A Multifaceted Literature Review of WhatsApp: Opportunities and Challenges in Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

Abstract

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the role of technology has become even more significant in education, especially in English Language Learning/Teaching (ELL/T). Although, now a good number of tools, platforms and resources are competitively available to make E-learning easier and more effective, WhatsApp is still one of the most prevalent tools in Mobile-assisted Language Learning (MALL). The purpose of this study is to provide a multifaceted review of the latest articles on using WhatsApp in ELL/T. Thus, a review of the literature was conducted to identify the most recent articles (from 2019 to 2020), which led to the inclusion of 16 relevant studies. Results reported the key opportunities and challenges associated with the use of WhatsApp in ELL/T from four aspects categorized as Language Aspects, Technological Aspects, Psychological Aspects and 21 st Century Skills. Findings from this study will certainly help academicians, practitioners and researchers in the fields of MALL, and English Language Teaching (ELT) to gauge their trajectories toward using WhatsApp more effectively.