Facer, B., Abdous, M., & Camarena, M. (2009). The impact of academic podcasting on students: learning outcomes and study habits. In R. de Cassia Veiga Marriott & P. Lupion Torres (Eds.), Handbook of research on e-learning methodologies for language acquisition. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
This American study reports on the use of podcasting during a 14 week semester in two university L2 courses, a beginners’ Italian class of 30 students and an advanced level French class of 18 students. Although 70% of students owned an MP3 player only 40% used any of the podcasts. Notwithstanding this low usage, students reported that the podcasts helped them improve their language skills in all areas, including reading, writing, comprehension, and speaking, as well as increase their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical rules.
Falero Parra, F. (2016). La ansiedad ante las destrezas orales en la clase de español lengua extranjera: Una propuesta blended-learning con sinohablantes (Anxiety about oral skills in the Spanish as a foreign language classroom: A blended-learning proposal with Chinese language speakers). Revista de Linguistica y Lenguas Aplicadas, 11(11), 19-33. [in Spanish]
This Chinese study describes the use of a mobile communication app (WeChat) to improve listening/speaking skills and reduce the speaking anxiety of 22 A2-level L2 Spanish learners, all L1 Chinese speakers in a Cervantes Institute class. Over an unspecified time period, participants used their mobile phones out of class to access WeChat and produce an audio recorded monologue on four assigned topics. These were distributed to group members then collectively discussed in class. The experiment resulted in a quantitative improvement of speaking/listening skills and a significant reduction of anxiety.
Fallahkhair, S. (2011). Supporting geolearners: Location-based informal language learning with mobile phones. Conference Workshop International Conference on Ubiquitous Learning (np), University of California. Berkeley.
This British conference presentation explains the design and prototype testing of TAMALLE+, an enhanced version of the mobile phone/interactive TV system previously described in Fallahkhair, Pemberton & Griffiths (2007). TAMALLE+ is intended to provide support for advanced-level L2 English with a focus on media consumption rather than on conscious language learning. It does this through a number of affordances that include captions, location-based overlays, dictionary/translation, and links to social networking sites. TAMALLE+ was trialed in one two-hour session by 11 paid advanced-level L2 English university volunteers who overall rated it very highly.
Fallahkhair, S., Pemberton L., & Griffiths R. (2007). Development of a cross-platform ubiquitous language learning service via mobile phone and interactive television. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23(4), 312-325.
This British article describes the design and trialing of the TAMALLE system, a combination of mobile phone and interactive TV technologies for informal advanced-level L2 English language learning. TAMALLE provides support, in the form of captions and other on-screen displays, for comprehension of specific language and/or cultural items within authentic materials that are of intrinsic interest to language learners. The system was tested by 14 paid advanced-level L2 English university volunteers during one laboratory session. Despite the slowness and busyness of the interface on iTV, most participants said they would definitely use it.
Fan, Y. (2020). A Study on the Application of Mobile Learning in College English Vocabulary Acquisition. MEd thesis, Shandong Normal University, China.
This Chinese MEd thesis evaluated the effect of a vocabulary app (Shanbay) upon the L2 English learning of 55 university students. Using their smartphones, participants accessed the app, ten minutes per day for four weeks, to learn 80 words from the 1000-8000 frequency table of the British National Corpus. A matched control group of 55 participants did likewise using a printed paper word list. Participants were tested after the second and fourth weeks using Nation’s VLT. On both tests, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control on vocabulary breadth whereas the opposite result was observed with regard to vocabulary depth.
Fang, J., & Chew, F. (2023). Mediating effect of mobile motivation on the correlation between pre-achievement and post-achievement of Chinese as a second language. Proceedings 5th International Conference on Computer Science and Technologies in Education (pp. 152-158).
This Malaysian conference presentation investigated the teaching effectiveness and motivating influence of a game-based mobile L2 Chinese language app (ChineseSkill) with 95 university students. Over ten weeks, 15 minutes at the beginning of every class, these beginning-level learners accessed the app via their Android/iOS smartphones to practice their pronunciation. A pre-/post-test also assessed listening, reading and character knowledge, which presumably were also studied out-of-class using the app. Participants significantly improved their scores on the pre-/post-test comparison. The correlation between mobile motivation and post-achievement was significant, suggesting that students with higher levels of mobile motivation tended to achieve better post-test results.
