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Researching Mobile-Assisted English LanguageLearning Among Adult Distance Learners in ChinaEmerging Practices and Learner Perception of TeacherRoleJournal ItemHow to cite
Kan Qian and Tang Jinlan (2018) Researching Mobile-Assisted English Language Learning Among AdultDistance Learners in China Emerging Practices and Learner Perception of Teacher Role International Journal ofComputer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching (IJCALLT) 8(3) pp 1ndash28
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DOI 104018IJCALLT2018070101
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
Copyrightcopy2018IGIGlobalCopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIGIGlobalisprohibited
1
Researching Mobile-Assisted English Language Learning Among Adult Distance Learners in ChinaEmerging Practices and Learner Perception of Teacher RoleKan Qian The Open University Milton Keynes UK
Jinlan Tang Beijing Foreign Studies University Beijing China
ABSTRACT
Guidedbytheconceptualframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsformobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)ininformalsettingourstudyinvestigateshowmobiledevicesimpactthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishatahighereducationinstitutioninChinaDatasourcesincludequantitativedataof148completedresponsestoanonlinesurveyandqualitativedatafromfollow-upemailinterviewsThestudydemonstratesthatstudentsrsquomainmotivationforengaginginmobileassistedEnglishlearningistofillinthegapsintheirdailyscheduleinordertomaximizeavailabletimeandthemajorityusemobiledevicestosupportformalcourselearningTheskillsandknowledgeareaspracticedwithmobiledevicesarelisteningfollowedbyspeakingandpronunciationvocabularyreadingandtranslationOurstudyalsorevealsthatteachersplayaverylimitedroleasperceivedbystudentswhilestudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersfortheirout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningTheresearchfindingsbearsignificantpedagogicalimplicationsintermsofintegratingMALLintolanguagelearningcurriculumlearnersupportandtheneedforcontinuousteachertraining
KEywoRDSAdult Distant Learners in China English Learning Informal Learning MALL Design Pedagogy Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) Tutor Role
1 INTRoDUCTIoN
Theever-increasingaffordabilityaccessibilityandsophisticationofmobilecommunicationtechnologyhasinfiltratedtheeducationmarket(HaoDennienampLi2017)Theubiquitousnatureofmobiletechnologyenableslearnerstohaveaccesstoresourceslsquoappropriatetotheirimmediatesituationrsquo(ReadBaacutercenaampKukulska-Hulme2016)whichoffersenormousopportunitiestosupportlearningandteachingbothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom(MartinampErtzberger2013)
Inthefieldofsecondlanguagelearning(L2)mobiledeviceshavetrulybecomelanguagelearnersrsquopersonaldigitalassistants(PDAs)(Godwin-Jones2011)Thewiderangeoflanguagelearningmobileapplicationsencourageslearnerstobemorelearner-centred(Burston2014)Asaresultthepracticesandbehavioursoflanguagelearnersarechanging(Kukulska-Hulme2012aArvanitisKrystalliamp
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
2
Panagiotidis2016)Mobilelearningisespeciallyimportantinadistancelanguagelearningcontextwhenstudentsconstantlystrugglewiththetimeastheyworkwhilststudying(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)andwhenthereislimitedinteractionbetweenteachersandstudentsandamongstpeers(KanOwenampBax2018)Languagelearningoutsideclasshoursassistedbymobiledevicesisessentialtothedevelopmentoflanguagecompetence(LevyampKennedy2005Kukulska-Hulme2012a) Previous studies have revealed that L2 adult distance learners are becoming more andmoreself-directedlearnersasthetechnologyenablesthemtobebetterorganizedandspendmoretimelearningthelanguagethanbefore(DemouyJonesKanKukulska-HulmeampEardley2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)
WiththeincreasingownershipofmobiledevicesamongtheworldrsquoslargestEnglishlanguagelearningpopulationandtheMinistryofEducationinChinaactivelyencouragingtheuseoftechnologyinpromotinginstructionalefficiencyincollegeEnglishlanguageeducation(cfChinaMinistryofEducation2016)itisimportanttoexaminehowlearnersinChinausemobiledevicestosupporttheir English language learning and what and how mobile learning resources are used so thatmobilelanguagelearningcanbeeffectivelyembeddedintotheteachingAbetterunderstandingofit isparticularlyimportant indistanceeducationwhentheboundariesbetweenformalclassroomlearningandinformaloutsideclasslearningareblurred(Demouyetal2016)OurstudyintendstofindoutifthereportedemergingpracticesamongWesterndistancelearnersreportedinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)applytoadifferentculturalcontextieadultdistantlearnersattheuniversitylevelinChinaIftherearedifferenceswewillexplorethereasonsbehindthemOurstudyalsoaimstoextendDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthesensethatwelookbeyondemergingpracticestoincludetwonewdimensionsi)tolinktheskillspracticedorknowledgeareasobtainedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesii)andtoexplorelearnerperceptionsofthetutorrsquosrole
Our study is guided by the conceptual framework with six aspects of analysis proposed byKukulska-Hulme (2012a) for next generation designs for mobile-assisted language learning toexploretheinteractionbetweentimespaceandcharacteristicsoflearningactivitiesUnderpinnedbyKukulska-Hulmersquosconceptualframework(see32forfurtherdetails)ourstudypartiallyreplicatesDemouyalrsquosstudy(2016)intermsofusingsomeofthequestionsintheirsurveyinordertocomparedistancelearnersintheUKwiththoseinChina
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillbrieflyreviewrelevantliteraturethat informsthecriticalanalysis of ourdata so as to answer the researchquestions (see31) Itwill be followedby theresearchquestionsandmethodologysectionwherewedescribeour instrumentsandmethodsofanalysisWewillthenpresenttheresultswithanalysisandfinallywediscusssomekeyissueswithpotentialimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinChinaandsuggestionsforfutureresearch
2 LITERATURE REVIEw
InthissectionwewillreviewrelevantliteratureonmobileassistedlanguagelearningingeneralandmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinainparticular
21 Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL)MALLhasmanydefinitionsInthisstudywefollowthedefinitionproposedbyKukulska-HulmeandShield(2008p273)todefineMALLintermsofldquoitsuseofpersonalportabledevicesthatenablenewwaysoflearningemphasizingcontinuityorspontaneityofaccessandinteractionacrossdifferentcontextofuserdquoWewillalsoregardtheconceptofmobilitytoincludebothlearneranddeviceasproposedbyPalalas(2011)Overthelasttwentyyearstherehasbeenaproliferationofresearchonmobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)(Burston2013ChwoMarekampWu2018)rangingfrominvestigatingemerginglearnerpracticesandpatterns(egDemouyetal2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)theefficacyandusabilityofvariousmobiledevicesandappsforthelearning
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
3
ofvariouslanguageskillsandtheacquisitionofvocabularyandgrammarknowledge(egArvanitisetal2016ChangampHsu2011MasonampZhang2017Stockwell2010)integrationofMALLintoformallearningandMALLdesignpedagogicalchallenges(egBurston2014CrossSharplesampHealing2015Stockwell2015)learnerperceptionofteachersrsquoroleandattitudes(egPalalas2011Steel2012HaoDennienampLi2017Sharplesetal2016)learnerattitudesandmotivations(egHaoetal2017)tolearnerprofileandperceptionsofMALL(egConoleDeLaatDillonampDarb2008Hsu2013Rosell-AguilarampKan2016)andexploringtheuseofsocialnetworksormobileplatformsforlanguagepracticeandcommunication(egLamy2013Plutino2017)Belowwewillfocusoni)emergingpracticesandlearnerbehaviorsii)linkbetweentheappsresourceswiththelanguageskillsiii)integrationintoformallearningiv)MALLdesignpedagogyandv)learnerperceptionandattitudesofthetutorrsquosrole
211 Emerging Practices and Habits in Informal SettingsThe European Commission (2001 p 32) offered the following definition for informal learningInformallearningldquoresultsfromdailylifeactivitiesrelatedtoworkfamilyorleisureItisnotstructured(intermsoflearningobjectiveslearningtimeorlearningsupport)andtypicallydoesnotleadtocertificationInformallearningmaybeintentionalbutinmostcasesitisunintentional(orlsquoincidentalrsquorandom)rdquoInourstudyweusethetermlsquoinformallearningrsquoinabroadsensetoincludealllanguagelearningactivitiesoutsidetheplannedclasshours(beitvirtualorface-to-faceclassrooms)whichmaybeunintentionalorintentionalwiththeaimofsupportingthelearningofobtainingacertificateorqualification
CrossSharplesandHealing(2015)rsquosstudycomparedtheimpactofmobiledevicesondistantlearnersrsquostudyhabitsacrossarangeofdisciplinesOneoftheinterestingfindingswasthatover70ofstudentsonlanguageeducationandsocialcarecoursesreportedthattheirstudyhabitshadchangedwhilstonly50ofstudentsonscienceandartrelatedcoursesreportedachangeItsuggeststhattheaffordancesofsmartphonesandtabletsarebettersuitedforlanguagelearningastheyenablethelearnerstopracticethefouressentialskillslisteningspeakingreadingandwritingLaiandGu(2011)pointedoutthatlsquosuccessfullanguagelearnersoftenattributetheirachievementsinlanguagelearningtoactiveengagementwiththetargetlanguagebeyondtheclassroom(2011p318)ItisapparentthatMALLcanassistdistancelearnersmoreinengaginginlanguageactivitiesbecausethesestudentshavelimitedinteractionswithtutorsandfellowlearners(KanOwenampBax2018)
Stockwell(2015)drewresearchersrsquoattentionto thefact thatalthoughmostmobile languagelearningtakesplaceoutsidetheclassroomthepublishedresearchislargelybasedontheclassroomsettingsiehowthedevicesareusedintheteacher-ledclassroomItisbecauseresearchinginformallanguage involvesmorevariablesas it is lesssystematicandharder to identify (VanMarsenille2015)AstudycarriedoutbyKukulska-HulmeandDeLosArcos(2011p77)exploredinformalmobilelanguagelearningbyadultsintheUKandfoundthatldquomobilelearnersexhibitconventionallanguagelearningbehaviourslikememorizingvocabularywhileattheotherendtheycreatetheirownagendasnetworksresourcesandtoolsrdquoChwoetal(2018)challengedthecommonwisdomthatldquowithMALLlearningcantakeplaceatanytimeoranyplacerdquoasmanylearnershavepreferredtimesandplacesfortheirstudy(Chwoetal2018p70)Oneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutlearnersrsquopreferredtimesandplaces
Demouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyoneofafewsetindistancelanguagelearningcontextexploredwhyandhowdistance language learners inTheOpenUniversity (UK)usedmobiledevices forlanguagelearningThisstudyshowedthattheselanguagelearnerswerebecomingmoreself-directedin exploring what worked for them they spent more time learning the language as the mobiledevicesallowedthemtohaveaccesstolearningmaterialsinplacesandattimeswhereandwhenitwasunimaginableinthepastItalsorevealedthetoptworeasonsforusingthemobiledevicesforlanguagelearning1)exploringmoreresourcesforlanguagelearningand2)takingadvantageofthegapsindailyscheduleforlanguagelearningAlthoughsuchlearningactivitiesbystudentstookplace
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
4
informallyoutsideclasshourssometimestheaimwastoprepareforassignmentswhicharerelatedtotheirformallearningforacertificateordegreeThefindingsfromtheirstudygiveasnapshotofsomeemergingnewpracticesandpreferredactivitiesbystudentsusingmobiledevicesWhatismissingfromthisstudyistoidentifythepreferredappsandresourcesandthenlinkthepreferredappsresourceswiththelanguageskill(s)practicedForexamplewhichappsareusedforpracticingspeakingorvocabulary-buildingandwhyOurstudywassetouttofindoutaboutit
212 Link Between the AppsResources with the Language SkillsMoststudiesonMALLsupportedthehypothesisthatmobiletechnologycouldenhancelearnersrsquosecondlanguageacquisitionimprovingknowledgeofvocabulary(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)grammar(WangampSmith2013)listening(egReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)andspeaking(RueckertKiserampCho2012)inbothformalandinformalsettings(DemouyampKukulska-Hulme2010)Therehavebeenmanystudiesgivingdescriptiveanalysisofaspecific language learningappandhowtheapphelpsimprovinglisteningspeakingandreadingskillsChangandHsu(2011)investigatedtheuseofmobiledevicestointegrateaninstanttranslationmodeinanintermediateEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcourseThestudyfoundthattheuseofmobiledevicesencouragedcollaborativelearningandasaresultimprovedthereadingskillsThestudycarriedoutbyMasonandZhang(2017)attemptedtomatchtheapp(s)usedbylearnersofChineseasaforeignlanguagewiththelanguageskill(s)practicedbutfailedtoexplainthereasonsbehindtheirchoicesiethekeyfeaturesoftheappsOurstudyaimstoidentifythekeyfeatures
ArvanitisKrystalliandPanagiotidis(2016)conductedadesktopresearchthatanalyzed20freeappsforL2languagelearningwhichrevealedthatthecontentofmostoftheapplicationsfocusesonthedevelopmentoflexicalandgrammaticalcompetencelexicalcompetenceinparticularHowevertheydidnotinvestigatelearnerexperienceoftheseappsandtheydidnotidentifythekeyfeaturesofthemostpopularappsresourceswhichwerenotmatchedwiththelanguageskillspracticedasreportedbylearners
213 Integration into Formal LearningItiswellestablishedintheliteraturethatMALLcanmotivatestudentsbyincreasingtheirlanguagelearningopportunitiesoutsidetheclass(Kukulska-Hulme2005ThorntonampHouser2005HuangampSun2010)andbyembeddingthelearningprocessintotheireverydaylife(PriceampRogers2004)Crossetal(2015)surveyed3003adultdistantlearnersonundergraduatecoursesofvariousdisciplinesincludinglanguagelearnersItrevealsdistancelearnersintheUKuseandintegratemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearning77ofparticipantsreportedthattheyaccesseduniversitystudymaterialsatleastonceaweeksuchasreadingcoursematerialstakingpartinonlinecoursediscussionforumsdownloadingassessmentmaterialsetcAlthoughthestudydidnotfocusonlanguagelearnersthelargesampleprovidedenoughevidencethatadultdistancelearnersusemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearningInDemouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyondistancelanguagelearnersalthoughonly5reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicesinroutinesessionstoworkoncoursematerialstherewereafurther36whoreportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginbothunplannedsessionsandplannedtimestosupporttheirformalcourseworkItisworthpointingoutthatthemajorityofparticipants(59)intheirstudyreportedusingmobiledevicesinformallyforlanguagelearningDoesitapplytodistancelanguagelearnersinChinaKnowinghowlearnersusemobiledevicesoutsideclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningisveryimportantbecausetutorscanthendesignlanguageactivitiesthataresuitabletocarryoutonmobiledevices
214 MALL Design PedagogyChwoetal(2018)afterundertakingameta-analysisof213recentpapersinEnglishonMALLconcludedthatthefirstprincipleofMALLdesignisthatdesignersmustldquoconsidercarefullyhowtheintendedlearnersalreadyusetheirpersonalmobiletechnologyndashwherehowandhowlongndashand
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5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
DOI 104018IJCALLT2018070101
