UMA ANÁLISE DA TRADUÇÃO DE ITENS CULTURAIS ESPECÍFICOS NO APLICATIVO EDUCACIONAL DUOLINGO

Abstract

Language learning apps have become increasingly popular during recent years and have been able to reach millions of users around the globe. Their easiness of use and instant availability have proved valuable to those who want to learn a language at any time and place. One such app is the very popular Duolingo, which offers courses on more than 35 different languages. Its lessons make use of translation, crowdsourcing, gamification, and automation for their teaching. This teaching process is analyzed qualitatively here with the aim of better understanding its workings, especially how it incorporates cultural translation into the Portuguese-French curriculum. The analysis showed that there is predominantly a neutralization of foreign cultural aspects, possibly to provide a language learning experience that appeals to users from a plethora of social and cultural backgrounds. This study found that such neutralization resulted in contradictions, uneven quality of lessons, and an anonymous type of teaching where the cultural context of both source and target cultures are neglected. As Duolingo itself has expressed interest in changing its teaching to one where culture plays a bigger role, this study makes use of Javier Franco Aixelá’s (1996) classification of culturespecific items to point out ways in which the app can achieve such change.