Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: Student Attitudes to Using Smartphones to Learn English Vocabulary

This project examines mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) and in particular the attitudes of undergraduate engineering students at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences towards the use of the smartphone app Quizlet to learn English vocabulary. Initial data on attitudes to learning languages and to the use of mobile devices to do so was gathered by questionnaire from a convenience sample of 68 students. The results indicated that almost all of the participants had a smartphone and were interested in using it in language learning. The vocabulary for the Professional English: Engineering exam was then made available to the students in the Quizlet app. At the end of the semester ten students took part in follow-up interviews. The vocabulary scores from the exams from the two latest semesters were compared and showed no significant difference in the student performance. The interviews however revealed that the students found the use of mobile-learning flashcards to be a very efficient, convenient and enjoyable learning method. This research concludes that the use of smartphones in language learning is beneficial in terms of student motivation and may have additional long-term benefits which have yet to be seen. Continued study on a larger scale over a longer period is therefore recommended to provide more insight into the optimal use of mobile-assisted language learning. [For the full proceedings, see ED562096.]