Applying MALL to an EFL Listening and Speaking Course: An Action Research Approach

The study adopted an action research approach to investigate mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) teaching and learning processes in an English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) listening and speaking course at a Chinese university. The study participants were 61 students majoring in business English. For this study, an English-learning application, Keke, was integrated with MALL exercises. Data were collected using questionnaires, reflective journals, interviews, and pre- and post-study proficiency tests. The results of two action research cycles revealed that students' attitudes toward MALL listening and speaking practices became more positive after certain changes were made to the intervention in Cycle 2; these changes included various types of mobile-assisted exercises, enhancements for teacher monitoring, and the incorporation of an online learning management application. Students made significant progress in English listening, but not in speaking. This study, therefore, has pedagogical implications for the use of MALL in facilitating EFL listening and speaking education.