duolingo dissertation award

SOLL Researchers Win Duolingo Dissertation Award

Catherine Roberts

Recently, three PhD students at SOLL have won the Duolingo English Test Doctoral Dissertation Award — Rena Gao , Shengkai Yin, and Niles Zhao. 

Rena Gao is supervised by Professor Carsten Roever and Professor Trevor Cohn . Her PhD research is developing a language prediction model that will help understand how studying overseas changes L2 English speaker communication.

Shengkai Yin is a joint-PhD student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (STJU) and the University of Melbourne (UoM). His supervisors are Professor Yan Jin (SJTU), Associate Professor Jason Fan (UoM) and Professor Ute Knoch (UoM). His doctoral research looks at the assessment of critical thinking in English for Academic Purposes speaking. 

Niles Zhao is our blog’s first production team lead. His doctoral project, supervised by Associate Professor Jason Fan and Dr Kellie Frost, investigates the impact of a high-stakes English language test. 

Duolingo is an American Educational company focusing on making language education accessible to millions of people. The freemium software offers language courses in over 40 languages on iOS, Android, and PC devices. The Duolingo Dissertation Award was made to support innovation in language testing and research. 

SOLL graduates are no strangers to winning this award. When the program first launched in 2020, Leila Zohali won for her work with Automated Writing Evaluation. In 2021, Xingcheng Wang won for his work in English L2 interactional competence. 

Having students winning the internally acclaimed dissertation awards three years in a row is acknowledgement of  SOLL’s continuous efforts in graduate research. This together with the early recognition of four SOLL staff as world’s top 2% scientists attests to SOLL’s remarkable achievement in both conducting world-leading high-impact research and cultivating future talents for the field of linguistics and applied linguistics. 

This year represents a remarkable achievement for SOLL. Congratulations to all recipients, past and present, of the Duolingo English Test Doctoral Dissertation Award.

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Duolingo Dissertation Research Awards in Language Assessment

• Ding, Wenjun (Elyse) (Recipient)
• School of Education
• Bristol Doctoral College

Prize : Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants

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Call for Applications: Duolingo Research Grants Program

Event details, the duolingo research grants in language learning with technology: call for applications, the duolingo dissertation grant in language learning with technology.

The Duolingo Dissertation Grant Program supports dissertation research by doctoral candidates specializing in second or foreign language learning with technology. Applicants should be at the level of advanced candidacy and their dissertation proposals should have been approved by the relevant departmental authorities at their institutions on or before May 30th, 2020. Duolingo will award up to 5 dissertation grants each year in the amount of US$5,000 per grant. The grant program is open to doctoral candidates in the United States for research into the learning of any language with technology.

Materials to submit

• A summary of the dissertation research looking into a topic in the field of language learning with technology (no more than three single-spaced pages, including references). The summary must include an introduction to the topic, a brief literature review, research questions, research methodology, and implications of the potential findings.
• An official letter of support from the applicant's research supervisor confirming the approval of the research proposal by a faculty committee at their institution and the high likelihood of successful completion of the project.

How to apply

• Applicants: Email your application as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject line “[your last name] Dissertation Grant Application.”
• Supervisors: Email your letter of recommendation as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject line “[applicant’s last name] Dissertation Grant Recommendation.” The letter of recommendation must come directly from the supervisor.

Applications should be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT, May 30. Notifications will be sent out by August 30.

Recipients are required to submit a one-page summary of their dissertation research within three months of completion. The summary should be written for a general audience. They will also be invited to present their research at Duolingo.

The Duolingo Grant for Master's Research in Language Learning with Technology

The Duolingo Grant Program supports master's thesis research in second or foreign language learning with technology. Applicants should be completing research for a master's degree, and their research proposals should have been approved by the relevant departmental authorities at their institutions on or before May 30th, 2020. Duolingo will award up to 5 master's grants each year in the amount of US$1,000 per grant. The grant program is open to master's candidates in the United States for research into the learning of any language with technology.

• A summary of the master's research looking into a topic in the field of language learning with technology (no more than two single-spaced pages, including references). The summary must include an introduction to the topic, a brief literature review, research questions, research methodology, and implications of the potential findings.
• Applicants: Email your application as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject line “[your last name] Master’s Grant Application.”
• Supervisors: Email your letter of recommendation as an attachment to [email protected] with the subject line “[applicant’s last name] Master’s Grant Recommendation.” The letter of recommendation must come directly from the supervisor.

Recipients are required to submit a one-page summary of their master's research within three months of completion. The summary should be written for a general audience.

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Dr. Antony Kunnan wins the 2023 Cambridge/ILTA Distinguished Achievement Award

Our very own Principal Assessment Scientist Dr. Antony Kunnan has received the prestigious 2023 Cambridge/ILTA Distinguished Achievement Award ! This honor is a fitting recognition of Antony’s achievements and his incredible contributions to the field.

