The Impact of Duolingo on English Language Skill Development Among Efl Students in Saudi Arabia

This research investigated the influence of a language learning application, Duolingo, on the development of English language proficiency, particularly in reading and writing skills, among middle school students in Saudi Arabia. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design consisting of two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The sample consisted of 32 students who were purposively chosen from the research population. Both groups were required to take a pre-test prior to the experiment and a post-test after it. The experimental group used the Duolingo app (version 6.18.3) to help them learn. The assessment tool was created to measure how Duolingo affects students' reading and writing skills. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the post-test scores for reading and writing skills, with a significance value of (0.05) for both skills. The effect size was very high for reading skills (71%) and quite high for writing skills (36%). Based on these results, it is suggested that the Duolingo app be used more in the classroom, that teachers be trained on how to use it effectively in the classroom, and that students be encouraged to use it as an outside assessment tool.