Utilisation de duolingo comme support d‘activités d‘expression orale du fle a Half Assini Senior High School au Ghana

Abstract

This research investigates the integration of Duolingo as a supplementary technological tool to support oral expression activities in the French as a Foreign Language (FFL) classroom. Motivated by the need to explore innovative methods for improving oral French proficiency among Senior High School (SHS) learners in Ghana, the study highlights how Duolingo can be used to enhance learner interaction, engagement, and pronunciation accuracy. Conducted at Half Assini Senior High School in the Jomoro District of the Western Region of Ghana, the research adopted a descriptive case study design involving a purposively selected SHS 3 French class. Observation, video recordings and transcriptions formed the basis of data collection, while ATLAS.ti software facilitated the qualitative coding and analysis. This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Duolingo in facilitating oral expression, identify the application features that promote learner participation and also assess the guidance of teachers in the use of this digital tool. Findings revealed that Duolingo's interactive and gamified features significantly improved learners‘ engagement in the FFL classroom. Learners demonstrated increased confidence, pronunciation improvement and vocabulary acquisition through the application‘s repetitive and feedback features. The study concludes that Duolingo holds considerable potential as a supportive tool for oral expression in the FFL classroom when effectively guided by teachers. It recommends a more structured inclusion of such digital platforms in SHS French instruction, in alignment with the Ghanaian government‘s directive on technology integration in the language curriculum.