Fang, W., Yeh, H-C., Luo, B-R., & Chen, N-S. (2021). Effects of mobile-supported task-based language teaching on EFL students' linguistic achievement and conversational interaction. ReCALL, 33(1), 71-87.
This Taiwanese study compares the effect of a mobile-supported L2 English Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) app with built-in scaffolds (feedback, structured output, linguistic hints, rewards) to traditional paper-based TBLT. Using Android smartphones, the app was accessed twice weekly for three weeks by 36 A2-level L2 English university students, all L1 Mandarin speakers. On a post-treatment test of vocabulary, grammar and listening comprehension, mobile-supported participants outscored on vocabulary and listening comprehension a matched control group of 30 which received only traditional paper-based TBLT instruction. There was little difference on grammar results.
Farahani, A., Nemati, M., & Montazer, M. (2019). Assessing peer review pattern and the effect of face-to-face and mobile-mediated modes on students’ academic writing development. Language Testing in Asia, 9(1), 1-24.
This Canadian paper compared the effect of two peer review modes upon the L2 English writing of 72 B2-level university students. Over nine weeks, students wrote and peer reviewed three essays. Half of the group did so face-to-face in class and half online using Telegram and Google Classroom. Results indicated that the total number of comments, the percentage of revision-oriented comments and actual revisions made by the mobile-based group were statistically more significant than those of the face-to-face group, but there was no significant difference between the two on a post-treatment writing test.
Farangi, M., Kamyab, J., Izanlu, M., & Ghodrat, M. (2017). The effect of using SMS as a post-task activity on Iranian EFL learners’ grammar knowledge. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(2), 392-403.
This paper investigated the effect of a mobile-phone-based SMS program upon the English grammatical knowledge and learning autonomy of Iranian upper-intermediate L2 English adolescents enrolled in a language institute. For eight weeks, 60 students practiced grammar, focusing on tense usage, in class once a week with their instructor. Half the group did so with the aid of daily SMS texts consisting of 20 to 25 words explaining the grammatical rules. This group significantly outperformed the non-SMS group on a pre-/post multiple-choice test and likewise indicated greater autonomy on a learner autonomy questionnaire.
Farangi, M., Nejadghanbar, I., Askary, I., & Ghorbani, I. (2015). The effects of podcasting on EFL upper-intermediate learners’ speaking skills. CALL-EJ, 16(2), 1-181.
This Iranian study investigated the effect of mobile-based podcasting upon the speaking ability of upper-intermediate L2 English high school students. Over a month, in ten 30-minute class sessions, 20 participants used smartphones or tablets to podcast their pair/group discussions of textbook topics. Before class, 20 other participants downloaded web-based podcasts on similar topics, which they later discussed in class. A control group of 20 discussed the same textbook topics in class without using podcasts. The student-made podcast group significantly outperformed the other two groups on a pre-/post-treatment speaking test comparison.
Fanenshtel, N., & Skyba, K. (2020). English vocabulary development of non-linguistic specialties students using mobile application. Postmodern Openings, 11 (2Sup1), 26-42.
This Ukrainian study describes the reactions of 55 tertiary-level students of intermediate-level L2 English competence to their use over three months of the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) mobile vocabulary app. No information is provided about what was studied or the procedures followed. Over all, participants gave a positive evaluation of the app on a post-treatment questionnaire. In particular, they preferred using the mobile app due to the following advantages: free access, easy to use, flexibility to individual needs and learning styles, availability of useful spoken language and sound recordings of the vocabulary.
Fathi, J., Alipour, F., & Saeedian, A. (2018). Enhancing vocabulary learning and self-regulation via a mobile application: An investigation of the Memrise app. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 5(1), 27-46.
This Iranian study investigated the effect of using a mobile-based gamified flashcard app (Memrise) upon the vocabulary acquisition of 33 upper-level L2 English university students. Over 13 weeks, participants used the app out of class on their smartphones to learn 65 textbook-related words per week. A matched control group of 26 did likewise using traditional methods without using the app. The experimental group significantly outscored the control on a pre-/post-treatment 60-item multiple-choice vocabulary test comparison. Memrise users also demonstrated significantly greater self-regulating capacity in vocabulary learning (Self-regulating Capacity in Vocabulary Learning Scale).
