A study on the use of mobile language learning applications adopted by second year english majors at vietnam national university of agriculture

RESEARCH QUESTION 1: TO WHAT EXTENT DO SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS?. RESEARCH QUESTION 2: TO WHAT EXTENT DO SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA U

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BA THESIS

A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING APPLICATIONS ADOPTED BY SECOND- YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC ỨNG DỤNG HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ TRÊN THIẾT BỊ DI ĐỘNG CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH

TẠI HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES

BA THESIS

A STUDY ON THE USE OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING APPLICATIONS ADOPTED BY SECOND- YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VIETNAM NATIONAL

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ VIỆC SỬ DỤNG CÁC ỨNG DỤNG HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ TRÊN THIẾT BỊ DI ĐỘNG CỦA SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ HAI NGÀNH NGÔN NGỮ ANH

TẠI HỌC VIỆN NÔNG NGHIỆP VIỆT NAM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In order to complete the graduation thesis with the topic " A study on the use of mobile language learning applications adopted by second – year English majors at Vietnam National University of Agriculture ”, besides my own constant efforts, I have received a lot of attention and support from teachers, family and friends

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the teachers in the Faculty

of Education and Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University of Agriculture In particular, I would like to express my sincerest and deepest thanks to M.A Nguyen Thi Hoai for her enthusiastic guidance and support during the process of completing my graduation thesis

I would like to thank my family and friends who always encouraged and helped me when I faced some difficulties

During the process of doing my graduation thesis, I feel that I have learned and experienced many useful things From there, let me learn and draw experience for my future working process

My thesis will not be able to avoid limitations and shortcomings I look forward to receiving comments and suggestions from teachers and classmates to help improve the thesis

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report

entitled A study on the use of mobile language learning applications adopted

by second – year English majors at Vietnam National University of Agriculture submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

of Bachelor in English Language Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

Hanoi, 2021

Le Thi An

Approved by SUPERVISOR

(Signature and full name)

Date:………

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

ABSTRACT v

LIST OF ABBREVIATION vi

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES vii

Part I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 1

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 2

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 2

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 2

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5

1.6 DESIGN OF THE STUDY 5

Part II: DEVELOPMENT 7

Chapter I: LITERATURE REVIEW 7

1.1 THE CONCEPT OF MOBILE LEARNING 7

1.2 LEARNING THEORIES IN RELATION TO MOBILE LEARNING 9

1.3 FEATURES OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING 10

1.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES 12

1.5 SUMMARY 13

Chapter II: METHODOLOGY 14

2.1 RESEARCH GOVERNING ORIENTATION 14

2.2 RESEARCH METHODS 14

2.2.1 Research context 14

2.2.2 Data collecting procedures 14

2.2.3 Description of the questionnaire 15

2.2.4 Description of the interview questions 16

2.2.5 Data analysis 16

2.3 SUMMARY 18

Chapter III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 19

3.1 RESEARCH QUESTION 1: TO WHAT EXTENT DO SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS? 19

3.1.1 General situation of using foreign language learning applications on mobile devices 19

3.1.2 The Frequency of using foreign language learning applications on mobile devices 20

3.2 RESEARCH QUESTION 2: TO WHAT EXTENT DO SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE DIFFERENT FEATURES OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING APPLICATIONS? 24

3.3 RESEARCH QUESTION 3 : WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON REASONS WHY SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS? 26

3.4 RESEARCH QUESTION 4: WHAT ARE STUDENTS‟ SUGGESTIONS FOR EFFECTIVE USE OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS? 28

3.5 DISCUSTION 29

3.6 SUMMARY 31

Part III: CONCLUSION 32

1 Recapitulation 32

2 Concluding remarks 32

3 Limitations of the study 32

4 Recommendations/ Suggestions for further study 33

REFERENCES 34

Appendix 1 37

Appendix 2 46

ABSTRACT

This study investigate the student's usage of differnt apps., how often the apps is used, and what Suggestions are there for more effectiveness of mobile learning apps for English learning The survey consisted of closed-ended and open-ended questions and was analyzed using descriptive statistics In addition, the researcher conducts interviews so that the report is authentic and trustworthy This study investigates students' use of different apps, how often they use the apps, and what recommendations are there for making mobile English learning apps more effective The survey consisted of closed-ended and open-ended questions and was analyzed using descriptive statistics In addition, the researcher conducts the interviews so that the report is authentic and reliable The results show that the majority of students use Tflat and Oxford dictionary applications for the purpose of developing vocabulary knowledge Using a combination of multiple applications is more efficient than using only one In addition, a clear study plan is essential for students

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1.1: Participants‟ classes 3

