Examining English Language Learning Apps from A Second Language Acquisition Perspective

Sayed Ahmad Almousawi

International Journal of Higher Education, 2021, vol. 10, issue 5, 166

Abstract: This study set out to explore dedicated language learning apps pedagogically while focusing mainly on aspects of second language acquisition. A total of 20 English language learning apps were collected for analysis. The study took one model of analysing course book materials and another, computer-assisted language learning model and combined them into one analytical framework with bespoke criteria, ensuring the analysis was most suitable for our case. The analytical framework which was developed reached a number of conclusions about dedicated language learning apps (DLLAs). The findings revealed that DLLAs tend to provide mechanical forms-focused practice without facilitating collaborative learning nor focusing on developing users’ communicative competence, which suggests that DLLAs reflect a behaviouristic view of language learning. The conclusion offers some suggestions to improve DLLAs and proposes that, for the time being, educators should look beyond DLLAs and instead investigate how can apps that are not designed for language learning (generic apps) be used in the manner of DLLAs to avoid the issues that this paper identifies with them.

Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/ijhe/article/download/20525/12626 (application/pdf)
https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/ijhe/article/view/20525 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jfr:ijhe11:v:10:y:2021:i:5:p:166

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Higher Education from Sciedu Press Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sciedu Press ().