DUOLINGO GAMIFIED STRENGTH: A CASE STUDY OF VOCABULARY DEPENDENCY AMONG EFL STUDENTS

PRASTIA, PUTRA DWI (2026) DUOLINGO GAMIFIED STRENGTH: A CASE STUDY OF VOCABULARY DEPENDENCY AMONG EFL STUDENTS. Diploma thesis, IKIP PGRI BOJONEGORO.

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Abstract

This study investigates the gamification strength of Duolingo and the extent to which it fosters vocabulary dependency among EFL students. The research was conducted through a qualitative case study at SMP 2 Kalitidu, Bojonegoro, involving twenty student informants and one English teacher selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through non-participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using an interactive model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with trustworthiness maintained through triangulation, member checking, and persistent observation. The findings show that Duolingo's gamification features, particularly its reward, streak, and levelling systems, increased students' motivation and frequency of vocabulary practice, with eighteen of twenty informants reporting vocabulary improvement. However, four informants showed clear signs of dependency, marked by anxiety over losing their streak and difficulty studying without the application, while students who used Duolingo only for teacher-assigned tasks displayed the least autonomous vocabulary use. Four interrelated factors were identified as drivers of this dependency: psychological factors such as enjoyment and the need for achievement, application design factors such as push notifications and instant feedback, social factors centred on streak maintenance, and pedagogical factors related to accessibility and teacher integration. The study concludes that Duolingo's gamification is simultaneously a powerful motivational tool and a potential source of vocabulary dependency, so that its use needs to be balanced with contextual and communicative practice to ensure that vocabulary gained through the application transfers into genuine, real-world language use. Keywords: gamification, vocabulary dependency, Duolingo, EFL students, mobile-assisted language learning

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