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
Copyrightcopy2018IGIGlobalCopyingordistributinginprintorelectronicformswithoutwrittenpermissionofIGIGlobalisprohibited
1
Researching Mobile-Assisted English Language Learning Among Adult Distance Learners in ChinaEmerging Practices and Learner Perception of Teacher RoleKan Qian The Open University Milton Keynes UK
Jinlan Tang Beijing Foreign Studies University Beijing China
ABSTRACT
Guidedbytheconceptualframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsformobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)ininformalsettingourstudyinvestigateshowmobiledevicesimpactthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishatahighereducationinstitutioninChinaDatasourcesincludequantitativedataof148completedresponsestoanonlinesurveyandqualitativedatafromfollow-upemailinterviewsThestudydemonstratesthatstudentsrsquomainmotivationforengaginginmobileassistedEnglishlearningistofillinthegapsintheirdailyscheduleinordertomaximizeavailabletimeandthemajorityusemobiledevicestosupportformalcourselearningTheskillsandknowledgeareaspracticedwithmobiledevicesarelisteningfollowedbyspeakingandpronunciationvocabularyreadingandtranslationOurstudyalsorevealsthatteachersplayaverylimitedroleasperceivedbystudentswhilestudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersfortheirout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningTheresearchfindingsbearsignificantpedagogicalimplicationsintermsofintegratingMALLintolanguagelearningcurriculumlearnersupportandtheneedforcontinuousteachertraining
KEywoRDSAdult Distant Learners in China English Learning Informal Learning MALL Design Pedagogy Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) Tutor Role
1 INTRoDUCTIoN
Theever-increasingaffordabilityaccessibilityandsophisticationofmobilecommunicationtechnologyhasinfiltratedtheeducationmarket(HaoDennienampLi2017)Theubiquitousnatureofmobiletechnologyenableslearnerstohaveaccesstoresourceslsquoappropriatetotheirimmediatesituationrsquo(ReadBaacutercenaampKukulska-Hulme2016)whichoffersenormousopportunitiestosupportlearningandteachingbothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom(MartinampErtzberger2013)
Inthefieldofsecondlanguagelearning(L2)mobiledeviceshavetrulybecomelanguagelearnersrsquopersonaldigitalassistants(PDAs)(Godwin-Jones2011)Thewiderangeoflanguagelearningmobileapplicationsencourageslearnerstobemorelearner-centred(Burston2014)Asaresultthepracticesandbehavioursoflanguagelearnersarechanging(Kukulska-Hulme2012aArvanitisKrystalliamp
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
2
Panagiotidis2016)Mobilelearningisespeciallyimportantinadistancelanguagelearningcontextwhenstudentsconstantlystrugglewiththetimeastheyworkwhilststudying(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)andwhenthereislimitedinteractionbetweenteachersandstudentsandamongstpeers(KanOwenampBax2018)Languagelearningoutsideclasshoursassistedbymobiledevicesisessentialtothedevelopmentoflanguagecompetence(LevyampKennedy2005Kukulska-Hulme2012a) Previous studies have revealed that L2 adult distance learners are becoming more andmoreself-directedlearnersasthetechnologyenablesthemtobebetterorganizedandspendmoretimelearningthelanguagethanbefore(DemouyJonesKanKukulska-HulmeampEardley2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)
WiththeincreasingownershipofmobiledevicesamongtheworldrsquoslargestEnglishlanguagelearningpopulationandtheMinistryofEducationinChinaactivelyencouragingtheuseoftechnologyinpromotinginstructionalefficiencyincollegeEnglishlanguageeducation(cfChinaMinistryofEducation2016)itisimportanttoexaminehowlearnersinChinausemobiledevicestosupporttheir English language learning and what and how mobile learning resources are used so thatmobilelanguagelearningcanbeeffectivelyembeddedintotheteachingAbetterunderstandingofit isparticularlyimportant indistanceeducationwhentheboundariesbetweenformalclassroomlearningandinformaloutsideclasslearningareblurred(Demouyetal2016)OurstudyintendstofindoutifthereportedemergingpracticesamongWesterndistancelearnersreportedinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)applytoadifferentculturalcontextieadultdistantlearnersattheuniversitylevelinChinaIftherearedifferenceswewillexplorethereasonsbehindthemOurstudyalsoaimstoextendDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthesensethatwelookbeyondemergingpracticestoincludetwonewdimensionsi)tolinktheskillspracticedorknowledgeareasobtainedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesii)andtoexplorelearnerperceptionsofthetutorrsquosrole
Our study is guided by the conceptual framework with six aspects of analysis proposed byKukulska-Hulme (2012a) for next generation designs for mobile-assisted language learning toexploretheinteractionbetweentimespaceandcharacteristicsoflearningactivitiesUnderpinnedbyKukulska-Hulmersquosconceptualframework(see32forfurtherdetails)ourstudypartiallyreplicatesDemouyalrsquosstudy(2016)intermsofusingsomeofthequestionsintheirsurveyinordertocomparedistancelearnersintheUKwiththoseinChina
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillbrieflyreviewrelevantliteraturethat informsthecriticalanalysis of ourdata so as to answer the researchquestions (see31) Itwill be followedby theresearchquestionsandmethodologysectionwherewedescribeour instrumentsandmethodsofanalysisWewillthenpresenttheresultswithanalysisandfinallywediscusssomekeyissueswithpotentialimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinChinaandsuggestionsforfutureresearch
2 LITERATURE REVIEw
InthissectionwewillreviewrelevantliteratureonmobileassistedlanguagelearningingeneralandmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinainparticular
21 Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL)MALLhasmanydefinitionsInthisstudywefollowthedefinitionproposedbyKukulska-HulmeandShield(2008p273)todefineMALLintermsofldquoitsuseofpersonalportabledevicesthatenablenewwaysoflearningemphasizingcontinuityorspontaneityofaccessandinteractionacrossdifferentcontextofuserdquoWewillalsoregardtheconceptofmobilitytoincludebothlearneranddeviceasproposedbyPalalas(2011)Overthelasttwentyyearstherehasbeenaproliferationofresearchonmobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)(Burston2013ChwoMarekampWu2018)rangingfrominvestigatingemerginglearnerpracticesandpatterns(egDemouyetal2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)theefficacyandusabilityofvariousmobiledevicesandappsforthelearning
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
3
ofvariouslanguageskillsandtheacquisitionofvocabularyandgrammarknowledge(egArvanitisetal2016ChangampHsu2011MasonampZhang2017Stockwell2010)integrationofMALLintoformallearningandMALLdesignpedagogicalchallenges(egBurston2014CrossSharplesampHealing2015Stockwell2015)learnerperceptionofteachersrsquoroleandattitudes(egPalalas2011Steel2012HaoDennienampLi2017Sharplesetal2016)learnerattitudesandmotivations(egHaoetal2017)tolearnerprofileandperceptionsofMALL(egConoleDeLaatDillonampDarb2008Hsu2013Rosell-AguilarampKan2016)andexploringtheuseofsocialnetworksormobileplatformsforlanguagepracticeandcommunication(egLamy2013Plutino2017)Belowwewillfocusoni)emergingpracticesandlearnerbehaviorsii)linkbetweentheappsresourceswiththelanguageskillsiii)integrationintoformallearningiv)MALLdesignpedagogyandv)learnerperceptionandattitudesofthetutorrsquosrole
211 Emerging Practices and Habits in Informal SettingsThe European Commission (2001 p 32) offered the following definition for informal learningInformallearningldquoresultsfromdailylifeactivitiesrelatedtoworkfamilyorleisureItisnotstructured(intermsoflearningobjectiveslearningtimeorlearningsupport)andtypicallydoesnotleadtocertificationInformallearningmaybeintentionalbutinmostcasesitisunintentional(orlsquoincidentalrsquorandom)rdquoInourstudyweusethetermlsquoinformallearningrsquoinabroadsensetoincludealllanguagelearningactivitiesoutsidetheplannedclasshours(beitvirtualorface-to-faceclassrooms)whichmaybeunintentionalorintentionalwiththeaimofsupportingthelearningofobtainingacertificateorqualification
CrossSharplesandHealing(2015)rsquosstudycomparedtheimpactofmobiledevicesondistantlearnersrsquostudyhabitsacrossarangeofdisciplinesOneoftheinterestingfindingswasthatover70ofstudentsonlanguageeducationandsocialcarecoursesreportedthattheirstudyhabitshadchangedwhilstonly50ofstudentsonscienceandartrelatedcoursesreportedachangeItsuggeststhattheaffordancesofsmartphonesandtabletsarebettersuitedforlanguagelearningastheyenablethelearnerstopracticethefouressentialskillslisteningspeakingreadingandwritingLaiandGu(2011)pointedoutthatlsquosuccessfullanguagelearnersoftenattributetheirachievementsinlanguagelearningtoactiveengagementwiththetargetlanguagebeyondtheclassroom(2011p318)ItisapparentthatMALLcanassistdistancelearnersmoreinengaginginlanguageactivitiesbecausethesestudentshavelimitedinteractionswithtutorsandfellowlearners(KanOwenampBax2018)
Stockwell(2015)drewresearchersrsquoattentionto thefact thatalthoughmostmobile languagelearningtakesplaceoutsidetheclassroomthepublishedresearchislargelybasedontheclassroomsettingsiehowthedevicesareusedintheteacher-ledclassroomItisbecauseresearchinginformallanguage involvesmorevariablesas it is lesssystematicandharder to identify (VanMarsenille2015)AstudycarriedoutbyKukulska-HulmeandDeLosArcos(2011p77)exploredinformalmobilelanguagelearningbyadultsintheUKandfoundthatldquomobilelearnersexhibitconventionallanguagelearningbehaviourslikememorizingvocabularywhileattheotherendtheycreatetheirownagendasnetworksresourcesandtoolsrdquoChwoetal(2018)challengedthecommonwisdomthatldquowithMALLlearningcantakeplaceatanytimeoranyplacerdquoasmanylearnershavepreferredtimesandplacesfortheirstudy(Chwoetal2018p70)Oneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutlearnersrsquopreferredtimesandplaces
Demouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyoneofafewsetindistancelanguagelearningcontextexploredwhyandhowdistance language learners inTheOpenUniversity (UK)usedmobiledevices forlanguagelearningThisstudyshowedthattheselanguagelearnerswerebecomingmoreself-directedin exploring what worked for them they spent more time learning the language as the mobiledevicesallowedthemtohaveaccesstolearningmaterialsinplacesandattimeswhereandwhenitwasunimaginableinthepastItalsorevealedthetoptworeasonsforusingthemobiledevicesforlanguagelearning1)exploringmoreresourcesforlanguagelearningand2)takingadvantageofthegapsindailyscheduleforlanguagelearningAlthoughsuchlearningactivitiesbystudentstookplace
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4
informallyoutsideclasshourssometimestheaimwastoprepareforassignmentswhicharerelatedtotheirformallearningforacertificateordegreeThefindingsfromtheirstudygiveasnapshotofsomeemergingnewpracticesandpreferredactivitiesbystudentsusingmobiledevicesWhatismissingfromthisstudyistoidentifythepreferredappsandresourcesandthenlinkthepreferredappsresourceswiththelanguageskill(s)practicedForexamplewhichappsareusedforpracticingspeakingorvocabulary-buildingandwhyOurstudywassetouttofindoutaboutit
212 Link Between the AppsResources with the Language SkillsMoststudiesonMALLsupportedthehypothesisthatmobiletechnologycouldenhancelearnersrsquosecondlanguageacquisitionimprovingknowledgeofvocabulary(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)grammar(WangampSmith2013)listening(egReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)andspeaking(RueckertKiserampCho2012)inbothformalandinformalsettings(DemouyampKukulska-Hulme2010)Therehavebeenmanystudiesgivingdescriptiveanalysisofaspecific language learningappandhowtheapphelpsimprovinglisteningspeakingandreadingskillsChangandHsu(2011)investigatedtheuseofmobiledevicestointegrateaninstanttranslationmodeinanintermediateEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcourseThestudyfoundthattheuseofmobiledevicesencouragedcollaborativelearningandasaresultimprovedthereadingskillsThestudycarriedoutbyMasonandZhang(2017)attemptedtomatchtheapp(s)usedbylearnersofChineseasaforeignlanguagewiththelanguageskill(s)practicedbutfailedtoexplainthereasonsbehindtheirchoicesiethekeyfeaturesoftheappsOurstudyaimstoidentifythekeyfeatures
ArvanitisKrystalliandPanagiotidis(2016)conductedadesktopresearchthatanalyzed20freeappsforL2languagelearningwhichrevealedthatthecontentofmostoftheapplicationsfocusesonthedevelopmentoflexicalandgrammaticalcompetencelexicalcompetenceinparticularHowevertheydidnotinvestigatelearnerexperienceoftheseappsandtheydidnotidentifythekeyfeaturesofthemostpopularappsresourceswhichwerenotmatchedwiththelanguageskillspracticedasreportedbylearners
213 Integration into Formal LearningItiswellestablishedintheliteraturethatMALLcanmotivatestudentsbyincreasingtheirlanguagelearningopportunitiesoutsidetheclass(Kukulska-Hulme2005ThorntonampHouser2005HuangampSun2010)andbyembeddingthelearningprocessintotheireverydaylife(PriceampRogers2004)Crossetal(2015)surveyed3003adultdistantlearnersonundergraduatecoursesofvariousdisciplinesincludinglanguagelearnersItrevealsdistancelearnersintheUKuseandintegratemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearning77ofparticipantsreportedthattheyaccesseduniversitystudymaterialsatleastonceaweeksuchasreadingcoursematerialstakingpartinonlinecoursediscussionforumsdownloadingassessmentmaterialsetcAlthoughthestudydidnotfocusonlanguagelearnersthelargesampleprovidedenoughevidencethatadultdistancelearnersusemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearningInDemouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyondistancelanguagelearnersalthoughonly5reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicesinroutinesessionstoworkoncoursematerialstherewereafurther36whoreportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginbothunplannedsessionsandplannedtimestosupporttheirformalcourseworkItisworthpointingoutthatthemajorityofparticipants(59)intheirstudyreportedusingmobiledevicesinformallyforlanguagelearningDoesitapplytodistancelanguagelearnersinChinaKnowinghowlearnersusemobiledevicesoutsideclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningisveryimportantbecausetutorscanthendesignlanguageactivitiesthataresuitabletocarryoutonmobiledevices
214 MALL Design PedagogyChwoetal(2018)afterundertakingameta-analysisof213recentpapersinEnglishonMALLconcludedthatthefirstprincipleofMALLdesignisthatdesignersmustldquoconsidercarefullyhowtheintendedlearnersalreadyusetheirpersonalmobiletechnologyndashwherehowandhowlongndashand
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5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
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6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
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7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
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8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
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9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
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11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
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12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
