Description about the value that Duolingo App has a virtual tool for English teaching and learning

1. “DUOLINGO App AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL
IN ENGLISH TEACHING.”
By: Patricia Mauricio Vásquez

2. Introduction
 Since 2016, The Ministry of Education authorized and support the use of Duolingo App as a
Teaching resource in the English Teaching lesson in all the Elementary and High Schools in Costa
Rica. That year, 350 EFL Teachers were trained by the creators of the App, with the objective of
getting knowledge about the App as a pedagogical resource.
 The note, that was published in the platform of MEP, says that the objective of the training was
to enable teachers to use Duolingo App in the English Lessons, taking advantage on the fact
that most of the students have Mobiles Phones.
 The National English Advisor, Ana Isabel Campos Centeno, pointed out the importance of
Duolingo App for the teachers and the students.
 This Official Note can be found in the Official MEP website in this Link:
https://www.mep.go.cr/noticias/docentes-ingles-se-capacitan-para-utilizar-plataforma-duolingo

3. The main idea was to create a virtual resource that can be accessed by all those
people that do not have enough money to pay a second language education. This is a free
downloading application. It is compatible with most iPhone, iPod and iPad devices and
since 2013, Duolingo has its Android App version.
I. Presentation of the App and its LOGO.
This is Duolingo Official Logo.
Duolingo App was created by professor Luis Von
Ahn (creator of reCAPTCHA) and his graduate
student Severin Hacker, and then developed along with
Antonio Navas, Vicki Cheung, Marcel Uekermann, Brendan
Meeder, Hector Villafuerte, and Jose Fuentes.

4. II. Description and Features.
A. Content and Language Learning Offers.
a.1. Complete version: 27 Languages
a.2. Beta Version: Kingon, Hawaian, Hungarian, Indonesian, and Navajo
a.3. Alpha Version:Latin, Arabic, Yiddish, Haitian, Creole, Catalán, Guaraní
and Finnish.
B. Requirements.
b.1. Mobile Phone.
b.2. 200 Megabyes free to allow Duolingo App run properly.
b.3. Internet connection.

5. C. General Procedures to Download, Install, Setting, and Starting using and
Doulingo App.
STAGE 1: Downloading: STAGE 2: Installing:
Step 1: open Google Play Store Step 3: Click on “Installar”
Step 2: Typing the App name Step 4: Click on “Abrir”
STAGE 3: Setting STAGE 4: Start using Duolingo App
Step 5: Click on “ Empezar” Step 10: Start Using the App!
Step 6: Select the Language to learn
Step 7: Select YOUR time
Step 8: Select you “POINT OF DEPARTURE”
Step 9: Announcement

6. D. Specific Features of the App.
 Duolingo simulates Video Games logical and uses similar ways to “engage the
users. Every Level that is concluded satisfactory by the user has a specific
rewards. These rewards are called “lingots” These lingots are the game
“currency” and the user can buy different types of bonus that allow him/ her
to customize the App.
 There are different public spaces where the users can compete or simply
chat about their experiences with duolingo.
 Downloading, Installing, Opening and Starting using Duolingo App took no
more than 5 minutes.
 The simplicity of downloading, installing, settting and starting using the App
is amazing. It was designed to be use for all type of users at different ages
and different virtual management formation or academic level.

7. With this message on the screen the user
can start to register his/ her perfomance
and compete or chat with other
learners/ users

8. Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
 1. Duolingo App has a platform very
easy to manipulate. It does not need
any special knowledge or training. This
makes Duolingo a “Friendly App” for
any type of user, no,matter the age, or
academic level.
 2. It is FREE. It cost nothing to the
user. This is a social advantage that
makes the English learning accessible
for any person who has a Mobile Phone.
 3. The App giver the user the
opportunity to learn at least to turn
into a A2 - B1 minus level user.
Disadvantages
 1. Cultural aspects are not given at any
point of Duolingo Platform and this is
part of learning another language,
because Language is Culture.
 2. The grammar given is very simple
and it goes to a certain level.
 3. It is kind of difficult to match the
sequence of the contents in Duolingo
Platform with the sequence of the
contents in the English Syllabus.