Comparing the effectiveness of Duolingo, Classroom instruction, and Classroom + Duolingo instruction conditions on beginner-level French language development

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been growing use of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) applications such as Duolingo. The effectiveness of MALL applications is thus of great interest among language acquisition researchers and practitioners. This study compared French language development among beginners in three learning conditions: Classroom-Only ( n = 58), Duolingo-Only ( n = 65), and Classroom + Duolingo ( n = 60). The Classroom-Only group completed a standard first-semester curriculum, the Classroom + Duolingo group used Duolingo as supplemental material, and the Duolingo-Only group learned exclusively through the app. All participants completed pretests and posttests measuring overall proficiency, grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics ( tu vs. vous ), and communicative competence over a 16-week period. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that all three groups showed significant improvement across nearly all measures between pretest and posttest, with similar magnitudes of improvement. The only exception was in learning tu vs. vous (pragmatic competence), where the Classroom + Duolingo group showed larger gains than Classroom-Only and Duolingo-Only groups. Results suggest that both traditional classroom instruction and Duolingo are comparably effective for beginning French language learners. Results are discussed in light of mobile app-based language learning with the potential role of learner characteristics.