Fatimah, S. (2021). The use of mobile-assisted language learning application in pronunciation training. UG JURNAL, 15(4), 23-33.
This study tested the effectiveness of a mobile-based pronunciation practice app (ELSA Speak) in improving the L2 English pronunciation of 15 Indonesian university students of unspecified English competence level who used the program daily for a week. According to the participants, the most difficult English sounds to pronounce were [Ɵ, t, f, v, tʃ, e, æ, ð, d]. In a pre-/post-test comparison, ten of the students improved their pronunciation, two remained the same and three retrograded. Notwithstanding, all the participants thought that ELSA Speak was very useful in helping them practice their pronunciation anytime and anywhere.
Fattah, S. (2015). The effectiveness of using a WhatsApp Messenger as one of mobile learning technique to develop students' writing skills. Journal of Education and Practice, 6, 32.
This study investigates the effect of a mobile-accessible social networking communication app (WhatsApp) upon the English writing skills of 15 Saudi Arabian university students of unspecified L2 English competency level. Compared to a matched control group of 15 that only received traditional class instruction, over seven weeks, the experimental group used their smartphones to discuss assigned composition topics and share ideas via WhatsApp. The experimental group significantly outscored the control on a post-treatment test that required them to punctuate a paragraph, correct a paragraph and write an essay.
Fauzi, I., & Angkasawati, P. (2019). The use of listening logs through WhatsApp in improving listening comprehension of EFL students. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature, 4(1), 13-26.
This Indonesian study evaluated the effect of listening logs and related group chats upon English listening comprehension. During one week, forty low-level L2 English university students listened to four audio recordings, one per day, for which they maintained a listening log that identified (1) main ideas, (2) supporting details, (3) message moods, and (4) new vocabulary. They then discussed this logged information in small chat groups using their smartphones via a mobile social networking app (WhatsApp), and revised their notes accordingly. Participants scored significantly better on a pre-/post-listening comprehension test comparison.
Fayed, I., Yacoub, A., & Hussein, A. (2013). Exploring the impact of using tablet devices in enhancing students listening and speaking skills in tertiary education. Conference presentation Mlearn 2013, np.
This conference presentation from Qatar reports on the effect of the in-class use of smartphones and tablets by university students of unspecified L2 English competency level. The study lasted nine weeks and involved 105 participants who used their mobile devices in class to listen, access and record English language activities. A control group of unspecified number followed the same curriculum without the in-class use of mobile devices. A pre-/post-test of listening comprehension showed that although the mean score of the experimental group increased significantly, there was no significant difference compared to the control group.
Fendiasari, S. (2020). The effectiveness of using Hello English application to teach vocabulary at the tenth grade students of SMAN 1 Durenan. MEd Thesis, Department of English Education IAIN Tulungagung.
This Indonesian MEd thesis evaluates the effect of a mobile-based L2 English tutorial game app (Hello English) on the vocabulary acquisition of 35 tenth-graders of unspecified English language competence. Over three weeks, using their smartphones, these participants studied unspecified material in the app while a control group of 36 apparently received the same classroom instruction without use of the app. Since there was no pre-test, learning outcomes were determined uniquely by post-test results, which demonstrated the superiority of the experimental group. The better learning of the experimental group was attributed to the increased interest it generated in learning English vocabulary.
Fernando, W. (2022). Effectiveness of Mobile Assisted Vocabulary Learning Applications (MAVL) as a self-learning tool for ESL learners in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(2), 69-77.
This Sri Lankan study investigated the effect of mobile-based vocabulary apps upon the L2 English competence of 10 intermediate L2 English university students. Over three weeks, participants used their smartphones to access numerous apps of their choosing. A control group of ten used printed dictionaries and vocabulary-based books. The experimental group outscored the control on a pre-/post-treatment vocabulary test comparison. According to a post-treatment questionnaire, vocabulary app users found them practical, motivating, and helpful.
