Aligning Difficulty and Support: Vocabulary Learning Challenges and Perceived Usefulness of Duolingo among Eighth-Grade EFL Learners in Vietnam

Abstract

Mobile-assisted language learning has become a routine part of how young EFL learners study vocabulary, yet research rarely asks whether the support learners perceive in an application corresponds to the difficulties they actually report. This study examined eighth-grade Vietnamese learners' vocabulary learning challenges, their patterns of mobile application and Duolingo use, and their perceptions of Duolingo's usefulness, and then compared the two descriptively. A quantitative survey design was adopted. Fifty students aged 13–14 completed an expert-reviewed paper-based questionnaire, and the data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Internal consistency was acceptable for both the challenge scale and the usefulness scale, with all corrected item-total correlations above .30. Pronunciation was the most strongly reported difficulty (M = 4.90), followed by lack of motivation (M = 4.84), whereas word use, multiple meanings and limited materials were reported at moderate levels. Mobile applications were already embedded in these learners' study habits: 70% used them very often, 94% knew and used Duolingo, and 47.8% of valid respondents had used it for more than six months. Perceptions of Duolingo were positive, peaking for pronunciation and accurate word use (M = 4.62) and for motivation (M = 4.57), followed by real-life use (M = 4.21) and retention (M = 4.06). The perceived benefits therefore converged on the two most severe reported difficulties, while the convenience features usually assumed to drive adoption were rated lowest. Because the evidence is self-reported, subsequent studies should pair perception measures with vocabulary tests or classroom observation.