MOBILE APPS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: BUSUU, DUOLINGO AND MEMRISE

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the insertion of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (TDIC), mainly in teaching-learning contexts. This scenario of isolation experienced during this period made education adapt to new models, and with that it had to massively use digital technologies at all levels of education. In this sense, we saw several digital tools being used as an educational resource, from notebooks to smartphones, in the teaching-learning process of all curricular components. In the learning of foreign languages there are a variety of platforms and mobile applications that manage to make possible the contact of the students with the language having as a goal the learning. Therefore, in this article, I evaluate three mobile applications for learning the English language: (1) Busuu, (2) Duolingo and (3) Memrise, considering the following characteristics: free; development of the four skills; vocabulary study; language concept; teaching method; feedback; gamification; usability and encouraging interaction. The choice for these apps was based on the list of the most downloaded mobile apps for learning English on the iTunes website using the keywords "education" and "free apps to learn English" in the store's search engine and the analysis made was of the first lessons of each app. The study concludes that all applications manage to provide students with contact with the English language through authentic input, that is, a real situation of contact with the language, but still cannot be used by students without the instruction of teachers. The study also concludes that Busuu and Memrise offers the best content for learning, but Duolingo is the only one that offers the entire course for free.