The role of mobile-assisted language learning in instructed second language acquisition : a mixed methods approach to the integration of MALL in language skills training in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels
(2023)
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Details
- Authors
- Supervisors
- Meunier, Fanny
- Abstract
- Digital technologies have transformed several aspects and domains of our society, among which language, language use and literacies, but also foreign language learning and teaching. The use of mobile technologies to support language learning has been studied for a few decades in the Mobile Language Learning (MALL) research field. In parallel, governments have started to support the integration of technologies in school curricula with, for example, in French-speaking Belgium, the introduction of digital literacies in learning outcomes. Yet, we have little knowledge about actual MALL practices in secondary schools in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels (FWB) or about how mobile technologies can be integrated in usual teaching and learning practices. The present thesis uses a mixed methods approach to investigate the potential role of mobile technologies in Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) and presents the results of three main studies conducted from 2015 to 2020. The first part of the dissertation aims to frame the research in its context, at the intersection of different fields of research, and to explore the FWB educational system, i.e. the learning environment in which most studies are conducted. Starting with a look into the ISLA research field and a focus on the integration and use of technologies in ILL, i.e. the world of CALL (Chapter 1), we then investigate the more recent field of MALL (Chapter 2) and several key aspects which are exploited in the studies of the research such as mobile attitudes, affordances, the evaluation of MALL activities, and the use of self-produced videos in oracy practices. We finally take a more institutional perspective and look into the place of (mobile) technologies in L2 learning and teaching in compulsory education in the FWB (Chapter 3). After the literature review, we detail the methodology (Chapter 4) adopted in each study developed in the multi-phase design, describe the MALL projects and activities co-created with teachers and/or researchers, and present three research paradigms selected to carry out the studies, viz. a mixed methods approach, teacher-researcher collaboration and an ecological perspective. The practical part of the research first seeks to understand its context by studying teachers‘ and learners’ declared uses of and attitudes towards MALL (Chapter 5). It therefore presents the descriptive results of a cross-sectional survey, whose questionnaire was distributed among upper-secondary FWB language teachers and learners in 2016. Additional qualitative data provides information on the educational context in which MALL could be used. This mixed-methods study is followed by a thematic comparison of its findings with the results of three complementary surveys on CALL & MALL uses carried out with teams of researchers in 2015, 2018 and 2020. The second study (Chapter 6) analyses the integration of mobile technologies in language skills training thanks to a cross-case synthesis of the results of four case studies conducted in collaboration with several researchers between 2017 and 2019. The first case study focuses on the design and evaluation of a writing mobile DDL app (TELL-OP app) for informal language learning. The second one looks into MALL integration among pre-service teachers with the co-creation of a mobile treasure hunt (De Avonturen van Hergé) focusing on the practice of reading strategies in primary education in the FWB. The last two case studies aimed to design and evaluate teacher training modules (formation 2 temps 3 mouvements) relating to the integration of (mobile) technologies in the practice of L2 productive skills in the FWB. The second edition of the module allowed to gather additional data from learners on their integration of the tool. The final case study (Chapter 7) zooms in on the integration and use of a video discussion app to support foreign language oracy practices in secondary education in French-speaking Belgium. The MALL project was implemented by four groups of learners and their three teachers for one school semester. The analyses focus on (1) the activities implemented in the projects, (2) the teachers’ perceptions on the project and their integration of technology, and (3) the learners’ perceptions and the task implementation process from their perspective. The main results, presented in the final part of the thesis (Chapter 8), show that, while actual MALL uses in FWB language classrooms are scarce, task-based MALL can promote the use of contemporary pedagogies, support ISLA research principles and foster the development of learners’ digital literacies. They suggest that three key factors need to be considered to align the use of MALL with ISLA principles: the mobile tool and its affordances, the task(s) designed for the learning activity, and the teacher and its multiple roles. It is also concluded that mobile tasks can be exploited at various levels of L2 proficiency to develop receptive and/or productive skills in different learning contexts. Besides, the findings reveal that perceptions on MALL have evolved throughout the research period and are generally positive, especially after teachers and learners have experienced MALL projects and had a recurrent use of tools in their practices. Nevertheless, the analyses indicate the need to consider some potential obstacles to effective mobile technology integration in language learning: (1) learners’ and teachers’ lack of digital literacies, (2) teachers’ difficulties in accompanying learners in the implementation of mobile tasks, and (3) the little attention drawn to the development of digital literacies when performing mobile tasks. Overall, the results of the three studies speak to the importance of developing specific MALL teacher training and support to ensure the implementation of sound practices in the foreign language classroom.
- Affiliations
Citations
Van de Vyver, J. (2023). The role of mobile-assisted language learning in instructed second language acquisition : a mixed methods approach to the integration of MALL in language skills training in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/103553