ASSESSING THE PEDAGOGICAL LIMITATIONS OF DUOLINGO IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION: IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

The limits of Duolingo as a language learning tool in formal classroom environments are investigated in this paper together with teachers' strategies for including the app into their courses. English language teachers were asked to share their Duolingo experiences by means of a qualitative case study method. The results show that although the app is useful for vocabulary acquisition, grammar practice, and pronunciation improvement, it has several pedagogical constraints including limited teacher control, limited content for advanced learners, lack of curriculum alignment, and insufficient attention on speaking skills. Teachers used interactive classroom activities, individualized comments, and other resources to meet these difficulties and improve the learning process. The study emphasizes the value of a mixed learning strategy in which applications for language acquisition enhance rather than replace more conventional teaching strategies. The study also emphasizes the need of more customizing tools in language instruction programs to more fit demands of formal education. Future studies should look at strategies to improve app interactivity and real-world language application as well as the long-term benefits of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) on student competency and involvement. This paper adds useful advice for teachers and app developers, therefore augmenting the continuing debate on technology integration in language instruction.