Supplemental Use of Duolingo in Language Courses

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate learner engagement in short- and long-term app use in two class modalities (in-person vs. online class) when that use was supplemental to regular classroom instruction. A total of 147 English-speaking students learning Spanish participated in this study. Enrolled in Elementary I and II college-level courses, they used the Duolingo app for 11 of 15 weeks. Overall results indicate that the participants in the face-to-face class achieved higher app use than their peers in the online classroom. Results also reveal that activity decreased over time for the Elementary I group, whereas the Elementary II group exhibited lower initial app use, which increased by midsemester and then decreased by the end of the course. In addition, a small fraction of students used the app for a limited time after the conclusion of the semester. Pedagogical implications are provided.