THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DUOLINGO IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ LISTENING SKILL

The improvements in computer and communication technologies enabled the Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop. AI-supported language learning tools provide support for many aspects of language skills. Im- proving listening skill is one of the opportunities provided by AI in language learning. Listening is the first acquired skill in both the mother language and foreign language. Expertise in listening supports compe- tence also in speaking, reading and writing and provides faster progress in language learning. AI-integrated Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) tools provide more efficient listening learning processes with speech recognition and immediate feedback offering customized listening practice according to the learn- er’s level. Secondary school students enjoy interactive, engaging activities that keep them motivated. Those activities foster a positive attitude toward language learning. Duolingo is a popular language learning application used by millions of people in the field of MALL. It provides gamified learning, in this way simplifies learn- ing with enjoyable elements. While many studies have investigated the general effectiveness of Duolingo in improving language proficiency, there is a gap in the literature regarding its specific impact on listening proficiency, especially for secondary school students. The main aim of this study is to examine the impact of utilizing the Duolingo application on the listening comprehension of 7-th grade students. A quantitative single group pretest-posttest design was employed, integrating mobile assisted autonomous learning alongside routine education at school. The participants of the study were 34 students and the implementation lasted for 8 weeks. The students used the application for 15 minutes every day along with the routine learning during that period. Throughout the process, they kept diaries on Padlet. They shared their thoughts and experiences with screenshots there. Pre- and post- listening tests were utilized to assess the listening proficiency before and after the implementation. A lis- tening proficiency test was used from Ahead with English 7: Practice Book. It consists of two sections. At first section, students are asked to write the words they hear. At second section there are 5 multiple-choice questions. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode) and inferential statistics (t-tests) to decide about the effectiveness of the implementation. Due to the number of samples more than 30 students, Kolmogorov-Smirnova was used. Normality tests indicated that the pre-test (p = ,018) and post-test (p = ,002) data (p ≤ 0.05) do not demonstrate a normal distribution. So, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to analyze the data in this study to see whether there is a difference between the two pre-test and post-test scores. The findings of the analysis of pre and post listening proficiency tests indicated that Duolingo enhanced listening comprehension of 7th grade EFL students. The findings of this study may inspire language teachers to integrate digital tools like Duolingo while teaching listening. They can use Duolingo as a resource for listening practice both inside and outside the classroom. This may make courses more varied and technology-supported.