UNIVERSIDAD TÉCNICA DE AMBATO
FACULTAD CIENCIAS HUMANAS Y DE LA EDUCACIÓN
CARRERA DE PEDAGOGÍA EN LOS IDIOMAS NACIONALES Y EXTRANJEROS
Use of Duolingo in everyday life
Mercedes López, Anahi Sánchez, Leonardo Pico
INDEX
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................3
Recommendation...............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCE:...................................................................................................................................7
Anexes...............................................................................................................................................8
INDEX OF TABLES
Table 2 Usefulness................................................................................................................................4
Table 3 Motivational tool......................................................................................................................5
Table 4 Enhancing Students’ learning motivation through the use of Duolingo....................................5
INTRODUCTION
Language learning has evolved significantly with the integration of technologies that enrich
traditional methods. In this context, Duolingo stands out as an accessible and popular tool for
language learning, thanks to its intuitive design and gamified approach. Several studies have
analyzed its impact, revealing both its benefits and challenges.
On the one hand, Anton Adi Purwanto2023highlight that Duolingo is effective for English
vocabulary acquisition among high school students. According to their findings, users find
that the app transforms learning into a dynamic and engaging experience, helping to maintain
interest and reduce the monotony of traditional methods. In addition, it motivates students to
learn new words on a continuous basis, which favors the development of their language
skills.
Similarly, Astarilla (2018) investigated the perception of university students and found that
91.2% rated Duolingo as effective for improving their English skills anywhere, anytime.
Also, 89.6% of respondents stated that this platform fosters autonomy in learning and
increases their motivation to practice English outside the classroom. However, challenges
were identified, such as the dependence on an Internet connection and the lack of detailed
grammatical explanations, aspects that could be improved to optimize the user experience.
From a broader perspective, Tsai (2016) analyzed the role of Duolingo in promoting
autonomy in language learning. His research highlights that this tool allows users to set goals,
evaluate their progress, and solve problems independently. Elements such as daily reminders
and reward systems, such as “lingots,” encourage regular study habits and motivate students
to stay engaged in their learning. In addition, the platform encourages the use of
metacognitive strategies, which contributes to a more reflective and autonomous learning
experience.
Despite its limitations, such as the lack of advanced content for more experienced learners
and some inconsistencies in the quality of translations, studies agree that Duolingo is a
powerful tool for language learning. Its interactive design, flexibility and ability to motivate
users make it a valuable resource for both beginners and more advanced learners. These
findings underscore the need to continue researching and improving platforms such as this
one, with the goal of adapting them to the diverse needs of users and maximizing their
educational impact.
Background Information for the 10 Participants
Participant Age Language Weeks Device
1 23 French 3 Computer
2 22 German 12 Smartphone
3 26 German 48 Smartphone
4 23 French 3 Smartphone
5 24 English 4 Computer
6 22 Spanish 4 Smartphone
7 26 Swedish 48 Smartphone
8 23 German 3 Smartphone
9 22 German 48 Computer
10 23 English 12 Computer
Major Major
26 48
Menor Menor
22 3
In the table we can observe different data among which are the age of the participants
surveyed, the language they are learning, the weeks they are practicing and since which
device they are practicing Duolingo.
Table 1
Usefulness
Usefulness
Agree Neutral Disagree People
Duolingo is simple
to use 36 17 7 60
Duolingo is easy to
access 38 14 8 60
Duolingo features
are interesting and
variative 34 17 9 60
I can use Duolingo
independently
without others’ help 37 13 10 60
MAX 38 17 10
MIN 34 13 7
The table evaluates the usefulness of Duolingo as perceived by 60 people in four aspects,
ease of use, ease of access, interest and variety of features, independent use without help from
others. The strengths of Duolingo are ease of access and ease of use. The least outstanding
aspect is the variety of features, with the most neutral responses. Independent use is well
accepted, although it has more people disagreeing than the other items.
Table 2
Motivational tool
Motivational tool
Agree Neutral Disagree
Duolingo encourages me to 33 22 5
spend more time learning
English outside of the
classroom 60
Duolingo can bring many 36 14 10
opportunities for me to learn
English 60
Duolingo encourages me to 37 20 3
learn English independently
60
Duolingo can help me 39 19 2
improve my English 60
Duolingo can help me 40 15 5
improve my English 60
MAX 40 22 10
MIN 33 14 2
In the table we can see that Duolingo's strongest points are its ability to help improve English,
with high levels of agreement and very low levels of disagreement, and the motivation to
learn independently is also outstanding. The areas with more neutrality or disagreement are
the motivation to spend more time outside the classroom and the perception of the
opportunities Duolingo provides. Overall, Duolingo is seen as effective, but could work on
reinforcing external motivation and perception of opportunities.
Table 3
Enhancing Students’ learning motivation through the use of Duolingo
Enhancing Students’ learning motivation through the use of
Duolingo
Agree Neutral Disagree
Feel motivated to play
Duolingo when i find my
friends get higher score
than me
38 17 5 60
I feel Duolingo can
increase my motivation
in learning english
40 13 7 60
I feel motivated to
practice my english
skills through Duolingo
outside classroom
41 16 3 60
MAX 41 17 7
MIN 38 13 3
The table evaluates how Duolingo influences the motivation of students to learn English,
considering three main aspects, in the table it can be seen that it has as strengths that
Duolingo is more effective in motivating students to practice English outside the classroom,
since this aspect has the highest level of acceptance and the lowest level of disagreement,
friendly competition is also an important motivator, although it has more neutral responses.
We can also say that although many people feel that Duolingo increases their motivation, the
level of disagreement in this aspect is higher compared to the others.
Recommendation
Improvement strategies for identified limitations, For example, offer alternatives for
advanced users or proposals to improve grammatical explanations.
Add testimonials or case analyses that delve deeper into individual user experiences.
Benchmarking against other platforms this would better contextualize the results and
highlight Duolingo's unique strengths and weaknesses.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates that Duolingo is an effective and motivating tool for language
learning, especially for encouraging autonomous learning and practice outside the classroom.
Although limitations such as Internet dependency and lack of advanced content are identified,
its gamified design features and accessibility position it as a valuable option. Continuing to
research and adapt similar platforms can maximize their educational impact and address the
diverse needs of users.
REFERENCE:
Anton Adi Purwanto, & Syafryadin. (2023). Students’ Perception on Using Duolingo for
Learning English Vocabulary. JET (Journal of English Teaching), 9(1).
https://doi.org/10.33541/jet.v9i1.4506
Astarilla, L. (2018). University Students’ Perception towards the Use of Duolingo
Application in Learning English. Conference Proceedings CelSciTech-UMRI, 3.
https://scholar.google.es/scholar?hl=es&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=University+Students
%27+Perception+towards+the+Use+of+Duolingo+Application+in+Learning+English
&btnG=
Chiao-Man Tsai, C. (2020). The Role of Duolingo in Foreign Language Learners’
Autonomous Learning. www.iafor.org
Inayah, N., Yusuf, Q., & Fibula, N. (2020). EXPLORING UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION TOWARD THE USE OF DUOLINGO IN LEARNING
ENGLISH. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 8(3), 76–85.
https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2020.839
Jiang, X., Rollinson, J., Chen, H., Reuveni, B., Gustafson, E., Plonsky, L., & Pajak, B.
(2021). How well does Duolingo teach speaking skills?
https://www.duolingo.com/efficacy
Anexes
