The Role of Duolingo vs. Cake Platforms in L2 Listening Emotions and Listening Self-Efficacy: A Mixed-Methods Study

Delving into computerized software in language learning and teaching is gaining interest in the field of SLA; however, the number of experimental studies into computerized tools is in its infancy, specifically in the Iranian setting. This study, following an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, aimed at investigating the effect of Duolingo vs. Cake platforms on L2 listening emotions and listening self-efficacy for intermediate EFL students. In doing so, a pool of 32 homogeneous Iranian students, who were divided into two experimental groups, participated in the study. Listening emotions and listening self-efficacy questionnaires were utilized to collect the data, and the one-way ANCOVA and interactive theme-based analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between Duolingo and Cake platforms with respect to their effects on both L2 listening emotions and listening self-efficacy. Students exposed to Duolingo showed more listening emotions and listening self-efficacy than those exposed to the Cake platform. Calculating the inter-coder reliability, the researchers elicited nine common themes from the students’ responses to the semi-structured interview questions regarding their reactions to the role of AI platforms in their listening emotions and self-efficacy, including: exciting, innovative, less stress, focused attention, bad internet connection, autonomous learning, expressing more easily, working on pronunciation, and challenging. In the end, some practical implications are provided for L2 students, teachers, and syllabus designers.