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24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
2
Panagiotidis2016)Mobilelearningisespeciallyimportantinadistancelanguagelearningcontextwhenstudentsconstantlystrugglewiththetimeastheyworkwhilststudying(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)andwhenthereislimitedinteractionbetweenteachersandstudentsandamongstpeers(KanOwenampBax2018)Languagelearningoutsideclasshoursassistedbymobiledevicesisessentialtothedevelopmentoflanguagecompetence(LevyampKennedy2005Kukulska-Hulme2012a) Previous studies have revealed that L2 adult distance learners are becoming more andmoreself-directedlearnersasthetechnologyenablesthemtobebetterorganizedandspendmoretimelearningthelanguagethanbefore(DemouyJonesKanKukulska-HulmeampEardley2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)
WiththeincreasingownershipofmobiledevicesamongtheworldrsquoslargestEnglishlanguagelearningpopulationandtheMinistryofEducationinChinaactivelyencouragingtheuseoftechnologyinpromotinginstructionalefficiencyincollegeEnglishlanguageeducation(cfChinaMinistryofEducation2016)itisimportanttoexaminehowlearnersinChinausemobiledevicestosupporttheir English language learning and what and how mobile learning resources are used so thatmobilelanguagelearningcanbeeffectivelyembeddedintotheteachingAbetterunderstandingofit isparticularlyimportant indistanceeducationwhentheboundariesbetweenformalclassroomlearningandinformaloutsideclasslearningareblurred(Demouyetal2016)OurstudyintendstofindoutifthereportedemergingpracticesamongWesterndistancelearnersreportedinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)applytoadifferentculturalcontextieadultdistantlearnersattheuniversitylevelinChinaIftherearedifferenceswewillexplorethereasonsbehindthemOurstudyalsoaimstoextendDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthesensethatwelookbeyondemergingpracticestoincludetwonewdimensionsi)tolinktheskillspracticedorknowledgeareasobtainedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesii)andtoexplorelearnerperceptionsofthetutorrsquosrole
Our study is guided by the conceptual framework with six aspects of analysis proposed byKukulska-Hulme (2012a) for next generation designs for mobile-assisted language learning toexploretheinteractionbetweentimespaceandcharacteristicsoflearningactivitiesUnderpinnedbyKukulska-Hulmersquosconceptualframework(see32forfurtherdetails)ourstudypartiallyreplicatesDemouyalrsquosstudy(2016)intermsofusingsomeofthequestionsintheirsurveyinordertocomparedistancelearnersintheUKwiththoseinChina
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillbrieflyreviewrelevantliteraturethat informsthecriticalanalysis of ourdata so as to answer the researchquestions (see31) Itwill be followedby theresearchquestionsandmethodologysectionwherewedescribeour instrumentsandmethodsofanalysisWewillthenpresenttheresultswithanalysisandfinallywediscusssomekeyissueswithpotentialimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinChinaandsuggestionsforfutureresearch
2 LITERATURE REVIEw
InthissectionwewillreviewrelevantliteratureonmobileassistedlanguagelearningingeneralandmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinainparticular
21 Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL)MALLhasmanydefinitionsInthisstudywefollowthedefinitionproposedbyKukulska-HulmeandShield(2008p273)todefineMALLintermsofldquoitsuseofpersonalportabledevicesthatenablenewwaysoflearningemphasizingcontinuityorspontaneityofaccessandinteractionacrossdifferentcontextofuserdquoWewillalsoregardtheconceptofmobilitytoincludebothlearneranddeviceasproposedbyPalalas(2011)Overthelasttwentyyearstherehasbeenaproliferationofresearchonmobile-assistedlanguagelearning(MALL)(Burston2013ChwoMarekampWu2018)rangingfrominvestigatingemerginglearnerpracticesandpatterns(egDemouyetal2016Kukulska-HulmeampDeLosArcos2011)theefficacyandusabilityofvariousmobiledevicesandappsforthelearning
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
3
ofvariouslanguageskillsandtheacquisitionofvocabularyandgrammarknowledge(egArvanitisetal2016ChangampHsu2011MasonampZhang2017Stockwell2010)integrationofMALLintoformallearningandMALLdesignpedagogicalchallenges(egBurston2014CrossSharplesampHealing2015Stockwell2015)learnerperceptionofteachersrsquoroleandattitudes(egPalalas2011Steel2012HaoDennienampLi2017Sharplesetal2016)learnerattitudesandmotivations(egHaoetal2017)tolearnerprofileandperceptionsofMALL(egConoleDeLaatDillonampDarb2008Hsu2013Rosell-AguilarampKan2016)andexploringtheuseofsocialnetworksormobileplatformsforlanguagepracticeandcommunication(egLamy2013Plutino2017)Belowwewillfocusoni)emergingpracticesandlearnerbehaviorsii)linkbetweentheappsresourceswiththelanguageskillsiii)integrationintoformallearningiv)MALLdesignpedagogyandv)learnerperceptionandattitudesofthetutorrsquosrole
211 Emerging Practices and Habits in Informal SettingsThe European Commission (2001 p 32) offered the following definition for informal learningInformallearningldquoresultsfromdailylifeactivitiesrelatedtoworkfamilyorleisureItisnotstructured(intermsoflearningobjectiveslearningtimeorlearningsupport)andtypicallydoesnotleadtocertificationInformallearningmaybeintentionalbutinmostcasesitisunintentional(orlsquoincidentalrsquorandom)rdquoInourstudyweusethetermlsquoinformallearningrsquoinabroadsensetoincludealllanguagelearningactivitiesoutsidetheplannedclasshours(beitvirtualorface-to-faceclassrooms)whichmaybeunintentionalorintentionalwiththeaimofsupportingthelearningofobtainingacertificateorqualification
CrossSharplesandHealing(2015)rsquosstudycomparedtheimpactofmobiledevicesondistantlearnersrsquostudyhabitsacrossarangeofdisciplinesOneoftheinterestingfindingswasthatover70ofstudentsonlanguageeducationandsocialcarecoursesreportedthattheirstudyhabitshadchangedwhilstonly50ofstudentsonscienceandartrelatedcoursesreportedachangeItsuggeststhattheaffordancesofsmartphonesandtabletsarebettersuitedforlanguagelearningastheyenablethelearnerstopracticethefouressentialskillslisteningspeakingreadingandwritingLaiandGu(2011)pointedoutthatlsquosuccessfullanguagelearnersoftenattributetheirachievementsinlanguagelearningtoactiveengagementwiththetargetlanguagebeyondtheclassroom(2011p318)ItisapparentthatMALLcanassistdistancelearnersmoreinengaginginlanguageactivitiesbecausethesestudentshavelimitedinteractionswithtutorsandfellowlearners(KanOwenampBax2018)
Stockwell(2015)drewresearchersrsquoattentionto thefact thatalthoughmostmobile languagelearningtakesplaceoutsidetheclassroomthepublishedresearchislargelybasedontheclassroomsettingsiehowthedevicesareusedintheteacher-ledclassroomItisbecauseresearchinginformallanguage involvesmorevariablesas it is lesssystematicandharder to identify (VanMarsenille2015)AstudycarriedoutbyKukulska-HulmeandDeLosArcos(2011p77)exploredinformalmobilelanguagelearningbyadultsintheUKandfoundthatldquomobilelearnersexhibitconventionallanguagelearningbehaviourslikememorizingvocabularywhileattheotherendtheycreatetheirownagendasnetworksresourcesandtoolsrdquoChwoetal(2018)challengedthecommonwisdomthatldquowithMALLlearningcantakeplaceatanytimeoranyplacerdquoasmanylearnershavepreferredtimesandplacesfortheirstudy(Chwoetal2018p70)Oneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutlearnersrsquopreferredtimesandplaces
Demouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyoneofafewsetindistancelanguagelearningcontextexploredwhyandhowdistance language learners inTheOpenUniversity (UK)usedmobiledevices forlanguagelearningThisstudyshowedthattheselanguagelearnerswerebecomingmoreself-directedin exploring what worked for them they spent more time learning the language as the mobiledevicesallowedthemtohaveaccesstolearningmaterialsinplacesandattimeswhereandwhenitwasunimaginableinthepastItalsorevealedthetoptworeasonsforusingthemobiledevicesforlanguagelearning1)exploringmoreresourcesforlanguagelearningand2)takingadvantageofthegapsindailyscheduleforlanguagelearningAlthoughsuchlearningactivitiesbystudentstookplace
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
4
informallyoutsideclasshourssometimestheaimwastoprepareforassignmentswhicharerelatedtotheirformallearningforacertificateordegreeThefindingsfromtheirstudygiveasnapshotofsomeemergingnewpracticesandpreferredactivitiesbystudentsusingmobiledevicesWhatismissingfromthisstudyistoidentifythepreferredappsandresourcesandthenlinkthepreferredappsresourceswiththelanguageskill(s)practicedForexamplewhichappsareusedforpracticingspeakingorvocabulary-buildingandwhyOurstudywassetouttofindoutaboutit
212 Link Between the AppsResources with the Language SkillsMoststudiesonMALLsupportedthehypothesisthatmobiletechnologycouldenhancelearnersrsquosecondlanguageacquisitionimprovingknowledgeofvocabulary(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)grammar(WangampSmith2013)listening(egReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)andspeaking(RueckertKiserampCho2012)inbothformalandinformalsettings(DemouyampKukulska-Hulme2010)Therehavebeenmanystudiesgivingdescriptiveanalysisofaspecific language learningappandhowtheapphelpsimprovinglisteningspeakingandreadingskillsChangandHsu(2011)investigatedtheuseofmobiledevicestointegrateaninstanttranslationmodeinanintermediateEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcourseThestudyfoundthattheuseofmobiledevicesencouragedcollaborativelearningandasaresultimprovedthereadingskillsThestudycarriedoutbyMasonandZhang(2017)attemptedtomatchtheapp(s)usedbylearnersofChineseasaforeignlanguagewiththelanguageskill(s)practicedbutfailedtoexplainthereasonsbehindtheirchoicesiethekeyfeaturesoftheappsOurstudyaimstoidentifythekeyfeatures
ArvanitisKrystalliandPanagiotidis(2016)conductedadesktopresearchthatanalyzed20freeappsforL2languagelearningwhichrevealedthatthecontentofmostoftheapplicationsfocusesonthedevelopmentoflexicalandgrammaticalcompetencelexicalcompetenceinparticularHowevertheydidnotinvestigatelearnerexperienceoftheseappsandtheydidnotidentifythekeyfeaturesofthemostpopularappsresourceswhichwerenotmatchedwiththelanguageskillspracticedasreportedbylearners
213 Integration into Formal LearningItiswellestablishedintheliteraturethatMALLcanmotivatestudentsbyincreasingtheirlanguagelearningopportunitiesoutsidetheclass(Kukulska-Hulme2005ThorntonampHouser2005HuangampSun2010)andbyembeddingthelearningprocessintotheireverydaylife(PriceampRogers2004)Crossetal(2015)surveyed3003adultdistantlearnersonundergraduatecoursesofvariousdisciplinesincludinglanguagelearnersItrevealsdistancelearnersintheUKuseandintegratemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearning77ofparticipantsreportedthattheyaccesseduniversitystudymaterialsatleastonceaweeksuchasreadingcoursematerialstakingpartinonlinecoursediscussionforumsdownloadingassessmentmaterialsetcAlthoughthestudydidnotfocusonlanguagelearnersthelargesampleprovidedenoughevidencethatadultdistancelearnersusemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearningInDemouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyondistancelanguagelearnersalthoughonly5reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicesinroutinesessionstoworkoncoursematerialstherewereafurther36whoreportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginbothunplannedsessionsandplannedtimestosupporttheirformalcourseworkItisworthpointingoutthatthemajorityofparticipants(59)intheirstudyreportedusingmobiledevicesinformallyforlanguagelearningDoesitapplytodistancelanguagelearnersinChinaKnowinghowlearnersusemobiledevicesoutsideclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningisveryimportantbecausetutorscanthendesignlanguageactivitiesthataresuitabletocarryoutonmobiledevices
214 MALL Design PedagogyChwoetal(2018)afterundertakingameta-analysisof213recentpapersinEnglishonMALLconcludedthatthefirstprincipleofMALLdesignisthatdesignersmustldquoconsidercarefullyhowtheintendedlearnersalreadyusetheirpersonalmobiletechnologyndashwherehowandhowlongndashand
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
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6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
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7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
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8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
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9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
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11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
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12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
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13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
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14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
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26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
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3
ofvariouslanguageskillsandtheacquisitionofvocabularyandgrammarknowledge(egArvanitisetal2016ChangampHsu2011MasonampZhang2017Stockwell2010)integrationofMALLintoformallearningandMALLdesignpedagogicalchallenges(egBurston2014CrossSharplesampHealing2015Stockwell2015)learnerperceptionofteachersrsquoroleandattitudes(egPalalas2011Steel2012HaoDennienampLi2017Sharplesetal2016)learnerattitudesandmotivations(egHaoetal2017)tolearnerprofileandperceptionsofMALL(egConoleDeLaatDillonampDarb2008Hsu2013Rosell-AguilarampKan2016)andexploringtheuseofsocialnetworksormobileplatformsforlanguagepracticeandcommunication(egLamy2013Plutino2017)Belowwewillfocusoni)emergingpracticesandlearnerbehaviorsii)linkbetweentheappsresourceswiththelanguageskillsiii)integrationintoformallearningiv)MALLdesignpedagogyandv)learnerperceptionandattitudesofthetutorrsquosrole
211 Emerging Practices and Habits in Informal SettingsThe European Commission (2001 p 32) offered the following definition for informal learningInformallearningldquoresultsfromdailylifeactivitiesrelatedtoworkfamilyorleisureItisnotstructured(intermsoflearningobjectiveslearningtimeorlearningsupport)andtypicallydoesnotleadtocertificationInformallearningmaybeintentionalbutinmostcasesitisunintentional(orlsquoincidentalrsquorandom)rdquoInourstudyweusethetermlsquoinformallearningrsquoinabroadsensetoincludealllanguagelearningactivitiesoutsidetheplannedclasshours(beitvirtualorface-to-faceclassrooms)whichmaybeunintentionalorintentionalwiththeaimofsupportingthelearningofobtainingacertificateorqualification
CrossSharplesandHealing(2015)rsquosstudycomparedtheimpactofmobiledevicesondistantlearnersrsquostudyhabitsacrossarangeofdisciplinesOneoftheinterestingfindingswasthatover70ofstudentsonlanguageeducationandsocialcarecoursesreportedthattheirstudyhabitshadchangedwhilstonly50ofstudentsonscienceandartrelatedcoursesreportedachangeItsuggeststhattheaffordancesofsmartphonesandtabletsarebettersuitedforlanguagelearningastheyenablethelearnerstopracticethefouressentialskillslisteningspeakingreadingandwritingLaiandGu(2011)pointedoutthatlsquosuccessfullanguagelearnersoftenattributetheirachievementsinlanguagelearningtoactiveengagementwiththetargetlanguagebeyondtheclassroom(2011p318)ItisapparentthatMALLcanassistdistancelearnersmoreinengaginginlanguageactivitiesbecausethesestudentshavelimitedinteractionswithtutorsandfellowlearners(KanOwenampBax2018)
