Los efectos del uso de Duolingo como andamiaje para el aprendizaje de vocabulario del ELE

Abstract

Duolingo is one of the most widely used gamification applications among people for learning vocabulary in Spanish as a foreign language (EFL) in Sweden. However, there is a scarcity of accredited research concerning the effects of gamification in EFL classrooms within the Swedish school context, with most studies focusing on university-level populations. This present study was conducted in a secondary school located in a municipality on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden, with the aim of determining the effects that gamification tools can have on vocabulary learning during EFL classes. The analyzed corpus consisted of interviews conducted with three groups, each comprising by 3-4 members, as well as a pre- and post-tests administered to 56 students divided into two parallel seventh-grade EFL classes (A -A2). One group received classes through Duolingo, while the other group was taught using traditional teaching methods. The results obtained in this research demonstrate that the implementation of gamification tools, such as Duolingo, has positive effects on vocabulary acquisition in EFL, such as facilitating word review among students and making the classes much more engaging. However, negative effects were also observed, such as a loss of concentration, the language factor in these tools, as well as the lack of social interaction between teacher and students that is crucial for effective learning.