GROUP: 2.

4
STUDENT’S/STUDENTS’ NAME(S):
Name in charge of
1. Trương Nguyễn Nguyên Cát Find articles,write 2.3 in chapter 2 and
methodology
2. Dương Thị Kim Chi Find articles, write appendix and
references
3. Lê Nguyễn Quỳnh Giang Find articles, write 1, 2 ,2.1 and 2.2 in
chapter 2
Find articles, write summary gaps, time
4. Đinh Thị Ngọc line and introduction

Research topic:  The perceptions of second-year English major students' s Hue university of
Foreign languages in using Duolingo app in reading skill

Research questions:
Question 1 : What do HUFLIS second-year students’s English majors think about using the
Duolingo app to learn vocabulary?
Question 2: What are the benefits and drawbacks of using Duolingo vocabulary learning apps?

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

English language proficiency, particularly in reading skills, is crucial for students, especially
those studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL). However, many students encounter
difficulties in reading English texts due to a lack of vocabulary knowledge. The inability to
comprehend vocabulary-rich texts hinders their overall language development. Therefore, it
is essential to explore innovative approaches and tools that can facilitate vocabulary learning
and improve reading skills. One such technological advancement that has gained significant
attention in language education is the Duolingo app. Duolingo is a widely popular language
learning application that offers interactive exercises, gamified activities, and personalized
learning experiences. While previous studies have examined the effectiveness of Duolingo in
areas such as vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension in various contexts, there is
a lack of research specifically focusing on its impact on second-year English major students'
reading skills at Hue University of Foreign Languages (HUFLIS).

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of second-year English major students at
HUFLIS regarding the use of the Duolingo app for improving their reading skills,
particularly in terms of vocabulary learning. By examining their attitudes, experiences, and
opinions, valuable insights can be gained to understand the benefits and drawbacks of
incorporating Duolingo into their language learning journey.

Additionally, this research aims to contribute to the limited existing literature on vocabulary
learning methods for reading skills.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Definition of the Duolingo App

The Duolingo app is a mobile language learning platform that offers a range of language
courses, including English, for learners of various proficiency levels. It provides a gamified
and interactive learning experience, utilizing techniques such as spaced repetition, audio
exercises, and contextualized examples to enhance language acquisition. The app features a
variety of language skills, including vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, and speaking,
which are developed through engaging activities, quizzes, and challenges. Duolingo's user-
friendly interface, accessibility, and adaptive learning approach have made it a popular
choice among language learners worldwide. By leveraging technology and gamification, the
Duolingo app aims to make language learning an enjoyable and effective experience for
users.

2. Main Content

In our research, we will separate in three groups according to themes related to research
questions:

- Students’ perception of using Duolingo application to learn English vocabulary

- Previous studies on advantages of using Duolingo application for students

- Previous studies on disadvantages of using Duolingo application for students

2.1. Students' perception of using Duolingo application to learn English vocabulary

A number of studies have investigated the students' perceptions of using Duolingo

applications.

Alan Jaelani and Dilla Rachmadanti Sutari (2020) conducted a study to investigate students'
perception of using Duolingo applications as a media in learning vocabulary in one junior
high school in Bogor with participants of 30 students from the second grade giving
perceptions about Duolingo application. This research used qualitative research design. The
result of this research shows that most students preferred learning vocabulary by using the
Duolingo application.

Therefore, the participants agreed that the Duolingo application gives them the opportunity
to be more active and motivated in learning vocabulary.

Liya Astarilla(2018) studied students’ perception towards the use of Duolingo Application
from learning English of 135 university students in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia. This
research used questionnaires and interviews. The result of questionnaire research shows that
the students were positive towards the use of Duolingo application in learning English.

Rizky Fauzi Tasyakuriana (2023) studied students’ perception of using the Duolingo
platform by taking 30 students in semester 5 of the English Language Education Study
Program at the Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta. Qualitative is used in this research.
Similar to the previous research, the result of qualitative research shows that Duolingo
applications help them to enrich their vocabulary and motivate their study. Moreover,
Duolingo application is easy to access, increases grammar skill, etc.

Gap: In general, studies have positive perceptions toward using Duolingo applications to
learn vocabulary. However, most of the prior scholars have concentrated on analyzing a
single type of research subject instead of various subjects, especially students at university.
Some studies have limitations on participants to join such as Alan Jaelani and Dilla
Rachmadanti Sutari (2020) and Rizky Fauzi Tasyakuriana (2023) with only 30 students. In
addition, the negative perceptions rarely are the concern of researchers. It means the lack of
deep investigation of the negative perceptions.