Stockwell(2015)drewresearchersrsquoattentionto thefact thatalthoughmostmobile languagelearningtakesplaceoutsidetheclassroomthepublishedresearchislargelybasedontheclassroomsettingsiehowthedevicesareusedintheteacher-ledclassroomItisbecauseresearchinginformallanguage involvesmorevariablesas it is lesssystematicandharder to identify (VanMarsenille2015)AstudycarriedoutbyKukulska-HulmeandDeLosArcos(2011p77)exploredinformalmobilelanguagelearningbyadultsintheUKandfoundthatldquomobilelearnersexhibitconventionallanguagelearningbehaviourslikememorizingvocabularywhileattheotherendtheycreatetheirownagendasnetworksresourcesandtoolsrdquoChwoetal(2018)challengedthecommonwisdomthatldquowithMALLlearningcantakeplaceatanytimeoranyplacerdquoasmanylearnershavepreferredtimesandplacesfortheirstudy(Chwoetal2018p70)Oneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutlearnersrsquopreferredtimesandplaces
Demouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyoneofafewsetindistancelanguagelearningcontextexploredwhyandhowdistance language learners inTheOpenUniversity (UK)usedmobiledevices forlanguagelearningThisstudyshowedthattheselanguagelearnerswerebecomingmoreself-directedin exploring what worked for them they spent more time learning the language as the mobiledevicesallowedthemtohaveaccesstolearningmaterialsinplacesandattimeswhereandwhenitwasunimaginableinthepastItalsorevealedthetoptworeasonsforusingthemobiledevicesforlanguagelearning1)exploringmoreresourcesforlanguagelearningand2)takingadvantageofthegapsindailyscheduleforlanguagelearningAlthoughsuchlearningactivitiesbystudentstookplace
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4
informallyoutsideclasshourssometimestheaimwastoprepareforassignmentswhicharerelatedtotheirformallearningforacertificateordegreeThefindingsfromtheirstudygiveasnapshotofsomeemergingnewpracticesandpreferredactivitiesbystudentsusingmobiledevicesWhatismissingfromthisstudyistoidentifythepreferredappsandresourcesandthenlinkthepreferredappsresourceswiththelanguageskill(s)practicedForexamplewhichappsareusedforpracticingspeakingorvocabulary-buildingandwhyOurstudywassetouttofindoutaboutit
212 Link Between the AppsResources with the Language SkillsMoststudiesonMALLsupportedthehypothesisthatmobiletechnologycouldenhancelearnersrsquosecondlanguageacquisitionimprovingknowledgeofvocabulary(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)grammar(WangampSmith2013)listening(egReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)andspeaking(RueckertKiserampCho2012)inbothformalandinformalsettings(DemouyampKukulska-Hulme2010)Therehavebeenmanystudiesgivingdescriptiveanalysisofaspecific language learningappandhowtheapphelpsimprovinglisteningspeakingandreadingskillsChangandHsu(2011)investigatedtheuseofmobiledevicestointegrateaninstanttranslationmodeinanintermediateEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcourseThestudyfoundthattheuseofmobiledevicesencouragedcollaborativelearningandasaresultimprovedthereadingskillsThestudycarriedoutbyMasonandZhang(2017)attemptedtomatchtheapp(s)usedbylearnersofChineseasaforeignlanguagewiththelanguageskill(s)practicedbutfailedtoexplainthereasonsbehindtheirchoicesiethekeyfeaturesoftheappsOurstudyaimstoidentifythekeyfeatures
ArvanitisKrystalliandPanagiotidis(2016)conductedadesktopresearchthatanalyzed20freeappsforL2languagelearningwhichrevealedthatthecontentofmostoftheapplicationsfocusesonthedevelopmentoflexicalandgrammaticalcompetencelexicalcompetenceinparticularHowevertheydidnotinvestigatelearnerexperienceoftheseappsandtheydidnotidentifythekeyfeaturesofthemostpopularappsresourceswhichwerenotmatchedwiththelanguageskillspracticedasreportedbylearners
213 Integration into Formal LearningItiswellestablishedintheliteraturethatMALLcanmotivatestudentsbyincreasingtheirlanguagelearningopportunitiesoutsidetheclass(Kukulska-Hulme2005ThorntonampHouser2005HuangampSun2010)andbyembeddingthelearningprocessintotheireverydaylife(PriceampRogers2004)Crossetal(2015)surveyed3003adultdistantlearnersonundergraduatecoursesofvariousdisciplinesincludinglanguagelearnersItrevealsdistancelearnersintheUKuseandintegratemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearning77ofparticipantsreportedthattheyaccesseduniversitystudymaterialsatleastonceaweeksuchasreadingcoursematerialstakingpartinonlinecoursediscussionforumsdownloadingassessmentmaterialsetcAlthoughthestudydidnotfocusonlanguagelearnersthelargesampleprovidedenoughevidencethatadultdistancelearnersusemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearningInDemouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyondistancelanguagelearnersalthoughonly5reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicesinroutinesessionstoworkoncoursematerialstherewereafurther36whoreportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginbothunplannedsessionsandplannedtimestosupporttheirformalcourseworkItisworthpointingoutthatthemajorityofparticipants(59)intheirstudyreportedusingmobiledevicesinformallyforlanguagelearningDoesitapplytodistancelanguagelearnersinChinaKnowinghowlearnersusemobiledevicesoutsideclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningisveryimportantbecausetutorscanthendesignlanguageactivitiesthataresuitabletocarryoutonmobiledevices
214 MALL Design PedagogyChwoetal(2018)afterundertakingameta-analysisof213recentpapersinEnglishonMALLconcludedthatthefirstprincipleofMALLdesignisthatdesignersmustldquoconsidercarefullyhowtheintendedlearnersalreadyusetheirpersonalmobiletechnologyndashwherehowandhowlongndashand
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5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
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6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
4
informallyoutsideclasshourssometimestheaimwastoprepareforassignmentswhicharerelatedtotheirformallearningforacertificateordegreeThefindingsfromtheirstudygiveasnapshotofsomeemergingnewpracticesandpreferredactivitiesbystudentsusingmobiledevicesWhatismissingfromthisstudyistoidentifythepreferredappsandresourcesandthenlinkthepreferredappsresourceswiththelanguageskill(s)practicedForexamplewhichappsareusedforpracticingspeakingorvocabulary-buildingandwhyOurstudywassetouttofindoutaboutit
212 Link Between the AppsResources with the Language SkillsMoststudiesonMALLsupportedthehypothesisthatmobiletechnologycouldenhancelearnersrsquosecondlanguageacquisitionimprovingknowledgeofvocabulary(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)grammar(WangampSmith2013)listening(egReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)andspeaking(RueckertKiserampCho2012)inbothformalandinformalsettings(DemouyampKukulska-Hulme2010)Therehavebeenmanystudiesgivingdescriptiveanalysisofaspecific language learningappandhowtheapphelpsimprovinglisteningspeakingandreadingskillsChangandHsu(2011)investigatedtheuseofmobiledevicestointegrateaninstanttranslationmodeinanintermediateEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcourseThestudyfoundthattheuseofmobiledevicesencouragedcollaborativelearningandasaresultimprovedthereadingskillsThestudycarriedoutbyMasonandZhang(2017)attemptedtomatchtheapp(s)usedbylearnersofChineseasaforeignlanguagewiththelanguageskill(s)practicedbutfailedtoexplainthereasonsbehindtheirchoicesiethekeyfeaturesoftheappsOurstudyaimstoidentifythekeyfeatures
ArvanitisKrystalliandPanagiotidis(2016)conductedadesktopresearchthatanalyzed20freeappsforL2languagelearningwhichrevealedthatthecontentofmostoftheapplicationsfocusesonthedevelopmentoflexicalandgrammaticalcompetencelexicalcompetenceinparticularHowevertheydidnotinvestigatelearnerexperienceoftheseappsandtheydidnotidentifythekeyfeaturesofthemostpopularappsresourceswhichwerenotmatchedwiththelanguageskillspracticedasreportedbylearners
213 Integration into Formal LearningItiswellestablishedintheliteraturethatMALLcanmotivatestudentsbyincreasingtheirlanguagelearningopportunitiesoutsidetheclass(Kukulska-Hulme2005ThorntonampHouser2005HuangampSun2010)andbyembeddingthelearningprocessintotheireverydaylife(PriceampRogers2004)Crossetal(2015)surveyed3003adultdistantlearnersonundergraduatecoursesofvariousdisciplinesincludinglanguagelearnersItrevealsdistancelearnersintheUKuseandintegratemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearning77ofparticipantsreportedthattheyaccesseduniversitystudymaterialsatleastonceaweeksuchasreadingcoursematerialstakingpartinonlinecoursediscussionforumsdownloadingassessmentmaterialsetcAlthoughthestudydidnotfocusonlanguagelearnersthelargesampleprovidedenoughevidencethatadultdistancelearnersusemobiledevicestosupporttheirformallearningInDemouyetal(2016)rsquosstudyondistancelanguagelearnersalthoughonly5reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicesinroutinesessionstoworkoncoursematerialstherewereafurther36whoreportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginbothunplannedsessionsandplannedtimestosupporttheirformalcourseworkItisworthpointingoutthatthemajorityofparticipants(59)intheirstudyreportedusingmobiledevicesinformallyforlanguagelearningDoesitapplytodistancelanguagelearnersinChinaKnowinghowlearnersusemobiledevicesoutsideclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningisveryimportantbecausetutorscanthendesignlanguageactivitiesthataresuitabletocarryoutonmobiledevices
214 MALL Design PedagogyChwoetal(2018)afterundertakingameta-analysisof213recentpapersinEnglishonMALLconcludedthatthefirstprincipleofMALLdesignisthatdesignersmustldquoconsidercarefullyhowtheintendedlearnersalreadyusetheirpersonalmobiletechnologyndashwherehowandhowlongndashand
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
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7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
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Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
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9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
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11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
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12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
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13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
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14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
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15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
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5
ensurethatMALLtasksalignwiththosepre-existinghabitsofuserdquo(p69)ThisissupportedbymanyresearcherssuchasSharples(2016)whoarguedthatdesignersshouldtakeintoconsiderationtheimportanceoflearnercontextspeershowtoconnectlearningintheclassroomwiththelearningoutsidetheclassroomWangandSmith(2013)alsopointedoutthatthecontentofmobilelearningneededtoberelatedtothecourseworkotherwisestudentswouldbereluctanttoengageinitoutsidetheclasswhichwasparticularlythecasefordistancelearners(ReadampKukulska-Hulme2015)
215 Tutorrsquos Role in Mobile Language LearningThereisuncertaintyintheteachingandlearningcommunityaboutthetutorrsquosroleinamobilelearningenvironmentIthasbeenarguedthatteachersneedtoknowthelanguageappsstudentswereusingsothattheycouldofferguidanceandsupportonhowtoextendthelearningbenefits(Steel2012)otherwiseteacherswouldbereluctantingettinginvolved(Chwoetal2018)Theinvestigationofstudentsrsquoperceptionsof teacher role inaproposedmobile learningenvironment inadevelopingcountryshowedthatstudentsneededalotofteachersrsquoinputthroughoutthelearningprocessandexpectedtheteachertocontrolthelearningprocess(Imtinan2013)ThisviewissupportedbyotherresearchersThestudybyPalalas(2011p71)cametotheconclusionthatldquothisdynamicprocessofsituatedlearninghastobesupportedbyaccesstopeersandfacilitatorsrdquoWhencommentingontheinformallearningthroughsocialmediaimpactedbymobiledevicesSharplesetal(2016p4)pointedoutthatanyoneldquocanengageandleaveatanytimebutaskilledfacilitatorwhotakesonthetasksoffilteringresourcesandengagingpeoplecankeepasocialmediaprojectrunningformanyyearsrdquoForteacherstomeetthenewlearningenvironmentKukulska-Hulme(2012b)arguedthatinstitutionsmustprovideopportunitiesforprofessionaltrainingandlife-longlearningTheyallseemedtoagreeontheimportanceoftutorinvolvementinmobilelearningsettings
ButshouldtutorsgetinvolvedinthelearningspacesoutsidetheclasshoursDoweknowhowlearnersfeelaboutitThereareafewstudiesinvestigatinglearnersrsquoexpectationsandattitudesSetinthecontextofsocialmediaandsocialnetworkPlutino(2017)rsquosstudyreportedthatparticipantsinherTwittergroupexpressedneedsfortutorstoprovideopportunitiestoimprovetheircommunicativelanguage skills outside timetabled lessons which demonstrated studentsrsquo expectations of tutorsrsquoactiveroles inguidingandsupportingtheiroutsidemobile languagelearningandthesuccessoftutorsrsquointerventionItsuggeststhatteacherinterventionwouldbeonlyeffectivewhenrequiredbystudentsInanotherstudyondistancelanguagelearnersrsquouseofsocialnetworkforlearningitwasdiscoveredthatstudentswerelikelytoparticipateandcontributemoreinthesocialnetworkwheretheatmospherewasrelaxedandeasythanwhentheywereinvitedbytheteachertoreflectonacoursepointorbystudentstojoininastructuredactivity(Lamy2013)Althoughbothstudiesweresetinasocialmediacontexttheycanshedlightsonhowtomanageteacherinterventionandhowtodesigneffectiveoutsideclassroommobile learningactivitiesas thestudiesreinforces the importanceofgettingtoknowstudentsrsquoexpectationsandneeds
Anotherrelevantandinterestingstudythatisworthmentioningisthecross-culturalstudyonEFLlearnersrsquoperceptionsofMALLconductedbyHsuin2013TheparticipantsinHsursquosstudywerefromTaiwanwhosharesimilarculturalheritageasthoseofmainlandChinaHsursquosstudysuggestedthatstudentsfromAsianheritageldquogreatlyrespectthestatusofteachersintheclassroomtheparticipantsbelievethatteacherscannotbereplacedbytechnologyrdquo(Hsu2013p208)ThisimpliesthatlearnersofAsianheritagearemorelikelytowelcometeacherinterventionintheirmobileassistedlanguagelearningOneoftheaimsofourstudywastofindoutifthiswasthecasewithadultdistancelearners
MostofthepreviousstudiesonMALLaresituatedoutsideChinaOf345studiesonMALLreviewedbyBurston(2013)onlyfiveweresetinsideChinaItmightbeduetothefactthatonlystudiespublishedinEnglishwerereviewedBelowwewillbrieflyreviewtheliteratureonmobileassistedEnglishlanguagelearninginChinapublishedinbothChineseandEnglish
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6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
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7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
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8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
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9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