Fisher, T., Pemberton, R., Sharples, M., ..., & Tschorn, P. (2009). Mobile learning of vocabulary from reading novels: A comparison of three modes. In D. Metcalf, A. Hamilton & C. Graffeo, (Eds.), Proceedings of 8th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (pp. 191-194). Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida
This Japanese study compares the effect upon L2 English vocabulary acquisition using paper books, e-books with dictionaries, and e-books with adaptive software (ELMO) for vocabulary learning. The experiment was conducted over a period of six weeks with three groups of 13 high school students, each of which used all three resources for two weeks. Most students read only three pages or less out of some 100 pages in each book and learned, on average, only one new word over each two-week period, regardless of the technology.
Fisher, T., Sharples, M., Pemberton, R., ..., & Tschorn, P. (2012). Incidental second language vocabulary learning from reading novels: A comparison of three mobile modes. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 4(4), 47-61.
This paper is the published version of Fisher, et al. (2009). The study compares the effect upon English vocabulary acquisition using paper books compared to smartphone-accessible e-books with dictionaries and with adaptive software (ELMO) for vocabulary learning. Three groups of 13 high school students of unspecified L2 English competency level participated in the experiment. Participants used each of the three resources for two weeks for a total of six weeks. Small vocabulary gains were noted on a pre-/post-test comparison, but there was no significant difference between the three conditions in performance or student preferences for one format or the other.
Fitriyani, F. (2018). The effectiveness of using English self-video recording on students’ speaking skill of recount text. BA thesis, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.
This Indonesian BA thesis evaluated the effect of mobile phone-based self-video recording on the L2 English speaking ability of 8th-graders of unspecified competence level. In four sessions over four weeks, 25 participants made two-minute videos of themselves retelling stories. In contrast, a control group of 25 received what is described as conventional instruction without the use of mobile technologies. On a pre-/post-treatment speaking test comparison, both groups demonstrated significantly improved speaking performance, but the experimental group more so than the control.
Fotouhi-Ghazvini, F., Earnshaw, R., & Haji-Esmaeili, L. (2009). Mobile assisted language learning in a developing country context. International Conference on CyberWorlds (pp. 391-397).
This Iranian paper describes the design and trialing of three mobile phone-based language learning apps. The first, intended for government employees, utilized a combination of WAP and mobile phone SMS to give access to an L2 English dictionary and review course. It was trialed in one session by two primary school teachers, two high school teachers and two university lecturers. Teachers were keen to recommend this mode of learning to their colleagues and to integrate it into their classrooms. The second and third apps were locally installed Java-based games. Butterfly Shooter, a hangman game, was designed to teach L1 Farsi vocabulary and spelling to primary school learners. On the basis of nine play/immediate-testing sessions, it was concluded that there was considerable improvement in spelling precision but not a significant gain in understanding the meaning of the vocabulary. MOBO City, an adventure game, was designed to teach L2 English technical vocabulary to engineering students. It was used by 15 volunteers who demonstrated significant improvement in their knowledge of vocabulary. Students also commented that the game was both fun and educational and that it felt like being part of the real world and undertaking a real challenge.
Fotouhi-Ghazvini, F., Earnshaw, R., Robison, D., & Excell, P. (2009). The MOBO City: A mobile game package for technical language learning. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 3(2), 19-24.
This Iranian study describes the design and trialing of a mobile phone-based adventure game (MOBO City) intended to support incidental learning of English technical vocabulary relating to motherboard components. During one session, university computer engineering students of unspecified L2 English competency level underwent three treatments. Five read the description of motherboard components without using a dictionary. Five used a dictionary and tried to memorize a related vocabulary list. Five played the MOBO City game without explicit vocabulary instruction. The latter scored much higher than the other two on an immediate post-test of 46 technical words used in the game.
Fotouhi-Ghazvini, F., Earnshaw, R., Robison, D., …, & Excell, P. (2011). Using a conversational framework in mobile game-based learning- Assessment and evaluation. In R. Kwan, et al. (Eds.), Enhancing Learning Through Technology (pp 201-213). Berlin, Springer.