2.2. Previous studies on advantages of using Duolingo application for students.

In the study of Ajisoko, P (2022) and Ajisoko, P. (2020), they both used questionnaires to
collect the data from the students at the Borneo University of Tarakan, after letting them use
the Duolingo app. Most of the students agree that Duolingo has an impact on improving their
English scores. The results of the questionnaire show that the positive attitude of the students
toward the app helps them feel motivated in learning, and cease their boredom in study. This
study found out the student's satisfaction after using Duolingo to learn a language.
Vigo Dewangga (2020) described computer engineering department student's perception of
the Duolingo app in learning English. They used questionnaires to gather the information of
104 students of Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Politeknik Negeri Jember.
This research shows that the students believe using Duolingo enhances their reading skills.
They find that the app is interesting because its concept makes them less bored when
studying. Besides, in the study, Duolingo is regarded as easy to access, and appropriate
design for every age.

The study by Liya Astarilla (2018) investigated the University Students’ Perception of the
Use of the Duolingo Application in Learning English. The results of the questionnaire and
interview proved that Duolingo has many benefits to student's learning activities. It enhances
typical abilities like solving problems, settling minds, creating, thinking logically, and also in
communicating. In Anisa Dwi Tiara, M. Arinal Rahman, Ciptro Handrianto (2018. P697)
“the content of Duolingo is supported with graphics, video, and other multimedia elements
that can be presented with interactive games or quizzes”. Because of this, Duolingo promotes
not only the skills from other aspects of learning English but also basic skills like what Liya
Astarilla (2018) has mentioned.

2.3. Previous studies on disadvantages of using Duolingo application for students

Alan Jaelani, Dilla Rachmadanti Sutari (2020) indicated that some of the students said that
Duolingo is hard to use if there is no internet connection. Because it’s an online app, this
might not satisfy the demands of the student who lives in a place that has bad connections.
In generally, Anisa Dwi Tiara, M. Arinal Rahman, Ciptro Handrianto (2018) pointed out that
Duolingo’s voice is unnatural, which is hard for learners to listen to. The sentences are
unnatural, and lacking for explanation at the end of the question. Instead of showing the
grammar or the explanation, Duolingo switches to a new question after revealing the correct
answer. The lack of grammar could make it more difficult to improve reading skills.
The research of Liya Astarilla (2018) also indicates that Duolingo has odd sentences and a
lack of grammar explanation. Besides that, the author showed a few different drawbacks that
users usually see when they use the app, which is disturbing advertisements, repeating the
same questions.
2.4. Summarized gaps
All the research above provides useful information about the Duolingo app. However, the
number of participants using Duolingo is only between 10-200 people. Because of the small
number of students, the results of the study may not be complete. In addition, the study
participants are all non-specialized majors, but no study has collected data on the
effectiveness of Duolingo for students majoring in foreign languages. Furthermore, the
research on how Duolingo affects Vietnamese students in learning language is still lacking,
especially the language major students in Viet Nam.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

1. Introduction
This chapter highlights the methods and techniques used to perform the research. The
participants, the data collection procedure and the data analysis procedure are accurately
described.

2. Participants
The subjects of this study are second-year English majors from Hue University of Foreign
Languages. There are 50 participants taking part in this research, 80% of participants are
female, and 20% of the participants are male. 50% of them major in the English Language,
and 50% of them major in English Pedagogy. They will participate in our study on a
voluntary basis.

3. Data collection procedure

3.1. Method
In this research, questionnaires are adopted as quantitative and qualitative methods to
investigate the opinions of HUFLIS second year students of the English Department about
their perceptions in using Duolingo app to improve reading skills.

3.2. Questionnaire

The questionnaire was chosen, compared to other methods since this method is an easy way to
collect information quickly and efficiently. The quantity nature of questionnaires could help the
researchers analyze and process the data easier and more efficiently. Furthermore, the
questionnaire allows respondents to maintain their anonymity which encourages them to answer
truthfully without being judged. We will upload this questionnaire on Google Form, so it only
took the participants roughly 5 minutes to finish it.
Our questionnaire consists of two parts.
In part one, we focus on the background of the respondents. This part is designed to gather the
participants’ s perceptions using the Duolingo app.

In part two, we divine the questions in two sections

Section I: In this section, there are two questions. The two questions are aimed to investigate the
respondents if they were using the Duolingo apps.
Section II: This section had 10 questions asking about the students’ s level of agreement to some
of the advantages and disadvantages of using Duolingo apps in learning English. To contribute to
the validity of the data, the questionnaire is translated into Vietnamese to eliminate the
possibility of misunderstanding due to insufficient language.

