Use of mobile assisted language learning among adult non-formal learners: a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory approach

Abstract

Mobile apps for studying language independently are rapidly evolving. However, many questions remain to be answered about how the tools are being used by different groups of adult learners. This study which is situated in the fields of MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning), sociolinguistics and second language acquisition has a specific focus on non-formal learning. It aims primarily to understand how different groups of non-formal adult language learners (refugees, recreational learners, and retirees) use mobile language tools such as apps. In order to address this question, it uses Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) developed by ideas from Larsen-Freeman (1997), and de Bot et al. (2007). This theory is increasingly advocated by scholars in the field of Applied Linguistics (Dornyei, 2014; Godwin-Jones, 2018; MacIntyre & Serroul, 2014; Palfreyman, 2014) but has not been used as yet to compare the experience of users of mobile apps for language learning in different demographics. The study then also aims to explore what CDST can reveal about learner experiences of non-formal mobile language learning.Data was gathered from 113 survey participants and 24 focussed study participants who participated in this 12-week mixed-method study. They answered an initial survey about their experiences and attitudes towards using mobile resources in their language learning. Participants were then invited to a workshop to learn more about app possibilities. 24 focussed study participants used a selection of mobile apps for their learning. They completed a logging sheet to track their usage over a minimum period of four weeks. They were then interviewed twice, after five and twelve weeks, to understand learner experiences, gauge if the tools had made a difference to their language study and how engagement had changed their attitudes or practices.Analysis of the collected data of attitudes, usage experiences and insights showed access to apps was impacted by wide-ranging factors reflecting particular demographic concerns. The recreational learners were more adept at using a range of tools in available pockets of time; could understand how to maximise their usage; and had clear ideas about themselves as learners. Since they were able to choose a range of appropriate resources, they also remained motivated in the continuation of their language study. The retirees brought traditional preferences about learning to their engagement with the mobile resources, however, their reservations diminished as they experienced increased confidence in using the internet for a range of purposes beyond language learning. The experiences of the migrants and refugees showed these learners found it difficult to source relevant material that was specifically targeted to meet their needs of settlement and access to higher education pathways in the Australian educational system. The tools failed to engage them and to offer compelling ways to study beyond the classroom.Mobility itself represented different things to each group as when and where the apps were used varied considerably between the three cohorts. Confident users were flexibly able to multi-task in a range of locations, whereas those who were less comfortable with the tools used them mostly at home. Time for study was found to be impacted by a range of external factors including gender roles, however, study itself was impacted by understanding how best to engage with the apps. Participants with greater previous educational experience understood themselves better as learners than those who did not. This in turn enabled them to confidently select resources which matched their needs and purposes.The findings showed that language learning via the apps depended on factors related to economic realities, digital knowledge, attitudes to privacy, gender differences across cultures, prior educational experience, age, and perceived relevance of tools. This showed how many individual components combine to form a language learning system which is greater than the product of the individual factors.Significantly, the relationships between these factors were not static in the face of learner transformation. Attitudes shifted as many elements interacted. The perspective of CDST sheds light on patterns of learner management, understanding of affordances, and the real use of resources. Random, unpredictable trajectories which are indicative of complex non-linear systems were made visible. Participants were less predictable in how they engaged with the mobile resources than other models propose. They were self-organising and sensitive to initial conditions and feedback, as well as adaptive, which are defining traits of complex systems. By applying a CDST paradigm, a better understanding of learners and their real needs for ongoing language learning opportunities was possible.