Hello! Hola! Bonjour! Ciao! Ni hao! Salve!
Using the internationally famed app Duolingo, you can make saying “hello” an experience of its own — or so the app claims. But does Duolingo really live up to these aspiraciones?
Duolingo, founded in 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, creates uniquely interactive lessons to promote development, such as “gamification and delight” and “AI- powered personalization” according to duolingo.com. By implementing a streak system for the amount of days studied in a row, along with rewarding XP or “experience points” after each lesson, the app takes on a video-game-like approach as it combines competition, consistency and entertainment.
Statistically, Duolingo has been proven effective in helping people learn new languages. According to its website, 9 out of 10 learners felt more confident after 1 month of learning on the app, 9 out of 10 teachers reported the app as effective and after 4 weeks, 8 out of 10 learners recorded feeling more motivated to continue their language journey.
To ensure learner development, Duolingo’s lessons align with the international Common European Framework of Reference. According to coe.int, the CEFR, launched in 2001, has six levels of language proficiency ranging from A1 (most basic) to C2 (most advanced) and three broader levels defined as Basic User, Independent User and Proficient User. Each level on Duolingo is designed to align with one of these guidelines.
Supervisor of World Languages for Westfield Public Schools Enrique Pincay explained that WHS language classes follow guidelines similar to that of Duolingo, yet not exactly the same. “We use proficiency levels as dictated by our national association, the American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages. We would expect more of an intermediate advance or an advanced low level of proficiency [from students]. That’s also the level of proficiency expected by our Department Of Education and the level that would allow you to acquire the seal of biliteracy.”
Duolingo also has a specific program for teachers and schools. The program is 100 percent free, and teachers are able to have full control and visibility over student performance.
Spanish Teacher Jill Mezzacappa is one of the teachers at WHS who implements this program on a weekly basis for homework assignments. Mezzacappa said, “I wouldn’t say I use [Duolingo] in the classroom, but I use it for additional practice. It’s a way for [students] to practice their skills and acquire some vocabulary that maybe they’ve heard before or haven’t heard. It’s an interactive experience at home.”
Italian Teacher Marisa Milas similarly finds the app a useful supplementary resource for students. “It’s great for learning vocab, and I have noticed students that use it pick up [information] a lot faster in class,” said Milas. “The students that are using it have a better comprehension when I give them something that maybe they’ve never seen before.”
While Duolingo statistically is proven to work for many independent language learners, educators at WHS are still skeptical about overusing the app as a resource in class. Pincay said, “I’m totally fine with use of the app, as long as it’s being used as a supplemental tool — it shouldn’t replace the teacher or our more traditional means of instruction that are more meaningful to language learning. I would say learning vocabulary isn’t good enough — I could take a Russian dictionary and memorize it all, but that’s not going to make me speak Russian.”
Students who use the app also have mixed opinions on its effectiveness. Junior Anna Youssef, who is currently studying Spanish, said, “Duolingo helped me more with formulating sentences, but I also feel like it’s normally just not related to what we are learning in class at all, which doesn’t make it a helpful tool to study for tests or quizzes.”
Whether or not Duolingo is the right choice for students, there are many other options to improve language development outside of the classroom. Milas said, “I think one of the best things to do is listen to music in that language.” Milas also suggested YouTube for students looking for videos or songs to listen to, a way to actively study the language.
“You are what you practice,” said Mezzacappa. Despite Duolingo’s limitations, the app continues to serve as a reliable and supplemental source of this practice for the WHS comunidad.