UTILIZING DUOLINGO APPLICATION TO ENHANCE YOUNG LEARNERS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31851/esteem.v8i2.19477Keywords:
Duolingo, Teaching Media, Vocabulary Mastery, Young LearnersAbstract
This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Duolingo application in improving vocabulary mastery and to identify student perceptions of its use in junior high school. Using a one-group pre-test and post-test design, a pre-experimental approach was used with 34 eighth-grade students from SMP N 6 Semarang. Data were collected through a written vocabulary test and a closed-ended questionnaire, and analyzed using SPSS 26 software. The main findings demonstrated a notable rise in vocabulary scores, with the mean score rising from 62.79 to 86.24, supported by a t-test result (t = 7.618, p < 0.05). Most students responded positively, citing Duolingo's user-friendly interface, engaging content, and motivating features. This study can be applied in English language teaching, especially at the junior high school level, and also contributes to mobile-assisted language learning research. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on integrating gamified mobile applications into vocabulary instruction in English classrooms, providing new insight into learner engagement and digital tool effectiveness.
References
Ajisoko, P. (2020). The use of duolingo apps to improve English vocabulary learning. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 15(7), 149–155. https://doi.org/10.3991/IJET.V15I07.13229
Al Ayub Ahmed, A., Hassan, I., Pallathadka, H., Keezhatta, M. S., Haryadi, R. N., Al Mashhadani, Z. I., Attwan, L. Y., & Rohi, A. (2022). Mall and efl learners’ speaking: impacts of duolingo and whatsapp applications on speaking accuracy and fluency. Education Research International, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6716474
Alberth, A. (2023). How important is communicating with native english speakers to efl learners’ self-confidence in their english language proficiency? Journey: Journal of English Language and Pedagogy, 6(2), 380–393. https://doi.org/10.33503/journey.v6i2.3169
Andini, J. (2024). The Effect of Dulingo on Eighth-Grade Student ’ S. 10(2), 247–254.
Apoko, T. W., Dunggio, A. A., & Chong, S. L. (2023). The Students’ perceptions on the use of mobile-assisted language learning through duolingo in improving vocabulary mastery at the tertiary level. English Review: Journal of English Education, 11(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v11i1.7069
Aulia, H. R., Wahjuningsih, E., & Andayani, R. (2020). Effect of duolingo application on students’ english vocabulary mastery. ELTR Journal, 4(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.37147/eltr.v4i2.71
Creswell, J. ., & Creswell, J. . (2017). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.
De Wilde, V., Brysbaert, M., & Eyckmans, J. (2020). Learning English through out-of-school exposure. Which levels of language proficiency are attained and which types of input are important? Bilingualism, 23(1), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728918001062
Fadilah, I. A., Jaya, A., & Uzer, Y. (2023). Visual representation and comprehension: the exploration of multimodal text to energize reading of the tenth grade students’ at state vocational high school 5 of palembang. Esteem Journal of English Education Study Programme, 6(1), 125–130. https://doi.org/10.31851/esteem.v6i1.10226
Fathi, J., Ahmadnejad, M., & Nosrati, S. (2024). Investigating the impact of duolingo on second language learning achievement and self-regulated learning among french as a foreign language learners. Call-Ej, 25(4), 379–413.
Fatmawati, I., Sudirman, A., & Munawaroh, T. (2023). Effect of using duolingo application towards students’ grammar mastery in simple present tense. JEPAL (Journal of English Pedagogy and Applied Linguistics), 3(2), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.32627/jepal.v3i2.576
Galloway, N., & Ruegg, R. (2020). The provision of student support on English Medium Instruction programmes in Japan and China. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100846
Hamma, R., Nur, R., Ammade, S., & Latifa, A. (2025). Innovative pathways to fluency : exploring duolingo with self-directed learning. 14(May), 222–237.
Hashemi, A. (2021). The effects of using games on teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension: a case of gifted students. Journal for the Education of Gifted Young Scientists, 9(2), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.17478/jegys.846480
He, R., Xu, W., Dong, D., & Yu, Z. (2024). A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Interactive Technologies on Language Education. International Journal of Adult Education and Technology, 15(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijaet.340933
Jaya, A., Hartono, R., Wahyuni, S., & Yulianto, H. J. (2025). From silent to supreme: The transformative power of project-based learning on language learners. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(8), 2025258. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025258
Jiang, X., Rollinson, J., Plonsky, L., Gustafson, E., & Pajak, B. (2021). Evaluating the reading and listening outcomes of beginning-level Duolingo courses. Foreign Language Annals, 54(4), 974–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12600
Kusumadewi, H., & Widyastuti, M. (2018). The Effects of Using Duolingo Towards Students’ Vocabulary Mastery. Indraprasta PGRI, 13(2), 172–186.
Language, E., Study, T., & Malang, U. I. (2020). the Effectiveness of Duolingo in Improving Students’ Speaking Skill At Madrasah Aliyah Bilingual Batu.