Table 1.2: Genders 4

Table 1.3: English proficiency levels 4

Table 3.1: Popular mobile language learning apps among the students 21

Table 3.2: Some less popular applications 23

Table 3.3: Features of mobile applications 25

Table 3.4: Reasons for using 27

Figure 1: The frequency of using foreign language learning apps on mobile devices 19

Part I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY

We have entered the Technology 4.0 era With the widespread popularity

of phones, computers, and mobile devices now in our pockets, connecting to various information sources and communicating with anyone at any time and from anywhere has become very easy For teachers, they can innovate their teaching methods so that students are interested in learning For students, they can adjust their learning methods to improve their English level Because of the mobility, availability, and flexibility of these devices, students can study at any time and from any location, even if they do not have access to computers or study materials As a result, a more personalized and learner-centered experience is possible Mobile devices give users control over content and pace, which makes them appealing to people who want to take control of their own learning by setting goals and taking the initiative to plan learning activities Furthermore, mobile devices can strengthen user connections, create favorable conditions for everyone to exchange and learn from each other‟s knowledge and experience A mobile application is a piece of software designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets They transform them into mini-environments for study, entertainment, shopping, etc Foreign language learning apps entail learning, cultivating, and practicing languages A large number of learning applications are designed and developed as a result of the need to integrate into the community According to Jolin (2017), the Apple App Store alone contains more than 350 language-related apps, including TFLAT, DUOLINGO, MEMRISE, OXFORD DICTIONARY, etc

Most lecturers at Vietnam National University of Agriculture have directed their students to use technology to learn English to make their learning easier and to save time Also, due to the current complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, students have to study online at home, so the use of

technology becomes even more important In addition, the majority of students continue to struggle with the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing

as well as their limited knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar Therefore, I have chosen this research topic to investigate the current use of mobile apps for learning English at Vietnam National University of Agriculture 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study aims to investigate how second-year English majors at VNUA use foreign language learning apps on mobile devices Specifically, the researcher was interested in the extent to which students used foreign language learning apps as well as their use of various features of foreign language apps on mobile devices In addition, the research was also conducted to find out the most common reasons why students use mobile language learning apps Furthermore, this study was carried out to find some suggestions when using mobile language learning apps from a student's perspective

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION

Research question 1: To what extent do second-year English majors at

VNUA use foreign language learning apps?

Research question 2: To what extent do second-year English majors at

VNUA use different features of mobile language learning apps?

Research question 3: What are the most common reasons why

second-year English majors at VNUA use mobile language learning apps?

Research question 4: What are students‟ suggestions for effective use of

mobile language learning apps?

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The research was conducted at VNUA, the second semester of the school year 2020 - 2021 Participants of the study were 124 second-year English majors

at VNUA The researcher applied the convenient sampling strategy According to the results, there are 105 questionnaires completed but 7 invalid questionnaires

Therefore, the total number of valid questionnaires collected was 98

Research is limited to second-year students at VNUA There are two reasons why the researcher decided to choose them for the study First, university students have reached a certain level of language acquisition based on their capacity to respond to the survey To some extent, most second-year students majoring in English have to study many specialized subjects such as Semantics, Phonetics, and so forth; consequently, they need to find dictionary apps to support their learning Besides, in the 4th semester, due to the influence

of the Covid-19 epidemic, they had to study at home rather than going to school,

so they found out which foreign language learning apps are good to choose to use for self-study purposes

The survey was conducted in 5 classes, with the same number of members

as shown in Table 1.1

Table 1.1: Participants’ classes

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study aims to find out the use of foreign language learning applications on mobile devices to learn English effectively for second-year students at VNUA The researcher wishes that this study will make a significant contribution to English learning when completed

The findings of the study will help English teachers at VNUA gain insight into how their students practice English on their own on foreign language learning apps With that, teachers could make appropriate decisions about what they could support students in their learning with the apps as well as integrate learning from apps with the curriculum

For students, providing a description of the strategic foreign language learning apps used as well as the difficulties revealed, the researchers wish to raise students' awareness of self-learning through online apps From the suggestions of students using different language learning apps, students can direct their own learning for better improvement in their language proficiency in general

1.6 DESIGN OF THE STUDY

Abstracts: Summary of the use of mobile language learning applications

adopted by second-year English majors at Vietnam National University of Agriculture Approaches, results of research, conclusions

List of abbreviations, graphs, tables and figures:

The rest of the study comprises three parts as follows:

In part one: Introduction present rationale of study, Aim and objectives

of study, Research questions, Scope of study, Significance and Design of study

In part two: Development: consist of 3 chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: (Literature review), the researcher investigates prior literature

to clarify some major terms in the study

Chapter 2: (Methodology), the justifications for the use of the

methodology with detailed descriptions are presented

Chapter 3: (Finding and discussion), the researcher processes the data

acquired to answer the research questions

In part three: (Conclusion), the researcher summarizes all the findings

revealed and suggests some contributions of the study

Reference

Appendix

Part II: DEVELOPMENT

Chapter I: LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 THE CONCEPT OF MOBILE LEARNING