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11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
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12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
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25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
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26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
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6
22 Mobile Assisted English Language Learning in ChinaArguablyChinaldquoconstitutesthelargestEnglishlearnergroupintheworldrdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)ThisstatementissupportedbythestudycarriedoutbyGraddol(2006)andtheBritishCouncilrsquosreport(2013)EnglishistaughtinprimaryandsecondaryschoolsandalsoatuniversitiesItisacompulsorysubjectuptillpost-graduatelevelSinceChinaadoptedthereformandopening-doorpolicyintheearly1980sldquoproficiencyinEnglishhasbeenseeninChinaasadefiniteassetofconsiderablevaluerdquo(YouampDoumlrnyei2016p496)AsaresulttherehasbeenasubstantialbodyofresearchonteachingandlearningEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)tonameafewchallengesoflearningEnglish(Wu2001)distancelanguagelearningstrategies(XiaoampHurd2007)Englishlearningmotivations(YouampDoumlrnyei2016)learneranxiety(YanampHorwitz2008)andflippedclassroominEFLteaching(Zhang2017)
HoweverhowChineseEFLlearnersrsquouseofmobiletechnologyintheirEnglishlearningisunderresearchedAsearchusingAcademic Search CompletedatabasereturnedahandfulofstudiesThereareafewstudiesonuserattitudesperceptionsandfactorsinfluencinglearnersrsquoacceptanceofmobiledevicesforlanguagelearning(Haoetal2017WangZhongampLv2009)Themajorityofstudieshavefocusedonthefeasibilityofaspecificapplicationanditseffectivenessofcertainlanguageskillssuchasspeakingandvocabularyacquisition(egLiuYuampRan2008Chai2014)
InHaoetalrsquosstudy(2017)onthefactorsthatinfluencedmobilelearningadoptionamongstChineseuniversitiesstudentsitrevealedthatthefactorsthataffectedmobilelearningacceptancethemostwereldquoperceivededucationalneedandabilitytouserdquo(Haoetal2017p119)followedbysocialfactorssuchastheprojectionoftheirsocialstatusAnotherinterestingfindingfromthisstudywasthatfacilitationbyinstructorsldquoshouldbegivencriticalconsiderationwhendeliveringmobilelearningactivitiesrdquo(Haoetal2017p117)Itwasalarge-scalestudythatinvolved292universitystudentsThestudydidnotspecifydetailedinformationaboutparticipantsintermsoftheirdisciplineareabutwecanassumethatsomeofthemwereEnglishlanguagestudents
Amongst studies investigating the usefulness of a specific communication tool or app oneexaminedstudentsrsquoviewsonusingWeChatwithteacherpresencetoimprovelisteningandspeakingskillsandanoverwhelmingmajority(94)oftheparticipantsrespondedpositively(Chai2014)AnotherstudyexploredflippedclassroominamedicalEnglishreadingclassviaWeChatplatformandWeChatcommunityanddemonstratedimprovementinstudentsrsquoindependentandcollaborativelearningresearchandcriticalthinking(JiaZhangampShi2016)
ThereareveryfewstudiessetinthecontextofdistancelearningoneofwhichexploredusingSkypetoassessdistancelanguagelearnersrsquoEnglish-speakingskills(ZhaoampLiu2012)TheresultshowedthatitcouldimproveinteractionandauthenticityinspeakingcommunicationHoweveritdidnotinvestigatetheuseofSkypeonthemobiledevices
ItisestablishedintheliteraturethatChinesestudentshaveapositiveattitudetowardmobilelanguagelearningHoweverinmoststudiestheinterventionswereinitiatedbyteachersorresearchersandwereimplementedfromthetop-downperspectiveVeryfewstudieshaveexaminedhowEFLstudentsusemobiledevicesfortheirinformallearningoutofinterestandhowsuchinformallearningsupportstheirformaluniversitystudyToourknowledgethereislimitedstudyofthiskindsetinthecontextofdistanceEFLlearnersinChina
TheaboveliteraturereviewsuggeststousthatthereisagapinthefieldonhowandwhyadultdistancelanguagelearnersofEnglishinChinausemobiledeviceswhatappsandresourcestheyuseandwhyandtheirattitudestowardsthetutorrsquosroleinMALLWiththedevelopmentofmobiletechnologytheboundariesbetweenformalandinformallearningarebecomingincreasinglyseamlessasstudentshavemorecontrolovertheirstudiesItisessentialthateducatorshaveabetterunderstandingaboutwhyandhowstudentsareusingmobiledevicestoenhancetheir languagelearninginandoutsidethelanguageclassesItisparticularlyimportantinthedistancelearningcontextasteachers
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7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
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8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
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9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
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24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
7
havelimitedfacetofacecontactwithlearnersandwhentechnologyplaysaveryimportantroleintheirlearning
Inthesectionthatfollowswewillpresentourresearchquestionsandmethodology
3 RESEARCH QUESTIoNS AND METHoDoLoGy
31 Research Context and Research QuestionsThestudyisundertakenintheInstituteofOnlineEducationatBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityThecoursesofferedattheinstitutearemostlyEnglishlanguagecoursesandtheinstructionalmodeisindependentlearningsupportedwiththemultimodalsupportservicesrangingfromtheprovisionofautonomouslearningmaterialsweeklyface-to-face(F2F)andonlinesynchronoustutorialstoQampAonlineforumsStudentsarerequiredtostudyabout22courses(eachcourseextended16weeks)foratleast25yearsforadiplomaorapost-diplomaBAdegreeor5yearsforaBAdegreeThecourseassessmentconsistsofformativeassessmentintheformofunit-basede-assessmentandtutor-markedassignmentsandsummativeassessmentusuallyintheformofafinalexam
TheoverallaimofourstudyistoinvestigatehowmobiledevicesimpactonthelearningpracticesandhabitsamongstadultdistantlearnersofEnglishwithfourspecificresearchquestions
RQ1Whatarethepatterns(scheduledorspontaneous)andlearningbehaviorswhenlearningEnglishassistedbymobiledevices
RQ2Howdoesinformalmobile-assistedlanguagelearningsupportformallearningRQ3WhatarethetopappsresourcesusedforlearningEnglishandwhyRQ4Whatislearnersrsquoperceptionofthetutorrsquosroleinsupportingtheiruseofmobiledevicesfor
Englishlanguagelearning
32 Theoretical Framework for Research Design and AnalysisKukulska-Hulme(2012a)proposedaconceptualframeworkforthedesignoflanguagelearningmobileappsintermsofthetemporalandspatialcharacteristicsofmobilelearningscenarioshighlightingaseriesofquestionsinrelationtolanguagelearningaspresentedinFigure1belowAlthoughthesequestionsweredesignedtobeaskedbyappdesignersbeforedevelopinganappwearguethattheycanalsobeaskedbyalearnerwhenusinganappaswellasaskedbyresearcherswheninvestigatinglearnerbehaviourandpracticesinmobileassistedlanguagelearningandexploringtherelationshipbetweenthetypesoflearningactivitiesandthefocusoflanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplace(seeFigure1)
InthesamepaperKukulska-HulmealsoputforwardsixaspectsconsistingofsixWh-questionsplusoneHow-questionfortheanalysisofMALLdataorforinterviewingparticipantsforMALLresearchprojects(seeFigure2)
Theformulationofsomeofourquestionsinthequestionnairetheemailinterviewquestionsandtheanalysisofdataareguidedbytheframeworkandsixaspectsofanalysisastheywillhelpestablishtheconnectionbetweentimespaceandactivitiessoastoanswertheresearchquestionsofthisstudy
33 Research ParticipantsTheparticipantsofthestudywere148Englishmajorstudentsfromthediplomapost-diplomaBAandBAprogramsofthisonlineeducationinstituteTheywereadultlearnersstudyingEnglishatdistanceviatheinstitutersquosownvirtuallearningplatformandbyattendingweeklyF2FtutorialsTheywerealsosupportedbyonlinesynchronoustutorialsandasynchronousforumsTheyusuallystudyfourorfivecoursespertermonaverageandforeachcoursetheyneedtocompleteeighte-assessmentsandtwotutor-markedassignmentsandafinalexamThedemographicinformationoftheparticipantsisshowninTable1
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
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24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
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25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
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26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
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8
Amongtheparticipantswhosubmittedtheirresponsesfemalestudentsaccountedfor75ofthewholepopulationNearlythreequarters(75)werebelowtheageof35withstudentsof26-35yearsoldoccupyingmorethanhalfthepopulationNoneoftheparticipantsinourstudywasabovetheageof56IncomparisonwithstudentprofileatTheOpenUniversity(UK)whereDemouyetalrsquosstudywascarriedouttheChinesedistancelearnersseemtobemuchyoungerBetween50ndash60ofstudentsatUKrsquosOpenUniversityareabovetheageof40andover10-15abovetheageof56(ColemanampFurnborough2010)AlthoughDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)didnotspecifythe
Figure 1 Conceptual framework for next generation designs for mobile-supported language learning in informal settings Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 9
Figure 2 Six aspects for MALL analysis Source Kukulska-Hulme 2012a p 5
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
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10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
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12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
9
percentageofparticipantsineachagebanditdidindicatethattheyrangedfrom20to65+Theyoungerprofileofourparticipantscanmeanthattheyweremoreopentoadaptingnewtechnologyandlessafraidoftryingnewthings
Itisalsoworthnotingthat2703studentshavealreadyhadBAdegreesbeforetheyjoinedthisprogramMorethanhalfofthestudents(6149)workedfull-timeincompanieshencetheyweretime-poorasnotedintheliterature(GlogowskaYoungampLockyer2007)
34 Data CollectionTwo different data collection instruments were used online survey questionnaire and follow-upasynchronousemailinterviewsTheonlinesurveyquestionnairewaspreparedinChineseandsenttoapproximately900studentswith148completeresponses(164responserate)
Itcontainedthreeparts(22questions)withbothclosedandopenendedquestionsi)howandwhytheyusedtheirmobiledevice(activitiescontextsfrequencyplacesandtimestopthreemostfrequentlyusedappsresources)toanswerRQ1and2ii)howmobilelearningsupportedtheirformaluniversitycoursetoanswerRQ3andiii)whatweretutorsrsquorolesandwhattheythoughttutorsrsquorolesshouldbetoanswerRQ4SomeofourquestionsinPart1weresimilartoquestionsinDemouyetalrsquos study (2016)andsomewere formulatedbasedonKukulska-Hulmersquos (2012a)conceptualframeworkformobiledesign(seeFigure1)aswellasframeworkforMALLanalysis(seeFigure2)toexploretherelationshipbetweentimeplaceandactivitywiththefocusonwhatandhowlearnerscarryouttheirlanguagelearningactivitiesQuestionsforPart2andPart3wereguidedbythegapsintheresearchregardingintegratinginformallearningwithformallearningandthetutorrsquosroleaspresentedintheliteraturereviewabove(seeAppendixforthequestionnaire)
SixstudentswhocompletedtheonlinequestionnairevolunteeredtobeinterviewedWecheckedthatthevolunteershadallfullyengagedwiththesurveyquestionssoitmeantthattheirresponsestocertainquestionscouldbefurtherexploredAsynchronousemailinterviewformatwasadoptedforlogisticalreasons(egthefeasibilityofimplementation)Theemailinterviewscomprisedsixopen-endedquestionsinChineseintendedtogainadeeperunderstandingofstudentsrsquoexperiencesintermsoftheperceivedbenefitsanddrawbacksofmobiledevicesintheirlearningwhytheypreferred
Table 1 Demographics of the participants
Gender Male 25
Female 75
Age Under25 2162
26ndash35 5338
36ndash45 223
46ndash55 27
Over56 0
Qualifications Highschooldiploma 1959
Diploma 50
BAdegree 2703
MAdegreeorabove 338
Occupations Corporatestaff 6149
Teachers 1081
Non-corporateworkers 811
Otherspleasespecify 1959
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
10
someappsresourcestootherswhytheydiddidnotwanttutorsupportandhowtheywouldliketobesupportedbytheirtutorsandwhyAllsixrespondentsrepliedtothequestionsbyemailwithsomedegreeofdetail
35 Data AnalysisAmixed-methodsapproachwasusedinanalyzingthesurveyandemailinterviewdataQuantitativedescriptiveanalysiswascarriedoutforanalyzingclosedobjectivequestionsinthesurveytoprovideuswithaninitialbroadpictureoftheresearchquestionswewantedanswersforSomedescriptivestatisticswasgeneratedbytheonlinesurveytoolitselfsuchasthepercentageofrespondentsreportingwheretheywereengagedwithMALLwhilstotherstatisticssuchasthetopfivemostpopularappsresourcesusedwerecalculatedmanuallybycountingeachoccurrenceintheanswerstotheopenendedquestionsThesedescriptivestatisticswerethencontextualizedandexploredmorefullybyusingqualitativeanalysistocapturestudentsrsquoattitudesandperceptionsQualitativedatafromtheinterviewsalongwithstudentsrsquoresponsestotheopen-endedquestionsinthesurveywereanalyzedmanuallybytheresearchersandcodedintobroadthemesviathethematicanalysismethod(BraunampClarke2006Bryman2008) andguidedbyKukulska-Hulmersquos conceptual frameworkof theinteractionbetweentimeplaceandlanguageactivities(2012a)(seeFigure1andFigure2)Allthiswasalsointegratedwiththedemographicinformationoftheparticipants
4 RESULTS AND ANALySIS
Researchresultswerereportedintheorderofthefourresearchquestions
41 Mobile Learning Habits Frequencies Favourite Times and PlacesWheninquiredwhethertheyusedmobiledevicesforlearningEnglishsuchaslookingupwordsorpracticingwordpronunciation8986reportedusingmobileappsorresourcesforEnglishlearningThisfigureismuchhigherthanthatinDemouyetal(2016)whoreported53usingmobiledevicesforlanguagelearningApossibleexplanationmightbethatparticipantsinthisstudywereyoungerthanthoseinDemouyetalrsquosstudy(over75belowtheageof35andzeroabovetheageof56vs rangingfrom20 to65+)and thatourparticipants likemanyChinesestudentsmaybemoremotivatedinEnglishlearningaspointedoutbyYouandDoumlrnyei(2016)AnotherreasonmightbethatDemouyrsquosdatawascollectedin2014whenmobiledeviceswerenotasaffordableasnowadays
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(9248)respondedthattheuseofmobiledevicesenabledthemtostudyattimesandinplacestheywouldnotnormallyhavestudiedinthepastasimilarresponse(865)wasalsoobservedinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywhichreinforcedthefactthatmobiledeviceshaveofferedimmenseopportunitiesforlanguagelearningandhaveenabledlearnerstolearnwheneverandwherevertheywantAsonestudentnoted
Thebiggestadvantageofappsisthatitcouldhelpyoutostudywheneverandwhereveryouwouldliketo(Student2emailinterview)
Not surprisingly a largenumberof students (7724) reported that consequently theywerespendingmoretimeonlanguagelearningasaresultwhichisveryimportanttolanguagelearningasmoreexposureandtimespentmoreprogresswillbemadeThisfindingagainreplicatesthatinDemouyetal(2016)rsquosOUstudywith786oftheparticipantsacknowledgingmoretimespentonlanguagelearning
Thequestionnairealsodemonstratedthat4361oftheparticipantsengagedinmobilelearningseveraltimesadayordaily21reportingseveraltimesaweekonly15participantsusingitldquoonceaweekrdquoorldquolessoftenrdquo(Table2)Thefindingpinpointedthatforasignificantnumberofparticipantsinthisstudymobilelearninghasbecomeaveryimportantpartoftheirlearningprocess
