Hong Kong Learner's Perceptions, Experiences and Motivation with Mobile App Vocabulary Learning

Literature Review

In Hong Kong and beyond, calls to incorporate independent learning into education using online platforms are increasing (Kessler, 2018). Mobile technologies and apps have created many new avenues for L2 students to sustain and actively develop their English vocabulary proficiencies (Y. Chen, Carger, & Smith, 2017). This is especially important given that more traditional pedagogies—such as the paper-based wordlist learning approach—can be passive and tedious learning processes, making it challenging to maintain L2 learners’ motivation (Dörnyei & Csizer, 2002). As Chinese students have shown a preference for mobile technologies in developing their English competency (Zou & Yan, 2014), teachers naturally are considering how best to incorporate MALL into the facilitation of incremental vocabulary learning (Wong et al., 2015). In higher education, apps play a significant role in the effectiveness of language learning and classroom instruction (Rosell-Aguilar, 2018; Vurdien, 2017), as learners have limited time for vocabulary development and retention. Previous studies have also successfully identified MALL’s positive effects on L2 learners’ engagement and motivation (Kukulska-Hulme & Viberg, 2018; Stockwell & Liu, 2015). However, the design of the apps and their uses inside and outside the language classroom may differ. Although MALL fosters independence and ubiquitous learning in informal settings, according to Burston (2015), there remain too few studies as to how L2 learners use apps outside the classroom (Stockwell & Liu, 2015).