Mobile devices have penetrated all spheres of human activities, including education. Previous research has shown that smartphones are becoming widely used in learning as they can improve knowledge retention and increase student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discuss students’ perception of the use of a mobile application aimed at learning new English vocabulary and phrases and describe its strengths and weaknesses as perceived by the students. In total, 28 university students answered a pen and paper questionnaire survey after experiencing the app during one semester. Overall, the students’ agreement to the positive aspects displayed in the questionnaire prevailed over their disagreement or neutral opinions. The mobile app helped students prepare for the final achievement test, learning was accessible from anywhere and at any time, students appreciated the corrective feedback and would opt for the implementation of the mobile app in other courses taught at the faculty. On the other hand, as the findings indicate, the students reported that the app was not very supportive regarding communication performance; they did not find the teachers’ notifications encouraging and they did not use the pronunciation support much, which was caused by various factors, such as offering students words and phrases without context or not testing all the items in the final credit test. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge of students’ perceptions of the use of mobile apps for learning purposes.

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Every generation of students has different characteristics that reflect the conditions of the time period they were growing in. It is important for educators from all fields of study, especially English language teachers, to understand the generational differences and the learning preferences of students in order to create productive learning environments. In today’s technology driven era, students have different learning needs in comparison with their predecessors. To enhance language learning in the new generation, it is recommended to use mobile technology in class. Mobile devices and applications offer a wide range of activities that support language learning. The aim of this study was to discover if the students using mobile devices in the class got higher scores in tests than the students using traditional methods. The methods included pre- and post-tests, as well as a questionnaire survey. The results of this study reveal that the use of a mobile application had a positive effect on students’ achievement results as far as the vocabulary learning was concerned. The students using the app seemed to retain more words than the students in the control group. Furthermore, the results of the questionnaire showed that using the app was more enjoyable for students than the traditional teaching methods. In addition, it contributed to collaborative learning. However, the results also indicate that being a Generation Z student does not make him/her automatically interested in using mobile applications in the process of language acquisition. Considering the small number of participants, further studies are planned to confirm the results from the current preliminary study.

Mobile devices and applications, which have become an integral part of our lives, are gradually used for different purposes, including learning languages in EFL classrooms. Since vocabulary plays an important role in the process of foreign language learning, the aim of this study was to explore the use of the vocabulary mobile learning application and its usefulness in blended English learning. Quantitative and qualitative approach to research was used, since the integration of both approaches created the possibility to solve complex research problem. The case study was based on the use of the developed mobile application called Angličtina Today the content of which corresponded to the language needs of the target group of students. The quantitative approach used a method of quasi-experiment aiming to achieve the pre-tests and post-test results of the students from the experimental and control groups. The results showed that the students facing blended learning, including mobile application in the process of language learning, achieved better results than the students exposed to the traditional, face-to-face education. In addition, the results revealed students’ overall satisfaction with the application. The main reasons for their satisfaction were improved vocabulary knowledge, ease of use, and enhanced motivation. Based on these findings from the current study, it can be argued that the vocabulary mobile learning application proved to be useful in the process of blended English language learning.

Teaching and learning at educational institutions in Slovakia has been based on traditional education, consisting of face-to-face classes until it was disrupted by the spread of the Coronavirus disease. A sudden lockdown caused massive changes, which presented challenges not only for teachers, but also for students who were forced to adapt their learning in a very short time, without any previous preparation. Since various educational institutions were forced to remain closed, they had no option but to shift from a traditional educational approach to distance learning. This form of education requires a form of online learning. The main purpose of this study was to explore what technical equipment students had at their disposal, to understand the students’ perception of distance learning, and to ensure better learning conditions in case of future lockdowns. In order to investigate student readiness for distance learning, a questionnaire survey was conducted at the Secondary Vocational School of Tourism and Gastronomy in Nitra, Slovakia. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of students from the Secondary Vocational School of Gastronomy and Tourism are ready for distance online learning. The results also indicate that a great percentage of students have Internet access and are the owners of technological devices that can be used for educational purposes. Furthermore, students are able to work individually on their own and do not require any help from other people while working on assignments. Although they prefer different teaching methods, the synchronous online courses are their priority because it enables them to have direct contact with their teachers and peers. Overall, this research shows that distance online learning is possible provided that both teachers and students are familiarised with this new learning environment and are ready to cooperate.