Introduction: Language Learning and Technology.

As a French immersion teacher candidate, I am passionate about language learning. Online tools and apps, such as Duolingo, have become popular in recent years as a means to learn languages independently. I used an app myself when first starting to learn Spanish and had some success, but I did not truly progress until I started to put my Spanish into real-world practice and listen to Spanish daily with TV shows, podcasts, and music. I am curious to learn more about the effectiveness of online language tools and what makes a successful language learner. I want to look at research on various language tools and language development to learn more about independent language learning. I am also curious whether apps like Duolingo are effective ways of reinforcing knowledge learned in class.