Over the last few years, Mobile Learning (m-Learning) has increasingly attracted scholars' attention. m-Learning is defined as the use of mobile devices in learning such as mobile phones, tablet pcs, pocket pcs and personal digital assistants (pdas). Several studies have pointed out that m-Learning is an interactive type of technology-based learning that can enhance students' motivation. The emergence of new technological equipment and software has facilitated the creation and development of effective methods and materials for mobile assisted language learning (MALL) which is a specialization of mobile learning (m-Learning).This paper focuses on the use and effectiveness of MALL in second and foreign language (L2) education and on the potential of mobile devices as effective tools for delivering language learning materials to the students in terms of gained linguistic knowledge and skills. To this end, a field research was carried out on a sample of 20 applications for L2 learning, created for mobile devices, focusing on the most popular ones: smartphones and tablets. In particular, using the principles and standards proposed by the Common European Framework (CEFR), there was an effort on determining whether these applications contain languages activities in order to successfully support reading, writing, listening and speaking skills and language acquisition in general. Based on the findings further areas of research are suggested.
Throughout the decade of 2010-2020, the widespread use of mobile devices of any type (smartphones, tablets) has encouraged and strengthened their use in different learning processes and in different ways. Latest improvements in devices’ processing power, in storage capacity, in memory allocation, in wireless connectivity, in GPS and in Bluetooth capabilities, has led to their wider integration and smoother use in the field of learning and in the field of language learning as well. This study examined the trend of a large number of academic studies concerning Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) using text analysis techniques and tools, published in the decade 2010-2020. Over three hundred and forty (340) publications such as journal articles, conferences proceedings papers, books chapters and books were retrieved and analyzed. The preliminary analysis presents the main characteristics and the research trends of this decade and discuss how the field of mobile assisted language learning has evolved in these years.
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