INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (MALL) ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The importance of the research topic of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is that smartphones and other mobile devices enable students to train English outside of the confines of time and space in the classroom. Recent research indicates that MALL is linked to vocabulary, listening, speaking, learner autonomy, and flexible access to learning resources improvements, but also questions the issue of readiness, pedagogy, and institutional support. The paper follows a qualitative research methodology, which is document analysis approach to explore the impact of MALL on English language proficiency and the student involvement in higher education. It is based on the latest systematic reviews, meta-analyses, bibliometric studies, and empirical studies within the university settings. The results indicate that MALL may have a beneficial impact on English proficiency, through enhancement of repeated exposure, vocabulary retention, listening and speaking practice, and self-directed learning. It is also shown that MALL has the potential to enhance student engagement through the enhancement of motivation, convenience, interaction, and autonomy. But the influence of the MALL is not a priori. It relies on task design, teacher instructions, self-regulation of learners, and their readiness to use digital devices. The paper concludes that MALL is best applied in situations where it is incorporated into an explicit pedagogical structure as opposed to being an incidental technological supplement.