Mobile Learning Age: Implications for Future Language Learning Skills

Abstract

The dramatic shift in the language learning processes during recent years led to significant changes in the way teaching and learning may happen. Due to the pervasive of smartphone and tablets among new generations, they become academically beneficial learning tools. There is growing research body on the MALL “Mobile Assisted Language Learning.” However, there is still a dire need to explore the students’ personal use of smartphones and their apps for learning benefit. This study attempted to investigate the impact of using mobile dictionary (MD) apps for learning the English language. A questionnaire was distributed among 87 English major students and responses analyzed. Follow-up interviews were also conducted with 13 students and their responses were qualitatively analyzed. The findings underscored the essential role smartphones and tablets play in extending learning outside the classroom settings. The results also revealed that most of the students rely heavily on their mobile applications to translate unknown words. The students also revealed that their teachers did not fully welcome the skills to use smartphone translation applications. This study suggested that there is a gap between the MALL skills needed by the students and the teaching style employed by the teachers in the classrooms. This gap increases the necessity for further studies that can identify the frequencies and linguistic needs of the English language learners. The study recommends that teachers need to foster a new teaching style as new generations students will need new skills sets to thrive in social communication and technology-rich.