Abstrak
SAID AGIL ALBANA, Reg. NO. 2230104058 entitled: “ STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE ON USING DUOLINGO APPLICATION IN IMPROVING THEIR ENGLISH-SPEAKING SKILL”, English Teaching Department, Faculty of Tarbiyah and teacher Training. State Islamic University (UIN) Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar 2026. The study was conducted because English-speaking ability remains an important skill for English Department students, yet many students experience difficulties in developing fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and confidence in speaking. Duolingo is widely used as a language-learning application that provides vocabulary exercises, pronunciation practices, and interactive learning activities. However, students’ perceptions of its contribution to speaking-skill development, particularly in the context of UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar, needed to be investigated. This research employed a descriptive quantitative approach with a survey design. The participants were 29 students of the English Teaching Department at UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar who had used Duolingo for approximately three months or longer. They were selected through purposive sampling based on predetermined criteria. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing 72 statements measured on a five-point Likert scale. Before being administered, the instrument was tested for validity and reliability. The validity test using Aiken’s V obtained an overall coefficient of 0.76, indicating high validity, while the reliability test using Cronbach’s Alpha produced a coefficient of 0.898 for all 72 items, indicating very high reliability. The questionnaire covered eight indicators: Perceived Usefulness, Learning Experience, Ease of Use, Evaluation, Fluency, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, and Speaking Confidence. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, with the assistance of SPSS version 22. The findings revealed that students had a positive perspective toward the use of Duolingo, with an overall mean score of 3.579. Among the perspective indicators, Ease of Use obtained the highest mean score (M = 3.724), followed by Learning Experience (M = 3.631), Perceived Usefulness (M = 3.628), and Evaluation (M = 3.610), all indicating positive perspectives. Regarding perceived speaking-skill development, Vocabulary obtained the highest mean score (M = 3.578), followed by Pronunciation (M = 3.565) and Fluency (M = 3.517), indicating high improvement in these aspects. Speaking Confidence obtained the lowest mean score (M = 3.376), indicating a moderate level. Therefore, students perceived Duolingo as a useful supplementary application for improving vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency, although additional communicative speaking practice is needed to strengthen their confidence in speaking English.