The effects of MALL on EFL higher-education students’ oral fluency

Abstract

Acquiring oral fluency currently appears to be a challenge for most EFL tertiary learners. Traditional education lacks authenticity in terms of practice and real-life conversational situations, creating a gap between the students’ oral production and the methodology used to accomplish proficiency in the target language. This research synthesis aims to identify the effectiveness of using Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) when enhancing spoken communication as well as to determine the methodological implications of its applicability in conventional classrooms. For this purpose, 20 research papers with a quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, and quasi-experimental approach were selected and analyzed in order to prove Mobile learning’s efficiency in second language learning. Findings reveal that (1) m-learning may benefit students’ development of macro skills, especially speaking, (2) MALL can be used as a complement in the teaching-learning process, and (3) MALL has a positive influence on pupils’ motivation and performance, even though educators might hold misconceptions towards the use of technology for educational purposes