Lesiana, N., Mulyadi, Aswadi Jaya, & Pratiwi, E. (2023). Classroom Interaction in Communicative Language Teaching of Secondary School. Esteem Journal of English Education Study Programme, 7(1), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.31851/esteem.v7i1.12661
Li, C. (2024). A review of theories, pedagogies and vocabulary learning tasks of English vocabulary learning apps for Chinese EFL learners. Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 4(2), 346–375. https://doi.org/10.1515/jccall-2023-0026
Linder, R., & Falk-Ross, F. (2024). Multimodal Resources and Approaches for Teaching Young Adolescents: A Review of the Literature. Education Sciences, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14091010
Loewen, S., Crowther, D., Isbell, D. R., Kim, K. M., Maloney, J., Miller, Z. F., & Rawal, H. (2019). Mobile-assisted language learning: A Duolingo case study. ReCALL, 31(3), 293–311. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344019000065
Loewen, S., Isbell, D. R., & Sporn, Z. (2020). The effectiveness of app-based language instruction for developing receptive linguistic knowledge and oral communicative ability. Foreign Language Annals, 53(2), 209–233. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12454
Ouyang, Z., Jiang, Y., & Liu, H. (2024). The Effects of Duolingo, an AI-Integrated Technology, on EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate and Engagement in Online Classes. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(3 Special Issue), 97–115. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v25i3.7677
Purwanto, H. N., Faridi, A., & Rozi, F. (2022). The effect of duolingo and spada to teach listening to students with different achievement levels. English Education Journal, 12(1), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.15294/eej.v12i1.54417
Rama, M. A., Hamdani, Z., & Prihatini, C. (2023). Students’ perception on the use of tiktok as an effective learning media in improving students’ vocabulary. Journal on Education. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31004/joe.v5i4.4047
Redjeki, I. S., & Muhajir, R. (2020). Duolingo for Grammar Learning. Prosiding Lppm Uika Bogor, 381–404.
Rosyidah, U. J., Dewanti Laksmi, E., & Anugerahwati, M. (2023). Gamification in Duolingo App on Improving English Listening Proficiency of Junior High School Students. ENGLISH FRANCA : Academic Journal of English Language and Education, 7(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.29240/ef.v7i1.5377
Sampelolo, R., & Kombong, M. T. (2022). the Future of English Language Teaching and Learning Through “Merdeka Belajar - Kampus Merdeka” (Mbkm): a Systematic Review. Klasikal : Journal of Education, Language Teaching and Science, 4(1), 40–46. https://doi.org/10.52208/klasikal.v4i1.118
Saraswati, N. A., Anam, S., & Purwati, O. (2021). Autonomous mobile-assisted language learning for young learners using duolingo. Celtic : A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching, Literature and Linguistics, 8(2), 235–246. https://doi.org/10.22219/celtic.v8i2.16959
Sari, A., & Octaviani, S. K. (2022). Duolingo Mobile Application for English Listening Skill Improvement of Vocational School Students. Journal of English Language and Education, 7(2), 84–95. https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v7i2.306
Seroja Br Ginting, R., & Fithriani, R. (2021). Using the hello english application in the efl classroom: its efficacy in helping students to master Vocabulary. KnE Social Sciences, 2021, 592–600. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v5i4.8714
Shortt, M., Tilak, S., Kuznetcova, I., Martens, B., & Akinkuolie, B. (2023). Gamification in mobile-assisted language learning: a systematic review of Duolingo literature from public release of 2012 to early 2020. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(3), 517–554. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1933540
Smith, B., Jiang, X., & Peters, R. (2024). The effectiveness of duolingo in developing receptive and productive language knowledge and proficiency. Language Learning and Technology, 28(1), 1–26.
Sudana, P. A. P., Santosa, M. H., Ratminingsih, N. M., Padmadewi, N. N., Adnyani, L. P. S., & Artini, L. P. (2023). Pre-service teachers’ perception of digital literacy. Journal of Education Technology, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.23887/jet.v7i4
Suryanto, B. T. (2024). The impact of using duolingo application on students ’ english learning motivation. 06(02), 61–72.
Yousefpoori-Naeim, M. (2023). A review of duolingo stories. International Journal on Innovations in Online Education, 7(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1615/intjinnovonlineedu.2023048899
Yundayani, A., Suseno, M., & Herlina, E. (2023). A duolingo-based english language skills assessment: through the eyes of vocational students. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) STKIP Kusuma Negara, 15(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.37640/jip.v15i1.1683
Zhang, W. (2022). The role of technology-based education and teacher professional development in english as a foreign language classes. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(June). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.910315
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yulia Inayatul Ulfa, Wiyaka, Entika Fani Prastikawati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
In order to assure the highest standards for published articles, a peer review policy is applied. In pursue of the compliance with academic standards, all parties involved in the publishing process (the authors, the editors and the editorial board and the reviewers) agree to meet the responsibilities stated below in accordance to the Journal publication ethics and malpractice statement.
Duties of Authors:
- The author(s) warrant that the submitted article is an original work, which has not been previously published, and that they have obtained an agreement from any co-author(s) prior to the manuscript’s submission;
- The author(s) should not submit articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal;
- The authors(s) make certain that the manuscript meets the terms of the Manuscript Submission Guideline regarding appropriate academic citation and that no copyright infringement occurs;
- The authors(s) should inform the editors about any conflict of interests and report any errors they subsequently, discover in their manuscript.
Duties of Editors and the Editorial Board:
- The editors, together with the editorial board, are responsible for deciding upon the publication or rejection of the submitted manuscripts based only on their originality, significance, and relevance to the domains of the journal;
- The editors evaluate the manuscripts compliance with academic criteria, the domains of the journal and the guidelines;
- The editors must at all times respect the confidentiality of any information pertaining to the submitted manuscripts;
- The editors assign the review of each manuscript to two reviewers chosen according to their domains of expertise. The editors must take into account any conflict of interest reported by the authors and the reviewers.
- The editors must ensure that the comments and recommendations of the reviewers are sent to the author(s) in due time and that the manuscripts are returned to the editors, who take the final decision to publish them or not.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a pre-publication manuscript (but not the Publisher final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (see The Effect of Open Access). Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
