Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Holistik (JIPH) Vol. 3 - No. 3 - The Effectiveness of Duolingo and Busuu Apps to Improve English Vocabulary Mastery - The Case of Second Grade Students of MA Yarobi Grobogan

Q: What was the purpose of the study on Duolingo and Busuu?

The study evaluated students’ English vocabulary mastery before and after using Duolingo and Busuu, and examined significant differences in vocabulary understanding.

Q: What research method and participants were used?

A quasi-experimental design was applied with 61 second-grade students at MA Yarobi Grobogan.

Q: What were the key results of the pre-test and post-test?

Vocabulary mastery increased after the intervention, with pre-test averages around 32.80 and 32.48 and post-test averages rising to 82.00 and 80.06.

Q: How did students respond to using the applications?

Most students responded positively, describing the apps as helpful and enjoyable for learning vocabulary.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Vocabulary is essential for teaching and for mastering English’s four core skills. This quasi-experimental study evaluated second-grade students’ English vocabulary mastery at MA Yarobi Grobogan before and after using Duolingo and Busuu, and tested whether improvement differed significantly. Sixty-one students completed pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires. Findings showed higher vocabulary mastery after intervention, with pre-test averages of 32.80 and 32.48 rising to post-test averages of 82.00 and 80.06. A t-test indicated a significant difference (t = -16.900, p < 0.001), and most students responded positively.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Holistik (JIPH) Vol. 3 , No. 3, 2024: 179-188 The Effectiveness of Duolingo and Busuu Apps to Improve English Vocabulary Mastery The Case of Second Grade Students of Ma Yarobi Grobogan Rizki Alviana1*, Suwandi2, Ajeng Setyorini3 Universitas PGRI Semarang [Corresponding Author:](Corresponding Author: Rizki Alviana rizkialviananana18904@gmail.com)[ Rizki Alviana](Corresponding Author: Rizki Alviana rizkialviananana18904@gmail.com)[ ](Corresponding Author: Rizki Alviana rizkialviananana18904@gmail.com)[rizkialviananana18904@gmail.com](Corresponding Author: Rizki Alviana rizkialviananana18904@gmail.com) A R T I C L E I N F O Keywords: Vocabulary Mastery, Duolingo, Busuu, Quasi-Experimental Design Received : 10, June Revised : 17, July Accepted: 25, August ©2024 Alviana, Suwandi, Setyorini: This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Atribusi 4.0 Internasional. A B S T R A C T Vocabulary is crucial in teaching English and mastering the four basic skills. This study aimed to evaluate the vocabulary mastery of secondgrade students at MA YAROBI Grobogan before and after using Duolingo and Busuu applications, and to measure significant differences in their vocabulary understanding. The quasi-experimental design involved 61 students. Data were collected through pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires. Results indicateda significant increase in vocabulary mastery, with average pre-test scores of 32.80 and 32.48, and post-test scores rising to 82.00 and 80.06. The t-test showed a significant difference (t = - 16.900, p < 0.001) . Most students responded positively, finding the applications helpful and enjoyable. DOI prefik: [https://doi.org/10.55927/jiph.v3i3.10818](https://doi.org/10.55927/jiph.v3i3.10818 179)[ 179](https://doi.org/10.55927/jiph.v3i3.10818 179) ISSN-E: 2829-7911 [https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/jiph](https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/jiph) INTRODUCTION English is an international language, and in this era, it is ubiquitous. Consequently, mastering English is vital for students, especially those in senior high school. Proficiency in English helps prepare students for higher education, where many textbooks and scientific journals are in English. Early mastery of English in middle school allows students to better handle academic challenges in the future. Learning English at a young age has several benefits, including faster language absorption and better long-term language skills development. In Indonesia, English is a mandatory subject in schools, with students attending English classes twice a week. Vocabulary is crucial for learning English, as it integrates listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. To communicate effectively in a foreign language, students need a broad vocabulary and the ability to use words correctly. The first step in learning English is mastering vocabulary. However, students often lose interest in lessons because they do not understand many words or sentences in English, having only a limited vocabulary from elementary school. To address this issue, teachers need to find new, effective methods to enhance students' vocabulary. According to Rahardjito et al. in Baidawi (2016), learning media are tools brought into the classroom by teachers to facilitate the teaching and learning process. This study focuses on using media as an alternative method for teaching English and improving students' vocabulary. Various media, such as films, videos, and specific applications, can enhance vocabulary through audio-visual means. Popular English learning applications like Duolingo and Busuu are widely used in Indonesia for this purpose. Duolingo is a free language-learning application developed by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker. It offers courses in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, Korean, Italian, German, and Portuguese. Duolingo employs game features to

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on Duolingo and Busuu?

The study evaluated students’ English vocabulary mastery before and after using Duolingo and Busuu, and examined significant differences in vocabulary understanding.

What research method and participants were used?

A quasi-experimental design was applied with 61 second-grade students at MA Yarobi Grobogan.

What were the key results of the pre-test and post-test?

Vocabulary mastery increased after the intervention, with pre-test averages around 32.80 and 32.48 and post-test averages rising to 82.00 and 80.06.

How did students respond to using the applications?

Most students responded positively, describing the apps as helpful and enjoyable for learning vocabulary.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mia