THE USE OF DUOLINGO BASED LEARNING IN ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS : A CASE STUDY AT SMPN 3 TARAKAN
THE USE OF DUOLINGO BASED LEARNING IN ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS: A CASE STUDY AT SMPN 3 TARAKAN ABSTRACT This research examines the use of Duolingo-based learning as a technology-assisted approach to develop speaking skills at SMPN 3 Tarakan. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved three junior high school students with different levels of English proficiency high achievers (S1), average achievers (S2), and low achievers (S3) as participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and documentation during three sessions conducted in May 2025. Findings indicate progressive improvement in six indicators of speaking skills (active engagement, fluency, accuracy, interaction skills, confidence, and adaptability) in all three participants over the observation period, albeit at different rates according to individual proficiency levels. (S1) demonstrated consistent and strong performance across all dimensions, (S2) showed significant improvement, particularly in fluency and interaction skills, while (S3) demonstrated the most significant affective shift, moving from communicative withdrawal and language anxiety in the initial session to greater participation and resilience in the final session. Additionally, this study examined how students used and perceived Duolingo-based learning across three sub-dimensions: prior experience with the app, perceived impact on speaking development, and expectations for technology-mediated learning. All three participants reported generally positive perceptions, recognizing Duolingo's low-pressure, game-based environment as supportive of pronunciation awareness, vocabulary development, and communicative confidence. The study concluded that the use of Duolingo-based learning as a supplementary resource within a structured EFL speaking program can result in meaningful communicative improvements across a range of learner achievement levels, particularly when combined with classroom-based communicative instruction.