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
11
Asthemajorityofrespondentswereworkingfulltimeitwasnotsurprisingthattheirfavoritetimetocarryoutlearningwasthelastthingatnight(5714)followedby45oftheparticipantsselectingonthewaycommutingtowork(Table3)
Similartoparticipantsrsquoresponsestothefavouritetimeformobilelearningasthelastthingatnightthelargestpercentageofstudents(5865)preferreddoingmobilelearninginaquietplaceontheirown(eghome)(Table4)Thisisaninterestingfindingwhichmightbeduetothefactthattheycarryoutmobilelearningtosupporttheirformalstudysuchastocompletethecourseworkorpreparefortheexamhencetheyneedaquietplaceinordertoconcentrate(see42)Asourparticipantscouldchooseasmanyoptionsthatappliedthesecondmostfavouriteplacesreportedweredeterminedbytheneedorwhenevertheopportunityarises(51)whichcorrespondstotheirresponsetofavouritetimesaslsquocommutingtoworkrsquorankedsecond(45)inTable3
Thethirdhighresponses(406)wasaboutengaginginmobilelearningldquoOnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)rdquowhichwasalsoinagreementwithstudentsrsquoresponse
Table 2 Mobile English learning how often
Frequency Percentage
ASeveraltimesaday 58 4361
BSeveraltimesaweek 28 2105
COnceaday 27 203
DLessoften 14 1053
EOnceaweek 6 451
Table 3 Impact on learning favorite times
Frequency Percentage
ALastthingatnight 76 5714
BCommutingtowork 60 4511
CAtlunchbreaks 36 2707
DWeekends 27 203
EDailywalksjogging 17 1278
FAtbreakfast 16 1203
Table 4 Impact on learning favourite places
Frequency Percentage
AInaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome) 78 5865
BWheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarises 68 5113
COnthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving) 54 406
DInplaceswherefreewifiisavailable 32 2406
EInaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood) 22 1654
FInapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetings 20 1504
GDuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodo 9 677
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
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24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
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27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
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28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
12
tothefavouritetimetodomobilelearningwiththesecondhighestnumberofstudents(4511)choosingwhilelsquocommutingtoworkrsquo(seeTable3)Thisreinforcesthepreviousresearchfindingsthattheaffordanceofmobiletechnologyhasbroughtaboutotherwiseunavailableopportunitiesforlanguagelearning(egDemouyetal2016)andinthemeantimesuchfindingswillinformthemobilelearningdesignForexampleappropriatelisteningtaskscouldbedesignedforjoggingordriving
However15studentsdidnotusemobiledevicesandthemostfrequentlycitedreasonwasthatldquoIpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningrdquo(4667)followedbyldquoIpreferusingmycomputerorlaptoprdquo(40)whichsuggeststhatsomestudentswerenotusedtoandnotreadyforthisnoveltypeoflearningInterestinglyonethirdofthestudentschoseldquoIhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyusefulapplicationsrdquo(3333)indicatingtheneedfortutorstorecommendgoodmobilelearningresources20studentsreportedthattheydidnotknowhowtousemobiledevicestostudyEnglishwhichcoincidedwithStockwell(2010)rsquosfindingsthatowningmobiledevicesdidnotliterallymeanthatstudentswouldknowhowtouseitforlearningwhichcalledfortheneedforlearnertraininginmobilelearning(Stockwell2015)
42 Supporting Formal University CoursesNearlythree-quartersoftheparticipants(737)reportedthattheyusedmobiledevicestosupporttheuniversitycoursestheyarestudyingThisfindinghelpstoexplainwhythehighestnumberofrespondentschoselsquolastthingatnightrsquoastheirfavouritetimeasmostofthemworkduringthedayandlsquoinaquietplaceonyourownrsquotocarryoutmobilelearningactivities(cfTables3and4)
RegardinghowlearnersengagedthemselvesinmobilelearningourfindingwasverysimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)inwhichthelargestnumberofstudents(over54)reportedthattheyengagedinmobilelearninginformally(aswhenandwheretheopportunityarose)andfollowedbythethirdchoicewhichincludedboththeformalandtheinformallearning(Table5)
ThisseemstobecontradictoryiftheirfavoritestudytimeisthelastthingatnightandinaquietplaceonewouldexpectmorerespondentstochooselsquoplannedsessionsrsquoatafixedtimeItcouldbethatthequestiononlsquoplannedsessionrsquowasnotclearlyexplainedinthequestionnaireandstudentsmighthaveassumedthattheselearningsessionsareplannedbytheteachersItcouldalsobethattherespondentsinterpretedthetermlsquoinformallyrsquoaslsquonottheworkassignedbyteachersrsquo
Onthepreferredmobilelearningactivitiesthelargestnumberofstudents(714)indicatedusingmobiledevicestopractisethenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialswhichsupportsthefindingthat737respondentscarriedoutmobilelearningtosupportformalcoursesanditalsoverifiesthepopularityoflearningvocabularyviamobiledevicesinpreviousresearch(LevyampKennedy2005Stockwell2010)(Table6)
Notsurprisinglythenextpopularactivitywastolistentotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsechoingearlierstudentsrsquocourseexperiencereflectionsinwhichtheyexpressedthewishesofhavingtheaudioclipsofthetexts(Feng2015)
Anoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudents(977)reportedthattheyengagedinlearningEnglishwithmobiledevicesontheirownwhilstonly3students(23)indicatedthattheyengagedinsomeof theactivitieswithotherpeopleThiswasunderstandableasmoststudents involvedinmobile
Table 5 Situations to engage in mobile English language learning
Situations Frequency Percentage
AMoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarises 73 5489
BInplannedlearningsessions(egroutineeveningsessionsatafixedtimetoworkwithcoursematerialsoronregularjourneys)
16 1203
CBothoftheabove 44 3308
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
13
learningspontaneouslyinsituationswhenandwhereanopportunityarose(seeTable5)thereforeitwouldbedifficulttofindpeerswhowerealsoavailableatthesametime
Participantsrsquomainmotivation(4737)wasthattheywanttomaximizegapsindailyscheduletopracticelanguageskills(Table7)ietheyengagedinmobilelanguagelearningldquomoreinformallyinshortburstsof timeaswhenandwhere theopportunityarisesrdquo(Table5)and tosupport theuniversitycoursestheywerestudying
Mobilelearningismoreflexibleandcanenableustofillinthegapsandtousethegapstolearnvocabularyandpracticelistening(Student3emailinterview)
ThenextonewasenrichingEnglishculturalknowledge(406)asmobiledevicescouldlendthemselvestorichaudio-visualresourcesoftheEnglish-speakingcountriesandstudentscouldlistenandwatchwhenorwheretherewasanopportunity
MobilelearningcanadapttoourneedseasilyInmysparetimeIusedmymobilephonetogettoknowthelatestnewstheinterestingplacesandfoodsabroadandtolearnmorepracticalwordsandexpressionsfortravelling(Student2emailinterview)
43 Favorite AppsResources and Skills PracticedThequestionnairedatademonstratedthatthetwomaintypesofdeviceusedforlanguagelearningweresmartphonesandtabletsiPadsThetopskillpracticedislistening(6391)followedbyspeakingandpronunciation(5639)vocabulary(5489)reading(4211)andtranslating(2782)ThisfindingissimilartothatofDemouyetalrsquosstudy(2016)whereanoverwhelmingmajorityofthestudentsreportedusingmobiledevicesforpractisinglisteningskill
Table 6 How to use mobile device (s) to support the university courses
Frequency Percentage
APractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerials 70 7143
BListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerials 49 50
CFindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerials 32 3265
DTranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerials 30 3061
ECheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerials 25 2551
FCompletingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork) 18 1837
GTakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlater 10 102
HPractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudents 7 714
Table 7 Main motivation for mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AYouwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforthebus)inyourdailyscheduletopracticeyourlanguageskills
63 4737
BYouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledge 54 406
CYouwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam 8 602
DYouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutor 2 15
EYouuseittoplaylanguagegames 2 15
FYoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudents 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
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BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
14
Listeningisakeyskillinlanguagelearningandisperfectlysuitedformobilelearningduetoadvancedaffordancesinsmarttechnologywhichallowsuserstolistentoaudiosorwatchvideoswhilelearnersareonthemoveoraredoingsomeotherlessdemandingactivitiessuchascommutinganddoingtheironing
Imainlyuseappandothermobile resources topractice listeningeg listening to the textsDuetoworkandfamilycommitmentsIcannotstudyatcomputerforalongtimeTheappisveryconvenientandcanallowmetofillinthegapsandstudy(Student1emailinterview)
TheparticipantsinourstudychosespeakingandpronunciationasthesecondpreferredactivitieswhileinDemouyetal(2016)studyitwasgrammarandvocabularyorreadinginsomecasesinsecondpositionThisisbecauseourlearnershavelessaccesstonativespeakersofEnglishsopronunciationisoneofthemainchallengesinlearningEnglishAlsothemajorityofourrespondentsworkedincorporatecompanies(seeTable1)whichmightdemandbetterspokenEnglishcompetenceMobiledevicescouldprovide learnerswithmoreopportunitiesandbetter tools topractisespeakingandpronunciationsuchasitssynchronouscommunicationtoolsinWeChatasevidencedinthequotebelow
I use apps to improve my listening speaking and reading as these apps can help me study at any time at any place In addition as these apps can remind and monitor my learning (Student 3 data source email interview)
Table8demonstratesthatpractisingpronunciationandspeakingclaimsthehighestnumberofappsreportedreflectingtheneedsbylearnersofEnglishYou dao(11)isthemostpopularappforpractisingpronunciationandspeakingfollowedbyYing yu liu li Shuo(7)BBCrelated(7)Ying yu qu pei yin(6)andBai ci zhan(6)
ThenexthighestnumberofappsandresourcesusedisforpracticinglisteningwithVOA(11)andBBC(9)unsurprisinglybeingthefirsttwomainlisteningresourcesforitsauthenticEnglishandmostup-to-datenewsoninternationalcurrentaffairsTheavailabilityofappsforvocabularyandtranslationislimitedsothelearnersrsquochoicesaremorefocusedononeortwoappscomparedwiththatforpronunciationandspeakingandlisteningForexampleintermsofvocabularyBai ci zhan(26)andYou dao(21)arethetwomostfrequentlyusedappsandthelatter(20)isalsothetopchoiceforpracticingtranslationskills
Table 8 Language skills and their practising apps or resources
Skills and Knowledge Areas Practising Apps or Resources
Listening VOA(11)BBC(9)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(6)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(6)TEDTalk(5)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(4)Youdao(有道)(4)WeChat(微信)(3)Baicizhan(百词斩)(3)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(3)
Pronunciationandspeaking Youdao(有道)(11)Yingyuliulishuo(英语流利说)(7)BBCrelated(7)Yingyuqupeiyin(英语趣配音)(6)Baicizhan(百词斩)(6)VOA(5)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(4)WangYiOpenCourse(网易公开课)(4)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(4)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Shanbei(扇贝口语)(3)Yingyumofangxiu(英语魔方秀)(2)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)TED(2)
Vocabulary Baicizhan(百词斩)(26)Youdao(有道)(21)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(8)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(7)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(3)Shanbei(扇贝)(3)Weiruanbiying(微软必应)(2)
Translation Youdao(有道词典)(20)Baidufanyi(百度翻译)(6)GoogleTranslate(2)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(2)Kekeyingyu(可可英语)(2)Zhimibeidanci(知米背单词)(2)
Reading Shanbei(扇贝)(7)BBC(6)WeChat(微信公众号)(6)Youdao(有道词典)(3)Jinshanciba(金山词霸)(3)Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)(3)Ximalaya(喜马拉雅)(2)Kekeyingyu(2)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
15
ThetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesreportedareYou dao(有道)Bai ci zhan(百词斩)Hu jiang ying yu(沪江英语)BBCShanBei(扇贝)
ThemainusesfeaturesofthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedappsresourcesarelistedinTable9ItisnoticedthateachappfocusesononeparticularskillorknowledgeareaforexampleYou
daohasdifferentappswitheachspecialisinginoneskillareaMoreimportantlytheappsmaximizetheuseofmobilityandmultimediafeaturesBai ci zhanusesimagesandvideostoteachnewwordswhileShan beiprovidesauthenticaudiomaterialstopractiselisteningInadditionalltheappsincludegamingfeaturestomotivatelearnersForexampleHu jiang ying yuhasafeaturecalledldquobreakingtheblockadersquowhichisaseriesofldquoblockadesrdquolikehurdleswithvocabularylearningactivitiesforlearnerstodoTheappkeepsarecordoftheldquoblockadesrsquothataresuccessfullyldquobrokenrdquoFurthermoretheseappsofferapersonalpathoflearningwithabuilt-inrevisingandtestingfunctionegthesystemrecordsandtrackslearnersrsquolearningprocessegstudyhoursinthesystemthenumberofwordstheyhavelearnedetcsoastofosterlearnersrsquoindependentlearning
InadditiontheappsencouragedcommunitybuildingprocessmonitoringandsharingBai ci zhanallowsthelearnertosharetheirprogresswithfriendsintheWeChategthenumberofdaysthelearnerhasbeenlearningwordswithBaici zhanandhowmanywordstheyhavemasteredonaparticulardayThroughsharingdailygainswithfriendsandcommunitylearnerscanacquireasenseofachievementandfeelmotivatedtokeeponlearningMostoftheappsusedauthenticEnglishmaterialsandcanbeusedofflineexceptBBC
Table 9 Top five most frequently used resources main uses and key features
No Name Skills Practiced Key Features Website
1 Youdao(有道) -Translate-Buildandtestvocabulary-Checkingnewwords-Checkexamplesentenceswherethenewwordappears-Listentopronunciation
-Fastonmobiledevices-Multifunctional(readingtranslationvideoclipsdictionarywithexamplesentencespronunciation)-Cantranslateindividualwordsandlongersentences
cidianyoudaocom
2 Baicizhan(百词斩)
-Vocabularybuilding-Checkingnewwords-Memorisingnewwords
-Interestingvisualaidwithsoundandvideo-Personalisedtobuildonersquosownlist-Makestudyplanandreviseit-Simpleandclear
wwwbaicizhancom
3 Hujiangyingyu(沪江英语)
-Listening-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Agoodrangeofmaterialscoveringallsubjects-Richinlisteningmaterials-Gamingfeatureforvocabularylearning-intheformofbreakingablockade
wwwhujiangcom
4 BBC -Listening-Speakingandpronunciation
-Nativepronunciation-Widerangeofmaterialsfromnewstocurrenttopics-Authenticmaterials
wwwbbccouk
5 Shanbei(扇贝)
-Listening-Reading-Speakingandpronunciation-Vocabularybuilding
-Coversnewsandcurrentaffairswithaudio-Onecanmakestudyplansandthesystemcanremindlearners-Rewardsystemwhentheplanisaccomplished(motivational)-Appitselfinconstantupgradingandimprovement
wwwshanbaycom
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
