Effects of Using Mobile Assisted Language Learning Beyond Classroom on Chinese College Students’ English Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills

Abstract

Mobile assisted language learning (MALL) has become a ubiquitous learning for young generations, while the effects of using MALL beyond classroom are rarely explored. This study adopted a quantitative method to test if there was significant effect of employing MALL beyond classroom among Chinese college students at their extracurricular hours. Thirty college freshmen majoring in English participated and they were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. Pre-test and post-test of English listening comprehension and speaking were conducted before and after the research intervention using a domestic mobile assisted language learning application for eight weeks. The findings indicated that all students improved after this period, while the students from the experimental group could surpass the control group in listening comprehension substantially. However, it also showed that the improvement in English speaking was not as significant as that of listening among all the participants. It is suggested that further qualitative explorations into the perceptions of the students concerning using MALL in their available hours after class are quite necessary, in order to strengthen its significance and improve students’ communicative capabilities in listening comprehension and speaking skills.