feel free to also propose your own risks in the passport booklet or app to customize your experience.

Yes, feel free to add any additional risks that you would like to challenge yourself with. The blank pages at the back of the passport booklet can be used for that purpose and the app has a special button for proposing new risks.

Yes! You can download the Linguistic Risk app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. The app is restricted to users with a valid University of Ottawa email address. People outside of the uOttawa community can request an exception by emailing [email protected]

Yes, it is encouraged! If you are participating more than once, try to challenge yourself by taking different risks each session. Note that some features, like leaderboards or following friends may be automatically reset in the new session.

You can use the same passport booklet or the same app for different classes or even if you are not taking a language class. In the app's settings, you have the option of adding more than one language course if desired.