4. Piloting
The questionnaire has been piloted on HUFLIS’s sophomores who major in English Language,
and they were high ranked and average ranked students for validity and reliability. Afterwards,
students participated in reporting back to the researchers if they had any problems or confusion
with the questionnaire.

5. Ethical consideration
This study will adhere to ethical considerations such as informed consent, confidentiality and
voluntary participation. Participants will be informed of the purpose of the study, their rights to
withdraw from the study and the procedure for data collection. Participants' identities will be
kept confidential, and the data collected will be used for research purposes only.

6. Data analysis procedure

When we conduct the research, we will create a full questionnaire on Google Form. After that,
we will send this form to 50 random second year students of HUFLIS. Afterward, we will collect
data from the Google Form, then we analyze the data on the Google Sheets and perform the data
as tables.
 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH TIMELINE

No Tasks Dates

1 Identify research topic 15/03/2023 – 22/03/2023

(1 week)
2 Identify research object, research question and 23/03/2023 – 29/03/2023
topic title (6 days)
3 Searching and analyzing the documents, write 30/03/2023 – 13/04/2023
the research questions (2 weeks)
4 Writing the literature review and references 14/04/2023 – 28/04/2023
(2 weeks)
5 Designing questionnaires and finding voluntary 29/04/2023 – 20/05/2023
participants (3 weeks)

6 Collecting and analyzing the data 21/05/2023 – 04/06/2023

(2 weeks)
7 Completing the result and conclusion chapter 05/06/2023 – 12/06/2023
(3 weeks)

CHAPTER 5: REFERENCES

1. Aelan, “et al” (2021). STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF USING DUOLINGO

APPLICATION AS A MEDIA IN LEARNING VOCABULARY. Bogor English Student
And Teacher (BEST) Conference, [S.l.], v. 2, p. 40-47, jan. 2021. ISSN 2721-0219.

2. Ajisoko, P. (2022). Using Duolingo apps to improve english reading comprehension of

engineering students in Universitas Borneo Tarakan. Exposure Journal 1, 11 (1), 1-6.

3. Liya Astarilla. (2018). University Students’ Perception towards the Use of Duolingo
Application in Learning English, Vol 3.
4. Vigo Dewangga. (2020). The Perception of Computer Engineering Department students at
Politeknik Negeri Jember towards the use of Duolingo in learning English, VOL 5, NO. 1, 32-39.
5. Anisa Dwi Tiara,“et al” (2018). The Students Perception About Use of Duolingo Application
for Improving English Vocabulary, Vol. 4, No. 4.

6. Ajisoko, P. (2020). The Use of Duolingo Apps to Improve English Vocabulary Learning.
International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(07), 149.

CHAPTER 6: APPENDIX

A. RESPONDENTS’ BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. What is your gender?

A. Male
B. Female
C. Other

2. What is your major?

A. English Language
B. English Pedagogy

3. How long have you been learning English? __________ year(s).

B. QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTIONS

1. Do you ever use Duolingo in learning English?

A. Yes
B. No

2. How often do you use the Duolingo app?

A. Always (everyday)
B. Usually (3 - 5 times per week)
C. Sometimes (1 - 2 times per week)
D. Seldom (1 - 2 times a month or fewer)

3. Do you agree that Duolingo apps are easy to use?

A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

4. Do you agree that Duolingo apps motivate you to study more?

A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

5. Do you agree that Duolingo apps are easy to access every time and everywhere?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

6. Do you agree that Duolingo apps are easy to access every time and everywhere?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

7. Do you agree that Duolingo apps have limited depth and complexity of vocabulary words?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

8. Do you agree that Duolingo apps have an inability to customize lessons for individual learning
needs?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

9. Do you agree that Duolingo apps have over-reliance on repetition and memorization?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree

10. Do you agree that Duolingo apps lack interaction with other learners or native speakers?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E. Totally disagree
11. How effective do you find the Duolingo app in learning vocabulary?
A. Very effective
B. Effective
C. Not very effective
D. Ineffective

11. Do you think the Duolingo app is an effective tool for sophomores to learn and expand
vocabulary?
A. Totally agree
B. Agree
C. Partly agree
D. Disagree
E.Totally disagree

12. Would you recommend Duolingo to someone who wants to learn vocabulary?
A. Definitely recommend
B. Recommend
C. Not recommend
D. Definitely not recommend
E. Not sure