Starting at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1991, Antony’s academic career took off when he won the Jacqueline Ross TOEFL Dissertation Award for his groundbreaking research. His dissertation, which delved into "Test-taker characteristics and test performance: A structural modeling approach," laid the foundation for his illustrious career. 

Since then, Antony has held academic positions at prestigious institutions around the world, and has published 11 books and over 80 articles or book chapters. His research spans a wide range of topics, from validity and structural equation modeling to ethics, fairness, and policy in assessment.

Antony’s editorial work has also been instrumental in shaping the field of language assessment. In 2004, he founded Language Assessment Quarterly , a publication that quickly rose to prominence and broadened the scope of language assessment research. Antony continues to contribute to the field through his editorial roles in various publications, including The Journal of Asia TEFL and the Routledge book series New Perspectives in Language Assessment . 

But his contributions go beyond his scholarship and editorial endeavors! Antony played a pivotal role in establishing the Asian Association for Language Assessment (AALA), benefiting practitioners and researchers in the Asian region. AALA has grown into a vibrant and sustainable regional organization, thanks to Antony's passionate efforts.

Notably, Antony’s commitment to the field extends to his leadership roles within ILTA and his chairing of three LTRC conferences, which have enriched the language assessment community. And late last year, Antony helped organize the Duolingo English Test’s first language assessment research conference in Hong Kong!

We can’t wait to see Antony be presented with this Distinguished Achievement Award at LTRC in Innsbruck this July! It's a well-deserved honor for an individual who has dedicated his career to advancing language assessment and making a lasting impact. Many of Antony's colleagues from the DET research team will be joining him at the conference, where they will present their groundbreaking work, as well as celebrate Antony’s achievements. We look forward to seeing Antony and our team shine on the international stage!

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Our 2021 Duolingo Research Grant winners

In 2020 , we launched our Duolingo Research Grant program to support master's and doctoral student research about language learning and teaching with technology. The program supports scholars whose work is foundational for the next generation of language educators here at Duolingo and around the world. Their findings improve language learning for all of us!

Today we're announcing our 2021 research grants, and we were so impressed with the caliber of applicants that we decided to award six doctoral grants this year instead of five. Congratulations to this year's recipients!

Yingzhao Chen, PhD research

Comparing L1 and L2 Glosses in Vocabulary Learning from Digital Reading

Yingzhao’s study explores how providing word definitions in learners’ first or second language influences word learning. English learners read a novel, during which they can click words to check the definitions. After reading, learners’ speed and accuracy in recognizing and recalling the words are measured.

Ben Naismith, PhD research

Examiner judgments of collocational proficiency in L2 English learners’ writing

Ben's study investigates how aspects of collocations (words that commonly go together) affect the quality of English learners’ essays. In this experiment, experts rate versions of essays in which the collocations vary in specific ways. These ratings are then compared to established vocabulary measures to determine which variations are most important.

M. Gabriela Puscama, PhD research

Semantic network development through computer-based L2 instruction: An eye-tracking study

Gabriela's study tests how the way you learn vocabulary in a new language shapes the connections between words in your mind. In two experiments, English speakers will be exposed to Spanish words under different conditions and will then complete comprehension and speaking tasks in Spanish, while their eye movements are recorded.

Lesley Smith, PhD research

The Role of Computer-Delivered Feedback and Prior Knowledge in the Development of L2 Word Order

Lesley's dissertation examines the effects of computer-delivered feedback on how people learn a specific kind of French grammar structure. French learners with and without prior knowledge of the structure will receive different types of feedback on a reading task during which their responses and accuracy will be analyzed.

Diana Velázquez-López, PhD research

The role of technology-mediated feedback in the acquisition of phonology

Diana's study explores how technology facilitates acquisition of Spanish vowel pronunciation. New learners and those who heard some Spanish at home will receive pronunciation instruction and practice with automated speech recognition or visual feedback tools in their Spanish classes. Their oral production will be tested three times during the semester.

Dandan Yang, PhD research

Designing an Interactive Bilingual E-book: Promoting Parent-Child Shared Reading and Children’s English Language Skills in an EFL Setting

Dandan's study investigates a) how multimedia interactive storybooks should be designed to better support parents and their children who are learning English; and b) how parents and children interact with the storybook and how these interactions are associated with children’s English vocabulary learning and story comprehension.

Elliot Bannister, Master's research

Testing Standing Rock’s language learning app against the Technology Acceptance Model

Otȟókahe (meaning “beginning” and/or “leading the way”) is an online platform for teaching Dakota/Lakota, launched in the pandemic by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Elliot’s thesis studies community perceptions of the platform and its use in language revival – with the results helping drive the next evolution of features and curriculum.

