English as a foreign language learners’ perception of mobile assisted language learning: a cross-national study

Abstract

While mobile devices are gradually starting to play an important role in the everyday lives of students, learning English on mobile phones is no longer a novelty for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. While there is a wealth of literature that discusses the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in EFL education, studies on mobile assisted language learning (MALL) are still needed. This study aims to investigate the end-user's perception of MALL through cross-cultural analyses. Forty-five participants (n = 45) from seven different countries/regions voluntarily participated in this project. Cross-cultural analyses were conducted with three proposed constructs: technological affordances, applicability and the constructivism of MALL. Results of the Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA and Dunnett's T3 multiple comparison revealed that significant differences did exist among participants with different cultural backgrounds. Even so, all participants agreed that MALL is a potential tool for constructivism in EFL learning.

Keywords:

• mobile assisted language learning
• cross-cultural study
• technology affordances
• constructivism

Acknowledgement

This research was financially supported by a grant from the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC 99-2410-H-328-006), whose support is greatly acknowledged.