Digital learning & Duolingo™: a practical SLA analysis on how millennials learn and a proposal for improvement

Abstract

Throughout history, Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has been approached under different frameworks and methodologies, the effectiveness of which has been proved or denied through academic research. Simultaneously, the growth and influence of technology in both education and individuals’ daily life has been drastic and revolutionary. For instance, we have recently witnessed the emergence of pioneering conceptions for teaching, in which new technologies play a leading role, such as self-access learning and gamification. A chief example is that of multiple online platforms and mobile applications addressing or focused on autonomous language learning, among which Duolingo™ stands out due to their wide scope, in users and range of languages. Despite a great integration of the aforementioned platforms in individuals’ educational curriculums and circadian learning routines, scarce academic research has been carried out to evaluate their effectiveness. The present paper aims at analyzing the methodology implied in the activities present in Duolingo™, and thus relate it to a specified SLA framework. The rationale and purpose of this analysis are to assess the level of effectiveness that the platform has for the SLA from an academic perspective. The results of this analysis demonstrate two clearly differentiated pedagogical tendencies and evidence several drawbacks and flaws to be amended. Consequently, an improvement program is presented with the aim of enhancing the platform and maximizing the potential carried by Duolingo™.