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Meet Jacki: She is a third year medical student at the University of Southern California. Since it is her third year she is so excited to finally start her rounds and explore how to practice medicine in various departments. The only problem is that she will be doing her rounds at the Los Angeles County Hospital, where 60% of her patients speak Spanish. She would love to use the translating phones that are conveniently located in the examination rooms, but they create a gap between her and her patients. What is she to do? Duolingo of course! She has been using the application on her phone and computer for 3 months now and feels much more confident speaking to her Spanish speaking patients about their medical history and is able to answer basic questions too. Welcome to the world of Duolingo! Duolingo is a free web-based language learning program that features language learning in: Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian. Duolingo became available to the public in 2012. This language learning software has been measured in effectiveness, motivation, and attitude. It starts each user out at his/her level based on the WebCAPE test, an established university placement exam. The summary of effectiveness states that 34 hours of Duolingo equals 1 university semester (11 weeks). Duolingo makes learning fun while engaging the user in the four necessary components of literacy: reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. In order to use Duolingo, the user must create an account in order to access the online language lessons. After selecting a desired language to learn, Duolingo will create a skill tree. This is a systematic way for the user to access lessons in order to begin learning the new language. Within a lesson, if the user successfully answers all 13 skill exercises correctly with fewer than 4 mistakes, a new skill will be unlocked. If more than 4 mistakes are made, the user will have to do the lesson again in order to move on to the next skill. The users progress is tracked as lessons are completed. After the user completes all lessons, he/she is ready to translate content that has been uploaded to the Duolingo website. Duolingo uses crowdsourcing by allowing people to upload documents that need to be translated. After Duolingo users have translated the document, the original owner of the document pays for the translation. The importance of receiving a free language education is only part of the Duolingo vision. The other significance is that the program relies upon its users for real-life translator application. 5 EDCT 522 DUOLINGO 1 2 3

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Page 1: 2 5 DUOLINGOsashavargas.weebly.com/uploads/6/1/0/6/6106489/... · speaking to her Spanish speaking patients about their medical history and is able to answer basic questions too

Meet Jacki: She is a third year medical student at the University of Southern California. Since it is her third year she is so excited to finally start her rounds and explore how to practice medicine in various departments. The only problem is that she will be doing her rounds at the Los Angeles County Hospital, where 60% of her patients speak Spanish. She would love to use the translating phones that are conveniently located in the examination rooms, but they create a gap between her and her patients. What is she to do? Duolingo of course! She has been using the application on her phone and computer for 3 months now and feels much more confident speaking to her Spanish speaking patients about their medical history and is able to answer basic questions too.

Welcome to the world of Duolingo! Duolingo is a free web-based

language learning program that features language learning in: Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian. Duolingo became available to the public in 2012. This language learning software has been measured in effectiveness, motivation, and attitude. It starts each user out at his/her level based on the WebCAPE test, an established university placement exam. The summary of effectiveness

states that 34 hours of Duolingo equals 1 university semester (11 weeks). Duolingo makes learning fun while engaging the user in the four necessary components of literacy: reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

In order to use Duolingo, the user must create an account in order to access the online language

lessons. After selecting a desired language to learn, Duolingo will create a skill tree. This is a systematic way for the user to access lessons in order to begin learning the new language. Within a lesson, if the user successfully answers all 13 skill exercises correctly with fewer than 4 mistakes, a new skill will be unlocked. If more than 4 mistakes are made, the user will have to do the lesson again in order to move on to the next skill. The users progress is tracked as lessons are completed. After the user completes all lessons, he/she is ready to translate content that has been uploaded to the Duolingo website. Duolingo uses crowdsourcing by allowing people to upload documents that need to be translated. After Duolingo users have translated the document, the original owner of the document pays for the translation.

The importance of receiving a free language education is only part of the Duolingo vision. The other

significance is that the program relies upon its users for real-life translator application.

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Because text information is constantly increasing with digital media, the need for current translations is more abundant than ever. Duolingo serves to benefit both language learners and content providers. Organizations now have a new mode of getting their information translated and out to multiple audiences, while students receive a quality language education.

• Needs a more thorough placement exam

• Translation portions of the levels need to coincide with what is being taught

• On average you need to spend 34 hours if you begin with no Spanish experience to have the equivalent of a first semester college level Spanish course

• People are more motivated if they are using the program to learn Spanish for travel versus personal interest

• Engaging in a real conversation • Reading authentic literature

Duolingo can be used in a variety of different ways, both inside and

outside the classroom. Because Duolingo was created to help the process of translating online documents, Duolingo is very independent and self-monitored. A motivated learner can join Duolingo and work at his or her own pace to accomplish tasks and goals created by the site. A user can move from novice to fluent speaker and/or translator with time and practice using the Duolingo Software. Teachers can use the site to monitor students’ independent progress, or they can assign extra practice or challenge work using Duolingo. Students learning a language like

Spanish or French, or students who are learning English as a second language can use this program at their own speed and skill level. Duolingo helps teachers to teach the language content in a structured format, but also engages learners because of the technology piece. Duolingo also allows users to compete against other users for points based on lessons passed and time used. This type of “gamification” (Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to non-game applicants to make them more fun and engaging) will motivate students to work hard and spend more time on the Duolingo Website learning their desired language. (Gamification.org, 2013)

Duolingo directly lends itself to the standards set by the International Society for Technology in Education

(ISTE). This language learning software addresses users needs to learn a new language. Duolingo is self-paced and customized to individual learners based on their intake assessment upon joining Duolingo. Duolingo’s model of constantly assessing the user as her or she moves through the lessons on the skill tree meets the ISTE standard Number 2 for teachers: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessment:

b.develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

c.customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

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Duolingo’s ultimate goal is for its users to be able to eventually translate important online documents for clients and websites. This method of crowdsourcing, using the Duolingo software, gives everyone, no matter what language they speak, access to important digital media. Because of this, Duolingo also meets the ISTE Standard Number 6 for students:

6. Technology Operations and Concepts-Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students: a. understand and use technology systems. d. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Grego, J., & Vesselinov, R. (2012). Duolingo Effectiveness Study. Retrieved from http://static.duolingo.com/s3/Duolingo Report_Final.pdf Costa, A. DuoLingo Review: The Quick, Easy and Free Way to Learn A Language. Message posted to http://www.fluentin3months.com/duolingo/ Link to Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WyzJ2Qq9Abs Links to Tech Standards: http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008 http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2