16
44 Learner Perception of and Attitudes Towards the Tutorrsquos Role in MALLOnly3083oftheparticipantsindicatedthattheirteacherrecommendedmobilelearningappsandresourcesfortheirEnglishlearningand1579reportedthattheirteachersmonitoredstudentsrsquouseofmobilelanguageresourceswhichdemonstratedthatteachersplayedaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearninginthisstudy
Anoverwhelmingmajorityoftheparticipants(9398)expectedtheirtutorstooffersupporttotheirout-of-classmobileEnglishlearningrangingfromrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearning efficacy to teachersrsquo participation in the online forum discussions (Table 10) whichsupportedHsursquos(2013)findingsthatstudentsofAsianheritagewelcomedteacherinterventionintheirmobilelearning
Thisfindingalsocorrespondedwiththatinanothersimilarstudyinadevelopingcountrycontext(seeImtinan2013)inwhichthemajorityoftheuniversitystudentsexpectedtutorstoplayanactivepartintheirmobilelearninginsteadoftakingfullresponsibilitiesfortheirmobilelearning
Over40studentsanticipatedthatteacherswouldprovidefullsupportincludingcontributingtotheironlineforumdiscussionwhichreinforcedtheresearchfindingsfromprevioussimilarstudies(cfLamy2013Plutino2017)
AsIamnotsosureabouttheanswersorsometimesIforgotthingseasilywithteachersupportIcangetaccurateanswersandalsocanrememberbetterForexampleIcanrememberbetterthewordsandshortphraseswith teachersrsquo instructionThemainreason is thatwedistance learnerslackspokenEnglishpeerpracticewehopethatuniversitycanhelpprovidemoresupportsuchasassigningatopicandaskingstudentstouploadtheirrecordingthenteacherscanofferfeedbackandcancommentonstudentswhoaremakingprogresswhichcanmotivatestudentstoworkharder(Student3emailinterview)
Ourstudyfoundoutthatthekeybarriertomobilelanguagelearningwasthatlearnersworriedaboutbeinginterrupted(4286)(Table11)whichisinlinewithourfindingthatthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningisinaquietprivateplace(cfTable4)Thisisanunderstandableconcernasthelikelihoodofthelearningbeinginterruptedishighduetovariousexternaldistractionssuchasotherpeopleonthephoneorwatchingmovieandthedistractionfromthedeviceitselfsuchasnoticesfromthevariousapplications(Stockwell2015)
Mostremainingbarrierswererelatedtotechnologyechoingthetechnologicaldisadvantagesofmobiledevicesidentifiedbypreviousstudiessuchassmallscreenscausingreadingdifficultiesdatastorageandmultimedialimitations(MiangahampNezarat2012)
5 DISCUSSIoN AND CoNCLUSIoN
Chwoetal (2018)argued thatldquohellipthereare significantdiscrepanciesbetweenhow teachersandinstructionaldesignersanticipatethatMALLdeviceswillbeusedandhowthestudentsactuallyuse
Table 10 Perceived tutor role in the out-of-class mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
AMobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoit 7 526
BTutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresources 28 2105
CTutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy 43 3233
DTutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroup 54 4060
EOtherspleasespecify 1 075
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
17
themhelliprdquo(Chwoetal2018p70)WehopethatthisexploratorystudyofferedacomprehensivepictureofhowadultChinesedistancelanguagelearnersusemobiledevicesforEnglishlearningtheirhabitsandpreferencesthelanguageskillstheypracticedwiththeirfavouriteappsresourcesandtheirperceptionsofthetutorrsquosroleBelowarethekeyfindingsofourstudy
FirstlyChinesedistant language learners inourstudyareoverallsimilar in theirhabitsandpreferencesintermsoftimeandplacecomparedtodistantlearnersintheUKinthatthemajorityofChinesestudentsengagedinmobilelearninginformallyandspontaneouslyinsituationsaswhenandwheretheopportunityaroseandtheyreportedthatmoretimewasspentonEnglishlearningasaresultofusingmobiledevicesthanpreviouslyIntermsofmotivationforengaginginmobileEnglishlearningitisalsosimilartoDemouyetalrsquosstudyinthattheywanttomaximizethegapsintheirdailyschedule
SecondlythemostfavouritetimeformobilelearningwasldquothelastthingatnightrdquoandthemostfavouriteplaceforlearningwasldquoaquietprivateplaceontheirownrdquoThisfindingsupportsChwoetalrsquos(2018)challengetothecommonwisdomofMALLtakingplaceatanytimeandatanyplaceOurdataclearlyindicatesthatsomelearnershavespecificplacesandpreferredtimesformobilelanguagelearningThisresultalsoalignswithourotherfindingthatthemajorityofrespondentsinourstudyengagedinmobilelanguagelearninginordertosupporttheirformalcourselearningwhichwasnotrevealedinpreviousresearchparticularlyinvocabulary-buildingandimprovinglisteningcompetencyandspokenEnglishThisalsorelatestothelearnersrsquoprofileasallofthemareworkingfulltimelearningEnglishforbusinesspurposes
ThirdlyourstudyhasidentifiedthetopfivemostfrequentlyusedmobilelearningappsandresourcesYou daoBai ci zhanHu jiang ying yuBBCandShan beiThecommonfeaturessharedbythemarefocusingononelanguageskillorknowledgeareamaximizingmultimediafunctionalitiesandwithmotivationalandpersonalisedlearningfeaturesThesefindingscaninformappdesignerssotheycanincludethesefeaturesthatarevaluedbylanguagelearners
FourthlythestudyalsorevealsthatcurrentlyteachersplayaverylimitedroleinstudentsrsquomobilelearningasperceivedbystudentsHoweverstudentsexpectmoresupportfromteachersforout-of-classhourmobileassistedlanguagelearningincludingparticipatinginonlineforumdiscussionssuchasprovidingsupportbysettingupWeChatgrouprecommendinglearningresourcesandmonitoringlearningefficacy
WesuggestthattheabovefourkeyfindingsofthisstudyhavesignificantpotentialpedagogicalimplicationsforMALLusefortertiaryEnglishlanguageteachingpracticesinbothdistancelearningandface-to-facesettingsinthreeaspectslanguagelearningpedagogylearnersupportandteachertrainingRegardinglanguagelearningpedagogythestudyindicatesthattheuseofmobileapplicationsasbothalearningandrevisiontoolneedstobeembeddedinthecurriculumdesignandeducatorsneedtodesignmoreengagingandbite-sizelanguageactivitiesinaccordancewithlearnersrsquoexpectations
Table 11 Key barriers of mobile English learning
Frequency Percentage
ALikelihoodofbeinginterrupted 57 4286
BNofreewifi 41 3083
CNotenoughstorageonmymobile 39 2932
DNothavingsufficienttime 32 2406
ESlowdownloadspeed 27 203
FNotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephone 22 1654
GLackofprivacy 10 752
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
18
andldquopre-existinghabitsofusesrdquo(Chwoetal2018p69)sothatlearnerscanengageinoutsidetheclasshourstosupporttheirformallearningLearnersupportiscrucialindistancelearningandourstudyrevealsthatlearnerswelcomeappropriatetutorguidanceandinterventionsuchascreatingacommonvirtualspacesothattutorscansharegoodlearningresourcesandstudytipswithlearnersFinallycontinuousteachertrainingisneededtoequipteacherswiththeknowledgeandconfidencesoastoplayamoreactiveroleinMALL
OneofthelimitationsofthisstudyisthatwedidnotofferdefinitionsofthetermslsquoinformalrsquoandlsquoformalrsquoinourquestionnairesosomelearnersmightinterpretlsquoinformallearningrsquoaslearningthatisnotrelatedtotheirformalcourseoronlythingsthattheteacherdidnotaskthemtodoAlsowedidnotexplorethisintheemailinterviewsInfutureresearchwewillinvestigaterespondentsrsquounderstandingandperceptionoflsquoinformallearningrsquoandlsquoformallearningrsquoAsevidencefromourdatahasbackeduppreviousresearchthatlanguagelearninghasstartedtomoveoutoftheclassroomandintotherealworld(Stockwell2010)furtherresearchisurgentlyneededonhowtodesigneffectivelanguage learning activities that maximize the affordances of mobile devices so that lsquoinformalrsquolearningcanbettersupportlsquoformalrsquolearning
ACKNowLEDGMENT
ThisstudywaspartlyfundedbyChinaScholarshipCouncilTheauthorswouldliketoextendtheirthankstocolleaguesMsHuXiaonaandMsCuiWeiattheInstituteofOnlineEducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversityforhelpingwithdatacollectionTheauthorswouldalsoliketoexpresstheirgratitudetotheanonymousreviewersfortheirinsightfulfeedbackontheearlierversionsofthispaper
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
19
REFERENCES
ArvanitisPKrystalliPampPanagiotidisP(2016)ApplicationsformobileassistedlanguagelearningacurrentfieldresearchInProceedings of INTED2016 ConferenceValenciaSpainMarch7-91021125inted20160803
BraunVampClarkeV(2006)UsingthematicanalysisinpsychologyQualitative Research in Psychology3(2)77ndash101Retrievedfromhttpeprintsuweacuk11735
BritishCouncil(2013)TheEnglisheffectRetrievedfromhttpswwwbritishcouncilorgsitesdefaultfilesenglish-effect-report-v2pdf
BrymanA(2008)OfmethodsandmethodologyQualitative Research in Organizations and Management3(2)159ndash168doi10110817465640810900568
BurstonJ(2013)Mobile-assistedlanguagelearningAselectedannotatedbibliographyofimplementationstudies1994ndash2012Language Learning amp Technology17(3)157ndash224Retrievablefromhttplltmsueduissuesoctober2013burstonpdf
BurstonJ(2014)MALLThepedagogicalchallengesComputer Assisted Language Learning27(4)344ndash357doi101080095882212014914539
ChaiYL (2014) Investigating thenon-EnglishmajorsrsquoviewsonusingWeChat inEnglish speakingandlisteninginstruction[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education15934ndash39
ChangCKampHsuCK(2011)Amobile-assistedsynchronouslycollaborativetranslation-annotationsystemforEnglishasaforeignlanguage(EFL)readingcomprehensionComputer Assisted Language Learning24(2)155ndash180doi101080095882212010536952
ChinaMinistryofEducation(2016)College English Curriculum RequirementsRetrievedJuly222018fromhttpwww360doccomcontent17020314413468_626210661shtml
ChwoSMGMarekMWampWuW-CV(2018)Meta-analysisofMALLresearchanddesignSystem7462ndash72doi101016jsystem201802009
ColemanJAampFurnboroughC(2010)LearnercharacteristicsandlearningoutcomesonadistanceSpanishcourseforbeginnersSystem38(1)14ndash29doi101016jsystem200912002
ConoleGDeLaatMDillonTampDarbJ(2008)lsquoDisruptivetechnologiesrsquolsquopedagogicalinnovationrsquoWhatrsquosnewFindingsfroman in-depthstudyofstudentsrsquouseandperceptionof technologyComputers amp Education50(2)511ndash524doi101016jcompedu200709009
CrossSSharplesMampHealingG (2015)E-PedagogyofHandheldDevices2013SurveyPatternsofstudentuseforlearningTheOpenUniversityUK
DemouyVampKukulska-HulmeA (2010)On thespotUsingmobiledevices for listeningandspeakingpracticeonaFrenchlanguageprogrammeOpen Learning25(3)217ndash232doi101080026805132010511955
DemouyVJonesAKanQKukulska-HulmeAampEardleyA(2016)WhyandhowdodistancelearnersusemobiledevicesforlanguagelearningTheEuroCALLReview24(1)10ndash24104995eurocall20165663
EuropeanCommission(2001)Communiqueacute Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality(Brussels)Retrievedfromhttpwwwviaagovlvfilesfree48748pol_10_com_enpdf
FengX(2015)InvestigatingChinesedistancelanguagelearnersrsquoexperiencewithonlinecoursesPresentation at thefaculty research conference at the Institute of Online EducationBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity
GlogowskaMYoungPampLockyerL(2007)ShouldIgoorshouldIstayActive Learning in Higher Education8(1)63ndash77doi1011771469787407074115
Godwin-JonesR(2011)EmergingtechnologyMobileappsfor languagelearningLanguage Learning amp Technology15(2)2ndash11
GraddolD(2006)EnglishNextWhyglobalEnglishmaymeantheendoflsquoEnglishasaForeignLanguagersquoTheBritishCouncilampTheEnglishCompany(UK)Ltd
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
20
HaoSDennienVPampLiM(2017)InfluentialfactorsformobilelearningacceptanceamongChineseusersEducational Technology Research and Development65(1)101ndash123doi101007s11423-016-9465-2
HsuL(2013)EnglishasaforeignlanguagelearnersrsquoperceptionofmobileassistedlanguagelearningAcross-nationalstudyComputer Assisted Language Learning26(3)197ndash213doi101080095882212011649485
Huang C amp Sun P (2010) Using mobile technologies to support mobile multimedia English listeningexercisesindailylifePaper presented at the International Conference on Computer and Network Technologies in EducationBeijing
LiuJYuSampRanM(2008)ResearchonthecommunicativemobileEnglishlearningmodelInFifth IEEE International Conference on Wireless Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in EducationWuhanChina(pp60ndash64)
KanQOwenNampBaxS(2018)Researchingmobile-assistedChinese-characterlearningstrategiesamongadultdistancelearnersInnovation in Language Learning and Teachingdoi1010801750122920181418633
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012a)LanguagelearningdefinedbytimeandplaceAframeworkfornextgenerationdesignsInJEDiacuteaz-Vera(Ed)Left to My Own Devices Learner Autonomy and Mobile Assisted Language Learning(pp1ndash13)BingleyUKEmeraldGroupPublishingLimited
Kukulska-HulmeA(2012b)HowshouldthehighereducationworkforceadapttoadvancementsintechnologyforteachingandlearningThe Internet and Higher Education15(4)247ndash254doi101016jiheduc201112002
Kukulska-HulmeAampDelosArcosB(2011)Triumphsandfrustrationsofself-motivatedlanguagelearnersusingmobiledevicesPaper presented at the CAL Conference 2011mdashLearning Futures Education Technology and SustainabilityManchesterUK
Kukulska-HulmeAampShieldL(2008)AnoverviewofmobileassistedlanguagelearningFromcontentdeliverytosupportedcollaborationandinteractionReCALL20(3)271ndash289
Kukulska-HulmeA(2005)MobileusabilityanduserexperienceMobileLearningAhandbookforeducatorsand trainers InAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler (Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp45ndash56)LondonRoutledge
LaiCampGuMY(2011)Self-regulatedout-of-classlanguagelearningwithtechnologyComputer Assisted Language Learning24(4)317ndash335doi101080095882212011568417
Imtinan U (2013) The teacherrsquos role in mobile learning ndash Perceptions of university students in PakistanTransactions on Mobile Learning220ndash23
JiaLYZhangGYampShiC(2016)FlippingmedicalEnglishreadingclassbasedonWeChatpublicplatformandWeChatcommunity[inChinese]Computer Assisted Foreign Language Education16865ndash69
LamyM-N(2013)ldquoWedonrsquothavetoalwayspoststufftohelpuslearnrdquoInformallearningthroughsocialnetworkinginabeginnersrsquoChinesegroupInCMeskill(Ed)Online Teaching and Learning Sociocultural Perspectives(pp219ndash238)LondonBloomsburyAcademic
LevyMampKennedyC(2005)LearningItalianviamobileSMSInAKukulska-HulmeampJTraxler(Eds)Mobile Learning A Handbook for Educators and Trainers(pp76ndash83)LondonRoutledge
MasonAampZhangW(2017)AnexplorationoftheuseofmobileapplicationstosupportthelearningofChinesecharactersemployedbystudentsofChineseasaforeignlanguageInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp99ndash112)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016674
MartinFampErtzbergerJ(2013)HereandnowmobilelearningAnexperimentalstudyontheuseofmobiletechnologyComputers amp Education6876ndash85doi101016jcompedu201304021
MiangahTMampNezaratA (2012)Mobile-Assisted language learning IJDPS Journal3(1)309ndash319105121ijdps20123126
PalalasA (2011)Mobile-assisted language learningdesigningforyourstudents InThoueumlsnyampBradley(Eds)Second Language Teaching and Learning with Technology Views of Emergent Researchers(pp71-94)DublinResearch-publishingnet1014705rpnet2011000007
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
21
