Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Overview of Literature from 2008 to 2012

Abstract

This paper provides a content analysis of studies in Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) that were published in ten Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) journals, including ReCALL, Computers & Education, and Computer Assisted Language Learning so on. Only papers that were identify as MALL-related, full-length paper, and published during 2008 to 2012 were analyzed. After comprehensive review, 44 articles were used for this study to answer the following questions: (1) what is the status of those MALL articles published in these selected journals from 2008 to 2012, (2) what research sample groups related to MALL were selected in these articles from 2008 to 2012, and (3) what language learning topics related to MALL were adopted in these articles from 2008 to 2012? According the analysis results, the distribution of articles is 12, 6, 7, 10, and 9 from 2008 to 2012. It was found that research samples in higher education were selected most (31). We can find that the elementary school students (3), high school students (5), and teachers (1) are seldom used in MALL activities. Hence, we may claim one of the trends shaping the MALL studies from 2008 to 2012 is to exploit college student as convenience sample. On the other hand, the results implied that MALL researchers should pay more attention on applying MALL to elementary, high school, and others because it becomes popular for K-12 students using mobile devices to access digital information. Overall, the analysis results provide insights and patterns of MALL research trends for language instructors and researchers. Consequently, this study contributes to clarify the route of pass five years and indicate a feasible roadmap for MALL research.