Understanding English Language Learners’ Experiences and Perceptions of Mobile Assisted Vocabulary Learning

Abstract

Grounded in the field of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), this study aimed to explore students’ experiences of using a vocabulary learning application as a self-study tool, and to understand their perceptions of the related learning experiences. With Taiwanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners from a university as participants, the students were instructed to use the application via smartphones or tablet PCs to learn vocabulary for five weeks. During the intervention, the collected data included: self-reported learning logs, technology acceptance questionnaires, and semi-structured individual interviews. The findings revealed that both the tablet PC and the smartphone groups favored the vocabulary learning application, and their user experiences as well as perceptions yielded similar positive results, regardless of the mobile device utilized.