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With mobile phones now in the hands of virtually all of our learners, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine environments that do not include learning through mobile devices in even some small capacity. The interest in mobile learning is reflected in the enormous number of publications which have appeared over the past 10 to 15 years, but there are still questions about when, how, and why learners will choose to use or not use mobile devices as a regular part of their learning (Stockwell, 2022). Furthermore, the “disruptive” nature of mobile devices (see Hampel, 2019) has caused mixed reactions from teachers, some of whom feel that they are a distraction in the classroom, while others see a shifting of responsibility to the learners as a positive that can lead to autonomous behaviours that facilitate learning. Making the most of learning through mobile learning is dependent upon understanding the expectations of teachers, learners, and administrators, and to capitalise upon the affordances of the device, the learning ecology, and the short-term and long-term goals of the learners. This paper explores how mobile learning can play a role both inside and outside of the classroom, and the impact that it may have on both formal and informal learning opportunities. It includes a discussion of the shifting roles of teachers and learners, and then going on to explore the myths associated with technology in the development and sustainment of motivation and autonomy.

Various studies have discussed learners’ attitudes and achievement in CALL and MALL (Kiernan & Aizawa, 2004; Lu, 2008; Huang & Lin, 2011, but there has been little research into a combination of these with paper-based materials to date in terms of their attitudes and the factors leading to decisions about which to use. Research has suggested that learners show generally positive attitudes towards using technology for learning, but this is not necessarily reflected in actual usage (e.g., Stockwell, 2010), and there have been few studies that have looked at all three of these methods within a single study. Thus, this study investigated 70 Japanese learners of Chinese to examine their task engagement and attitudes toward PC-based, smartphone-based, and paper-based materials designed to supplement their learning outside the classroom, as well as to identify the potential reasons behind their choice of method. All of the materials were largely the same, but the materials on the website and mobile application included several interactive activities that were not possible to replicate with the paper-based materials. The study was carried out over an eight-week period in three classes, and the learners could choose which materials to use at any point throughout the period. Data collection included weekly, pre- and post- surveys, along with interviews to determine how they framed the activities as a supplement of their courses. The results revealed that learners made informed decisions about what materials they used, with which technological difficulties, learning strategies and conditions had varying effects on engagement and attitude.

Second language education is a complex field that is continually evolving, shaped by the changes in teaching and learning contexts that have emerged over the past several decades. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these changes are predominantly driven by shifts in technology, shifts in educational approaches and philosophies, and shifts in societal and sociocultural perspectives, and each of them have brought with them different influences that have led second language education to where it is today. Amidst the numerous elements that contribute to its complexity, one factor that has become increasingly significant is social justice. This article provides an in-depth discussion on social justice in the context of second language teaching and learning, and how it has been impacted by technological developments, highlighting the affordances of technology and the importance of training to raise awareness of social justice issues in language education.

With mobile phones now in the hands of virtually all of our learners, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to imagine environments that do not include learning through mobile devices in even some small capacity. The interest in mobile learning is reflected in the enormous number of publications which have appeared over the past 10 to 15 years, but there are still questions about when, how, and why learners will choose to use or not use mobile devices as a regular part of their learning (Stockwell, 2022). Furthermore, the "disruptive" nature of mobile devices (see Hampel, 2019) has caused mixed reactions from teachers, some of whom feel that they are a distraction in the classroom, while others see a shifting of responsibility to the learners as a positive that can lead to autonomous behaviours that facilitate learning. Making the most of learning through mobile learning is dependent upon understanding the expectations of teachers, learners, and administrators, and to capitalise upon the affordances of the device, the learning ecology, and the short-term and long-term goals of the learners. This paper explores how mobile learning can play a role both inside and outside of the classroom, and the impact that it may have on both formal and informal learning opportunities. It includes a discussion of the shifting roles of teachers and learners, and then going on to explore the myths associated with technology in the development and sustainment of motivation and autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]