Improving language learning and teaching, for everyone

Our 2021 Duolingo Research Grant recipients are addressing big questions in the field of language-learning research, and we can't wait to follow their progress and learn from them over the coming years! Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter for the latest, and look for our 2022 call for proposals in January. Bravo to our 2021 cohort!

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LSU Recognizes 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Awardees

May 07, 2024

Each year, the LSU Alumni Association and the LSU Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School recognize two LSU doctoral students whose research and writing demonstrate superior scholarship.

LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering and Technology

The LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering and Technology is awarded to Dimitrios Kranas from Thessaloniki, Greece, who joined LSU and the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Physics Ivan Agullo in 2018.

The LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering and Technology is awarded to Dimitrios Kranas from Thessaloniki, Greece, who joined LSU and the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Physics Ivan Agullo in 2018. His dissertation, “Entanglement in the Hawking Effect: From Astrophysical to Optical Black Holes,” opens a promising window for the observability of the quantum origin of the Hawking effect in the lab using different input quantum states of light. Kranas received his Ph.D. in physics from the LSU College of Science in August of last year and now works as a postdoctoral researcher at Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France.

“It was in the lively ambiance of the enchanting city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece I first developed a passion for solving riddles and understanding the mysteries of nature,” Kranas said. “This led me to pursue a degree in physics and delve deeper into theoretical physics.”

Kranas investigates the confluence of field theory, general relativity and quantum information.

“At the heart of theoretical physics lies the tantalizing challenge of reconciling Einstein’s theory of relativity with the enigmatic realm of quantum mechanics,” Kranas said. “My scholarly pursuits are centered on unraveling this intricate connection, with a specific focus on investigating the quantum properties of matter in the presence of gravitational influences, such as particle creation in the vicinity of black holes and during the cosmic expansion.”

The runner up for the award this year is Michael McGee from Livermore, California, whose dissertation, “Tissue Resident Regulatory T Cells and Immunopathology during Influenza Infections,” was developed under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Pathobiological Sciences Weishan Huang. McGee has received three degrees in animal sciences and pathobiological sciences from LSU and currently works as a postdoctoral researcher in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. There, he works to identify new targets for disease prevention and therapeutic intervention during respiratory viral infections in both humans and animals.

“My research focuses on how the immune system balances the need to clear a virus versus preventing damage to healthy tissue during influenza infection,” McGee said. “As we have seen for many years with flu, and more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, both uncontrolled viral replication and an exaggerated pro-inflammatory immune response can be major drivers of morbidity and mortality.”

Josephine A. Roberts LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The Josephine A. Roberts LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is awarded to Aaron Wood from Arlington, Texas, who besides his academic pursuits has worked as both an actor and director for the LSU School of Theatre and Theatre Baton Rouge.

The Josephine A. Roberts LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is awarded to Aaron Wood from Arlington, Texas, who besides his academic pursuits has worked as both an actor and director for the LSU School of Theatre and Theatre Baton Rouge. His dissertation, “Proud of Your Boy: Toxic Masculinity, Boyhood and the American Musical,” traces the cultural historiography of the phrase “boys will be boys”—especially, the pattern of white male excusal the phrase embodies through passive acceptance of white boy violence. He does this through a survey of onstage depictions of boyhood in musical theatre. Wood received his Ph.D. in theater from the LSU School of Theatre in December of last year under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Theatre History Shannon Walsh.

“My dissertation looks to the musicals Newsies , West Side Story , Heathers , and Dear Evan Hansen as case studies for the generational idea of manhood as aggressive, competitive and violent and the harmful impact of white patriarchal ideals on white masculinity itself,” Wood said. “I hope that by dismantling the structures that perpetuate toxic boyhood and advocating for a more inclusive and compassionate vision of manhood, we may see a paradigmatic shift towards a more sustainable, healthy image of ideal masculinity.”

The runner up for the award this year is Jessica Stroope from Manhattan, Kansas, who received her Ph.D. in kinesiology in 2023 with Professor Alex Garn, interim director of the LSU School of Kinesiology, as her advisor. Her dissertation, “Active Transportation, Context and Community Participation: Engaged Citizens and Destination-Based Walking and Biking” investigates how biking and walking for transportation relates to behaviors of community participation, such as attending community meetings, contacting elected officials, or working together with neighbors to solve a problem. Stroope currently serves as a research associate and physical activity specialist for the Healthy Communities program in the LSU AgCenter under the direction of Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences Denise Holston. There, Stroope works with extension agents and community coalitions across Louisiana to improve walkability and increase access to physical activity opportunities, particularly in rural areas.

“Understanding how behaviors of walking and biking for transportation relate to community involvement is important for policy and local decision-making,” Stroope said.

Abbi Rocha Laymoun

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LSU Office of Research & Economic Development

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