Guo, Hui;
(2022)
Mobile assisted language learning (MALL) from a sociocultural ecological perspective: An exploratory study of overseas Chinese students in the UK learning English speaking skills with mobile apps outside the classroom.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
Preview |
Text
PhD Thesis-H Guo.pdf - Other Download (10MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The widespread use of mobile technology and apps is dramatically changing language learning. Most research in mobile assisted language learning (MALL) has focused on the effectiveness of mobile resources and the perceptions and attitudes of users. There is still a lack of research investigating the learning process to elucidate how learning occurs in the MALL ecology. This thesis aims to (1) explore processes attendant to learning to speak a second language involved in MALL with mobile apps outside the classroom and (2) construct a holistic theoretical framework for MALL. A qualitative exploratory multiple case study approach was employed. Data from multiple resources, including group and individual interviews, observations, learner notes, photos, and screenshots, were collected from 14 students (L1 Chinese, L2 English) enrolled in a pre-sessional English course at a UK university between July and November 2017. Forty-eight learning cases were identified, representing typical examples of the participants using mobile apps to learn English speaking skills outside the classroom. Data were analysed using the thematic analysis method. The theory development and empirical data analysis were conducted iteratively. A theoretical framework from a sociocultural ecological perspective is constructed to understand the dynamic and interactive nature of language learning with mobile apps. This study identifies three key concepts in the informal MALL ecology: agency, context, and app mediation, and their components. Then, based on the interplay of the dominant components, the findings reveal various types of learner agency, learning context, and app mediation, and patterns of learning English speaking skills using mobile apps. Finally, analytical models of the key concepts in MALL and a holistic analytical model of MALL from a sociocultural ecological perspective are developed. This study concludes with implications for learners, teachers, and app developers and suggests improvements to the proposed framework and models.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Mobile assisted language learning (MALL) from a sociocultural ecological perspective: An exploratory study of overseas Chinese students in the UK learning English speaking skills with mobile apps outside the classroom |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author's request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Culture, Communication and Media |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10160807 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