This Iranian study describes a game-based application (Detective Alavi) used for six weeks to teach L2 English technical vocabulary to 13 university computer engineering students of unspecified L2 English competency level. The game involved a series of puzzles that used QR tags, accessed via mobile phone cameras, to launch and direct a phone’s browser to an embedded URL, initiate a phone call, send an SMS or present some text. This required students to collaboratively analyze, compare and make choices from studying different resources. Pre-/post-test comparisons demonstrated a significant improvement in word meaning, form and spelling skills.
Fouz-González, J. (2020b). Using apps for pronunciation training: An empirical evaluation of the English File Pronunciation app. Language Learning & Technology, 24(1), 62-85.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile-based L2 English pronunciation app (English File Pronunciation) with 27 B2-level university students in Spain who used it daily for two weeks, 20 minutes per day. The intervention targeted the fossilized mispronunciation of /æ ɑː ʌ ə/ and the /s – z/ contrast. Compared to a matched control group of 27 that received no pronunciation training, a pre-/post-treatment test revealed no significant difference in sound discrimination or imitation. However, the experimental group significantly outperformed the control in sound identification, sentence-reading and picture-description.
Fraga, L., Harmon, J., Wood, K., & Buckelew-Martin, E. (2011). Digital word walls and vocabulary learning: The use of iPods to facilitate vocabulary instruction with ESL students. Journal of the Research Centre of Educational Technology, 7(2), 38-57.
This American study investigated the use of iPods for vocabulary acquisition by high school students of unspecified L2 English competence level. For six weeks, a control group of 6 learned vocabulary via the collaborative construction of a physical word-wall display while an experimental group of 16 constructed its word wall via the creation of PhotoStory vodcasts viewed in class on iPods. The iPod group became more aware of the usefulness of the device as a vocabulary-learning tool, but no significant post-treatment gains were found between the groups in the understanding or application of word meanings.
Franco, R. (2010). Aplicativo móvel para apoio ao aprendizado de vocabulário de língua inglesa com conteúdo geolocalizado (Mobile Applications to Support English Language Vocabulary Learning with Geolocalized Content). MA thesis. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife. [in Portuguese]
This Brazilian MA thesis describes the prototype testing of a location-aware mobile phone-based vocabulary learning app (GeoLearning) with six beginner/pre-intermediate-level L2 English university students. Volunteers participated individually in one field testing session that began with the reading of two English texts. Participants then visited a bank and restaurant where they used the app to learn contextually relevant vocabulary. Afterwards, a third English text was read. Based on observations and student interviews, it was concluded that GeoLearning was easy to use, motivating, and could positively affect the learning of elementary-level vocabulary.
Fraser, M., & Abbott, M. (2016). Using electronic readers: Action research in an intermediate adult ESL class. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 17(2), 3-18.
This study describes the effects of e-reader usage on 21 adult L2 English students, from 16 different countries, enrolled in an extensive reading course at a Canadian college. Participants were provided with a Sony e-ink mobile device and required to read within eight weeks at least eight e-books, at Oxford Bookworms Level Test 1 Stages 2-4. According to self-perceived reports, they made gains in reading comprehension, vocabulary, speed, and enhanced their reading enjoyment compared with their reading of paper books in their previous ESL course.
Freiermuth, M. (2015). ‘I Found It!’ A smartphone GPS treasure-hunting game in a flipped English class. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching.
This Japanese study describes a four-week GPS smartphone-based project that engaged 10 advanced level L2 English university students in the production of two video clips. Five containers containing details of the assignments were hidden near the university and registered on the Geocaching.com website. Students working together in groups of 3-4 used geolocation software on their smartphones to find these caches and complete their assignment. According to a post-project questionnaire, participants found the activity very motivating and agreed that it had helped them improve their English listening and speaking skills.
Furuya, C., Kimura, M., & Ohta, T. (2004). Mobile language learning - A pilot project on language style and customization. In G. Richards, (Ed.), E-Learn 2004, Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 1876-1880). Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education.
This Japanese paper describes a research project that studied the usage patterns of a mobile-based SMS tutorial program and its effectiveness in preparing for the L2 English TOEIC exam. Nearly 300 university students voluntarily trialed the program on their own phones during two semesters extending over five months. Participants showed a great interest in mobile learning. A usage survey revealed strong preferences for studying in short bursts and studying massive volumes of contents away from home or the university. Post-TOEIC test results demonstrated a significant improvement in performance.