Use of Smartphone Applications in English Language Learning—A Challenge for Foreign Language Education

Abstract

At present, hardly any younger person can imagine life without mobile technologies. They use them on a daily basis, including in language learning. Such learning supported with mobile devices is called mobile learning, which seems beneficial especially thanks to the unique features of mobile applications (e.g., interactivity, ubiquity, and portability) and teachers’ encouragement and feedback. The purpose of this review study is to explore original, peer-reviewed English studies from 2015 to April 2019 and to determine whether mobile applications used in the learning of English as a foreign language are beneficial and/or effective. The methods are based on a literature review of available sources found on the research topic in two acknowledged databases: Web of Science and Scopus. Altogether, 16 original journal studies on the research topic were detected. The results reveal that mobile learning is becoming a salient feature of education as it is a great opportunity for foreign language learning. Its key benefits are as follows: the enhancement of the learner’s cognitive capacity, the learner’s motivation to study in both formal and informal settings, the learner’s autonomy and confidence, as well as the promotion of personalized learning, helping low-achieving students to reach their study goals. Although mobile learning seems to be effective overall, it is desirable to design, plan and implement it with caution, according to students’ needs, and to deliver multiple language skills in authentic learning environments.

Millennial Lecturers’ Attitudes in Incorporating the Online Application in the Efl Classroom

“…Gamlo (2019) emphasized that using mobile game-based language learning brought a significant impact on the learners' motivation. Besides, Kacetl & Klímová (2019) argued that the students who used mobile technologies seemed to be more motivated to learn both inside and outside the classroom.…”

Revealing Lecturer�s Paralinguistic Attribution: How the Visual Manner Contributes to Students� Non-Cognitive Skills

“…It adopts mobile-based learning become prospective students' learning opportunity. Kacetl and Klímová (2019) believed that the benefits flow students' cognitive enlightenment, encouragement to learn both formal and informal settings, autonomy, and confidence, promotion of personalized learning, assistance for slow learners to fulfill their learning objectives. The use of smartphones encompasses a change in students' learning since the interactive mobile device contains the media-rich features.…”

“…The vogue of smartphones has hugely been worldwide for a few years. This actual establishment indicates smartphones usage and high average expectations among students (Kétyi, 2013), as the daily use of smartphones had better contain the benefits, such as ubiquity, portability, interactivity, and teachers' feedback and comments (Kacetl & Klímová, 2019). Teachers have an important role to engage in students' mobile learning (Pedro, Barbosa & Santos, 2018) and to follow the existence of smartphones is enormously popular among students (Salzer, 2018).…”

Measurement Model: Interests of Buying a Samsung Brand Smartphone With Celebrity Endorser as an Antesedent Variables in the Era of Covid-19

“…One of the communication tools that are very developed and have advantages in terms of human mobility today is a Smartphone. Smartphones are mobile smart devices that are useful as communication tools but also have the ability for various activities, such as internet access, social media applications, and document management, (Firmansyah, dkk 2020;Kacetl and Klímová 2019). The use of smartphones has experienced an increasing trend since the Covid-19 Pandemic, because it allows all activities to be carried out easily, anytime, and anywhere.…”