PlutinoA(2017)TeachersasawakenersacollaborativeapproachinlanguagelearningandsocialmediaInInnovative Language Teaching and Learning at University(pp1ndash11)EnhancingEmployabilitydoi1014705rpnet2017innoconf2016661
PriceSampRogersY(2004)LetrsquosgetphysicalThelearningbenefitsofinteractingindigitallyaugmentedphysicalspacesComputers amp Education43(1)137ndash151doi101016jcompedu200312009
ReadTBaacutercenaEampKukulska-HulmeA(2016)MobileandmassivelanguagelearningInTechnology-Enhanced Language Learning for Specialized Domains Practical Applications and Mobility(pp151ndash161)AbingdonRoutledge
ReadTampKukulska-HulmeA (2015)The roleofamobileapp for listeningcomprehension training indistancelearningtosustainstudentmotivationJournal of Universal Computer Science21(10)1327ndash1338
PalalasAampAllyM(Eds)(2016)The International Handbook of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning(pp399ndash434)BeijingChinaCentralRadioampTVUniversityPress
Rosell-AguilarFKanQ(2016)DesignanduserevaluationofamobileapptoteachChinesecharacters
RueckertDKiserRampChoM(2012)OrallanguageassessmentmadeeasyviaVoiceThreadInTESOL International Convention and English Language ExpoPhiladelphiaPAMarch28ndash31
SharplesM (2016)Trends inLearning2016 -7MobileLearningFreeopen learning [YouTubevideo]Retrievedfromhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=mvn2yudjzca
SharplesMdeRoockRFergusonRGavedMHerodotouCKohEampWongLH(2016)Innovating Pedagogy 2016 Open University Innovation Report 5MiltonKeynesTheOpenUniversity
SteelC(2012)FittinglearningintolifeLanguagestudentsrsquoperspectivesonbenefitsofusingmobileappsInMBrownMHartnettampTStewart(Eds)Future Challenges(pp875ndash880)SustainableFutures
Stockwell G (2015) Mobile learning for language learning - Trends issues and way forward [YouTubevideo] Presented at Digital Education Show Asia 2015 Retrieved from httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv=f_0rRXHWsb0
StockwellG (2010)UsingmobilephonesforvocabularyactivitiesExamining theeffectof theplatformLanguage Learning amp Technology14(2)95ndash110
ThorntonPampHouserC(2005)UsingmobilephonesinEnglisheducationinJapanJournal of Computer Assisted Language Learning21(3)217ndash228doi101111j1365-2729200500129x
VanMarsenilleA(2015)InformallanguagelearningtheperspectiveofhighereducationstudentsinBrusselsAcasestudy[Doctoralthesis]TheOpenUniversity
WangSampSmithS(2013)ReadingandgrammarlearningthroughmobilephonesLanguage Learning amp Technology17(3)117ndash134
WangWZhongSCampLvSL(2009)Empiricalresearchonmobilelearningofcollegestudents[inChinese]Open Education Research15(2)81ndash86
WuYirsquoan(2001)EnglishlanguageteachinginChinaTrendsandchallengesTESOL Quarterly 35(1)191-94
XiaoJHampHurdS(2007)LanguagelearningstrategiesindistanceEnglishlearningAstudyoflearnersatShantouRadioandTelevisionUniversityChinaThe Journal of Asia TEFL4(2)141ndash164
YanJXampHorwitzEK(2008)LearnersrsquoperceptionsofhowanxietyinteractswithpersonalandinstructionalfactorstoinfluencetheirachievementinEnglishAqualitativeanalysisofEFLlearnersinChinaLanguage Learning 58(1)151-183
YouCampDoumlrnyeiZ(2016)LanguagelearningmotivationinChinaResultsofalarge-scalestratifiedsurveyApplied Linguistics37(4)495ndash519
ZhangXY(2017)ResearchingintoaMOOCembeddedflippedclassroommodelforcollegeEnglishReadingandWritingcourseInKanampBax(Eds)Beyond the Language Classroom Researching MOOCs and Other Innovations(pp15-27)DublinIrelandResearchpublishingnet1014705rpnet2017mooc2016668
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
22
ZhaoCYampLiuYQ(2012)AnexplorationondistanceEnglishoraltestmdashAnempiricalstudyonEnglishoraltestthroughWebphoneSkype[inChinese]ModernEducational Technology2295ndash98
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
23
APPENDIX
Questionnaire on Mobile English Language LearningNote that this is the English translation of the original questionnaire which was in ChineseDue to limited space we only provide the English version here
Pleasetellusyourhellip
AgeA Under25B 26-35C 36-45D 46-66E Over56
GenderA MaleB Female
OccupationA CorporatestaffB TeachersC Non-corporatestaffD Otherspleasespecify
EducationalbackgroundA HighschooldiplomaB DiplomaC BAdegreeD MAdegreeorabove
Q1aDoyouuseamobiledevice(suchasatabletoraphone)forEnglishlearning(egchecknewwordspracticepronunciation)A YesB No
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ1b]Q1bPleasetelluswhyyoudonotuseamobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)
A IdonotownamobiledeviceB IonlyusemymobiletomakephonecallsorsendtextmessagesetcnotforEnglishlearningC MymobiledevicedoesnotallowmetoconnecttotheInternetD IamnotawareofhowIcouldusemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningE IhavetriedtousemymobiledeviceforEnglishlearningbutIhavenotfoundanyuseful
applicationsF MymobiledevicedoesnothaveenoughdatasoIkeepitforessentialuseG IpreferusingmycomputerorlaptopH IpreferusingprintmaterialsforEnglishlearningI Otherpleasespecify____________________
[AfteransweringQ1bdirecttothefollowingpage
ThankyouforlettingusknowyoudonotusemobiledevicesforyourEnglishlearningTherearenomorequestionsforyouPleaseclickonthelsquorsquobuttonbelowtorecordyourresponse]
Q2Whichmobiledevice(s)doyouuseforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Asmartphone(egAndroidiPhone)aniPadortablet
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
24
B AkindleC Otherpleasesaywhich____________________
Q3Whatwasyour initialmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglish learning(Please select one only)A Outofcuriositybecauseyouhadacquiredthedeviceandwereinterestedinwhatitcould
doB Youalreadyusedyourdeviceregularlyandwantedtoseeifyoucouldusethetoolsapps
(eggames)orservicesforEnglishlearningC YouusedmobileBeiwaiOnlinetocheckcoursenoticesandassignmentsD YouwereinstructedbyyourtutortouseanAppaspecificresourceorfunctionalityE YouwereinspiredbyafellowstudentorafriendwhopointedoutanAppaspecificresource
orfunctionalityF Youwantedtofill in maximizegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight) inyourdaily
scheduletopracticeyourlanguageskillsG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q4aWhichresourcessocialmediaorappsdoyouusemostforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectallthatapply)A Communicationapps(egSkypeWeChatQQWhatsAppetc)B Forumsorsocialnetworks(egWeiboLinkedInWeChatgroups)C Englishlearningwebsitesandapps(egPlecoDuolinguoBusuuMemriseQuizletetc)D Authenticaudio-visualresources(egTVprogrammesTEDTalksYouKufilmsaudio-
bookssongs)E Authenticreadingmaterialonline(egonlinenewspapersmagazinesnovelsetc)F Referencematerial(egWikipediaBaidudictionariesonlinetranslationtoolsetc)G Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q4bNameoneofyourmostfavouriteappswebsitesorresourcesthatyouaccessviayourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearningandbrieflyexplainwhyyoulikeit(Maximum200words)
Q5aWhichlanguageskill(s)knowledgedoyoupracticeacquiremostwithyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A SpeakingandpronunciationB ListeningC WritingD ReadingE BuildingupvocabularyF BuildingupgrammarG TranslatingH Otherpleasespecify____________________
[IfASpeakingandpronunciationisselecteddirecttoQ5b]
Q5bPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingspeakingandpronunciation(namemaximumthree)
[IfBListeningisselecteddirecttoQ5c]
Q5cPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticinglistening(namemaximumthree)
[IfCWritingisselecteddirecttoQ5d]
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
25
Q5dPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingwriting(namemaximumthree)
[IfDReadingIsSelecteddirectto
Q5ePleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingreading(namemaximum3)
[IfEBuildingupvocabularyisselecteddirecttoQ5f]
Q5fPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupvocabulary(namemaximumthree)
[IfFBuildingupgrammarisselecteddirecttoQ5g]
Q5gPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforbuildingupgrammar(namemaximumthree)
[IfGTranslatingisselecteddirecttoQ5h]
Q5hPleasetellusthetopresources(egappsoftwaresocialmediawebsite)youuseforpracticingtranslating(namemaximumthree)
Q6ApartfrompracticingacquiringthelanguageskillsknowledgelistedinQ5abovewhatotheractivitiesdoyouusuallydoforEnglishlearningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumoftwo)A Youmakeshortvideoclips(egaspeechcompetition)andsharewithothersviasocial
mediacommunicationappsB Youtakephotos(egsignsmenus)andsharewithothersviasocialmediacommunication
appsC You collect new wordsinteresting phrases and share with others via social media
communicationappsD Otherpleasespecify____________________
Q7aDoyouusemobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(egdoingcourseworkpractisingnewwordstakingnotesaccessingcoursematerials)A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ7b]
Q7bHowdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s) tosupport theuniversitycoursesyouarestudying(Pleaseselectmaximumthree)A PractisingthenewvocabularyinthecoursematerialsB CheckingthegrammarpointsinthecoursematerialsC ListeningtotheaudioclipsinthecoursematerialsD PractisingdialoguesinthecoursematerialswithfellowstudentsE TranslatingthetextsinthecoursematerialsF TakingnotesofdifficultpointsyoudonotunderstandsoyoucanaskyourtutorlaterG Completingcoursework(egdraftinganessayoranypieceofwritingwork)
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
26
H FindingoutmoreabouttheculturalpointsinthecoursematerialsI Otherpleasespecify__________________
Q8aWithwhomdoyouusuallydotheaboveEnglishlearningactivitiesonyourmobiledeviceA YoumostlyengageintheactivitiesonyourownB Youengageinsomeoftheactivitieswithotherpeople
[IfBisselecteddirecttoQ8b]
Q8bBrieflydescribeoneactivityyouusuallydowithothersNametheactivityandsaywithwhomwhereandwhenyoudothisactivitywith(egmakingvideoclipwithmyfellowstudents)
Q9Howoftendoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)tocarryoutEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A SeveraltimesadayB OnceadayC OnceaweekD SeveraltimesaweekE Lessoften
Q10Howdoyouuseyourmobiledevice(s)toengageinEnglishlearningactivities(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Inplannedlearningsessions(eg routineeveningsessionsatafixed timetoworkwith
coursematerialsoronregularjourneys)B MoreinformallyinshortburstsoftimeaswhenandwheretheopportunityarisesC Bothoftheabove
Q11Whenisyourfavouritetimetoengageinlanguageactivitiesonyourmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectoneonly)A AtbreakfastB CommutingtoworkC AtlunchbreaksD DailywalksjoggingE LastthingatnightF WeekendsG Othertimepleasespecify_____
Q12Wheredoyouusuallyengage inEnglish learningonyourmobiledevice(s) (Please selectmaximumofthree)A DuringalectureorclasswhentutorsgiveyouworktodoB Onthemove(egtravellingonthetrainbusjoggingdriving)C InapublicplaceinbetweenmeetingsorwaitingforothersformeetingsD Inplaceswherefreewi-fiisavailableE Inaquietprivateplaceonyourown(eghome)F Inaprivateplacewhilstdoingsomethingelse(egcleaningyourroompreparingfood)G WhenyousocializewithfriendsandfellowstudentsH WheneverthereistheneedortheopportunityarisesI Otherpleasesaywhere
Q13GiveanexampleifyoucanofatypicalEnglishlearningactivityyouengageinandsaywhereandwhenyoudoit(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q14WhatisyourcurrentmainmotivationforusingyourmobiledeviceforEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A Youwanttofillinmaximisegaps(egwhilstwaitingforyourflight)inyourdailyschedule
topracticeyourlanguageskillsB Youwanttoachievehighscoresintheexam
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
27
C YouuseittocompletehomeworksetupbyyourtutorD YouuseittoenrichyourEnglishculturalknowledgeE YoufinditusefulwhenworkingonagroupprojecthomeworkwithotherstudentsF YouuseittoplaylanguagegamesG Otherpleasesaywhat____________________
Q15aHastheuseofamobiledeviceenabledyoutostudyattimesorinplacesyouwouldnothavenormallystudiedinthepastA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ15b]
Q15bDoyouthinkyouarespendingmoretimeonEnglishlearningasaresultA YesB NoC Donrsquotknow
Q16Arethereanyotherwaysyouwouldliketobeabletouseyourmobiledevice(s)forEnglishlearning(Maximum200words)(optional)
Q17DoyourteachersrecommendmobilelearningappsandresourcesforyourEnglishlearningA YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttothefollowingopentextbox]Pleaselistthemobilelearningappsandresourcesrecommendedbyyourteacher(maximumthree)
Q18aDoyourteachersmonitoryouruseofmobilelearningresources
A YesB No
[IfAisselecteddirecttoQ18b]
Q18bPleasetellushowyourteachermonitorsyouruseA SettinguphomeworkwhichrequirestheuseofappsoronlineresourcesB AskingyouquestionsregardingyourmobileEnglishlearningC CheckingyourprogressthroughthemobileplatformD Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q19Whatdoyouthinkoftutorroleinout-of-classmobileEnglishlearning(Pleaseselectoneonly)A MobilelearningismyownbusinessandIdonrsquotwantmytutortogetintoitB TutorsdonotneedtodoanythingexceptrecommendingsomeresourcesC Tutorsguideout-of-classmobilelearningincludingrecommendingresourcesandmonitoring
learningefficacyD Tutorsprovidefullsupportforout-of-classmobilelearningincludingparticipatinginonline
forumdiscussionssuchasexpressingopinionsintheWeChatgroupE Otherspleasespecify__________________
Q20Whatare thekeyfactors thatsometimespreventyoufromengaging inEnglish learningonmobiledevice(s)(Pleaseselectmaximumofthree)A NotusedtothesmallscreenofmymobilephoneB Notenoughstorageonyourmobile
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and TeachingVolume 8 bull Issue 3 bull July-September 2018
28
C SlowdownloadspeedD LackofprivacyE Nofreewi-fiF NothavingsufficienttimeG LikelihoodofbeinginterruptedH Otherpleasesaywhat_________________________________
Kan Qian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics The Open University (UK) She has a PhD in Linguistics from Lancaster University and is Senior Fellow of the British Higher Education Academy She led the development of the lsquoChinese Characters First Stepsrsquo (CCFS) app which won the Ed20Work Network European Competition 20 - Using Internet amp mobile apps in education in 2014 Her research focuses on the use of technologies for the learning and teaching of languages mobile language learning mobile-assisted Chinese language learning interactions in online discussion forums and online language learning design including MOOC design lsquoKanrsquo is her surname
Jinlan Tang is the Deputy Dean and Professor of English in the School of Online and Continuing Education Beijing Foreign Studies University China Her research has covered the areas of language assessment tutor feedback EFL teaching and learning in the e-learning environment She has published over 30 research papers in academic journals two books and served as the principal investigator on a number of research projects She is also the Secretary-General of the China Computer-Assisted Language Learning Association (2016ndash2020) (ChinaCALL wwwchinacallorgcn) and a researcher of the China Language Assessment Centre Beijing Foreign Studies University She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham in the area of EFL assessment in the e-learning environment