Will mobile learning change language learning?

TLDR

Mobile phones and portable devices are reshaping learning by enabling learners to engage in context‑relevant activities outside fixed computers, creating potential for significant changes in teaching practices, though the concept of mobile learning remains fluid and requires explicit definition. The paper argues that emphasizing mobility in mobile learning can generate new perspectives and practices, and examines whether this will transform language teaching and learning. The authors illustrate mobile learning through current projects that combine mobile and game‑based approaches, highlighting its distinctive and valuable features.

Abstract

Abstract The use of mobile phones and other portable devices is beginning to have an impact on how learning takes place in many disciplines and contexts, including language learning. Learners who are not dependent on access to fixed computers can engage in activities that relate more closely to their current surroundings, sometimes crossing the border between formal and informal learning. This creates the potential for significant change in teaching and learning practices. Taking the broader field of mobile learning as the setting within which developments in mobile-assisted language learning may be understood, the paper argues that an emphasis on mobility can lead to new perspectives and practices. The paper offers reflections on what mobile learning has to offer and considers whether it is likely to change how languages are taught and learnt. ‘Mobile learning’ is not a stable concept; therefore its current interpretations need to be made explicit. Examples of current projects and practices show an affinity between mobile and games-based learning, and can further illuminate what is distinctive and worthwhile about mobile learning.