Duolingo App Lesson

Overview

Duolingo is a language immersion app that is available for free on all devices. This app would be well suited in a language immersion class or in an ESOL classroom. It can be switched from English as primary to any of the 18 languages offered or from a specific primary language (such as Spanish) to English. Duolingo may be used in conjunction with language textbooks and worksheets and serve as a supplement to understanding or is capable of being used as a stand alone tool that gives students a fun, independent but highly interactive, lesson on a second language. The usefulness of this app is compared to 34 hours on Duolingo equals 1 University term. For this lesson, the teacher would set weekly minimum benchmarks that students are required to achieve but students who need the extra challenge my move ahead at their own pace. The app could be used exclusively in class or at home or both. Its use of images, voice recognition, matching, and the translating of sentences, offers a wide range of learning experiences. The "challenge" feature offers friendly competition among peers that get students talking about language learning and lets them have fun while they do it.

TPACK

This lesson provides students with a hands-on experience to learn language with a technical device (Ipad, tablet, laptop, or computer). It allows ESOL students to progress at their own pace while still fulfilling the Oregon Benchmark requirements for ELP by giving students a minimum goal to achieve or by allowing students to move ahead on the curriculum if they feel inclined to. The visual, verbal, and written aspects of the app caters to different types of learning and gives all students a chance for success. Students who use this lesson and the Duolingo app will be able to read, write, and speak in the English language or any other language they are using the app for. In addition to the app, the teacher should provide open discussion of the topics being learned, viewing of videos or movies, reading of book in second language, and face-to-face communication in the second language to aid in the learning and understanding of the language. Duolingo will help track student progress on each student’s individual profile which the student and teacher may both access at any time.

SAMR

This lesson fits in the modification level of the SAMR model. Rather than taking tests, presenting speeches, and learning about language from a textbook, students are gaining a more immersion type experience using Duolingo. While this lesson allows for extra worksheets, test, and face-to-face conversation outside of the app, they are to be used in addition to the app if extra supplementation is wanted but the app is fully capable of being a stand alone product that enriches language learning. The features of sharing profiles with the teacher and challenging peers allows for student-to-student discussion and feedback and teacher-student feedback. The freedom to progress at one’s own pace also give students some control to their own learning which creates a positive, exciting, and inviting atmosphere to students who need the extra challenge while still allowing support to be given to those who may find it to be too challenging. This gives every student a personal quality stake in their own work and the ability to track that throughout the duration of the use of the app.


Full App Lesson
https://docs.google.com/a/pacificu.edu/document/d/1PejSVV1oSF8fOSc7huT3pdM8xE1KCuSoH2czbwfEhcs/edit?usp=sharing