The world is changing rapidly The widespread use of cell phones and other mobile and wireless devices has significantly altered the way we learn, communicate, and even live Mobile learning is defined as "Any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies” (O‟Malley et al 2003) provided

by mobile technology With the rapid advancement of technology in the world, the use of technology such as tablets, laptops, and mobile phones now creates favorable learning conditions Another point of view is that the use of these technologies is well-aligned with educational goals such as increasing learning opportunities, improving student achievement, supporting differentiation of learning needs, goals, and learning styles, and providing authentic learning materials to students who would not otherwise have access to them (Kukulska-Hulme, 2009)

Learners can learn at any time and from any location This is a favorable circumstance for students to use mobile applications Kukulska-Hulme even predicts that when technology becomes an integrated part of our surroundings, there will be no need to carry a mobile device “Socialization, entertainment, round-the-clock availability, effective use of leisure hours, alternate modes of learning, and a fun and informal learning experience are all advantages of mobile applications in education” (Gangaiamaran, & Pasupathi, 2017) App-based mobile language learning tailors the learning experience to the learners' specific needs, preferences, and abilities (Sun, & Yang, 2013) In addition, research by Chen et al (2008) studied the impact of mobile phone use in

providing vocabulary materials to English learners in Taiwan Their research shows that students prefer to use their phones because of the ease of quick access to materials, simplified, easy-to-understand situations, and the ability to practice anytime, anywhere With the world facing the Covid-19 epidemic, studying and working from home are the best options for everyone in order to ensure safety and effectively prevent a coronavirus pandemic

Mobile app learning is spatially portable: it takes place at work, at home, and in public places, and it is mobile at all times The nature of these mobile apps draws learners into a personalized learning experience Besides, they help learners focus more for longer Finally, they help boost self-esteem and confidence

Levy and Kennedy (2005) send vocabulary and idioms, definitions, and example sentences to Italian learners in Australia via SMS The BBC World Service's English Learning Section develops a comparable program and provides SMS lessons in French, West African, and Chinese (Godwin-Jones, 2005) because of the growing demand for learning foreign languages Learning

on mobile applications is the best option for learners who want to cut costs and consolidate knowledge quickly As a result, a number of mobile applications are developed to meet the needs of students

However, according to Mcneal and Hooft, some people are reluctant to use mobile phones in study, and they are not widely used in educational institutions (2006) On the other hand, many students who use mobile applications to learn foreign languages are always influenced by other entertainment apps such as Zings, Facebook, Instagram, etc that make it difficult for learners to focus

Conversely, some students prefer to limit the screen size, which makes the amount of content easier to see compared to other teaching materials Janelle Wills highlighted the advantages of the applications provided in giving students

24-hour access to learning materials as well as teacher feedback and the opportunity to access results or submit assignments outside of class (2010)

1.2 LEARNING THEORIES IN RELATION TO MOBILE LEARNING

Some studies introduce mobile learning and even the Theory of Mobile Learning but it is often unclear how these new concepts differ from other

technology-enhanced learning perspectives, like e-learning In general, theories

are used vaguely Sharples et al (2007) introduced The Theory of Mobile Learning which considers how learning spans places, times, topics and

technologies According to this theory, discussed and extended in a number of papers (Sandberg et al., 2011; Petersen et al., 2011; Hsieh et al., 2010, etc.), earning takes place in one context and may become a resource in another

The existing learning theories in relation to mobile learning include behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, situated learning, problem-based learning, context awareness learning, collaborative learning, lifelong learning, and informal learning, etc (Keskin & Metcalf, 2011) Theory is that the human mind is mediated (Lantolf 2000) This mediation is often assisted by the tool use Hence mobile technology use plays a dominant role in the process of meaning making in terms of the mediated nature of the human mind To investigate how learning theories underpinned by different learning theories and models will help teachers and technical developers gain a deeper understanding of mobile learning from a pedagogical viewpoint Since devices are ubiquitous, learning can be intertwined with activities in daily life

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), an established theory for this purpose is commonly used to investigate learners' perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intentions, and attitudes toward the use of mobile technologies for language learning (Chang & Hsu, 2011; Huang et al., 2012) Most studies show that learners have a favorable attitude toward the use of mobile technologies for second - foreign language acquisition, but there are

some exceptions For example, Huang et al (2012), show that the designed system - UEVL (Ubiquitous English Vocabulary Learning system) was readily accepted by the students in the sample, but that while active students were concerned with the perceived usefulness of the system, passive students were more concerned with the perceived ease of use of the system There are theories emphasizing cognitive aspects of learning, such as the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), which measures the limits of people's working memory capacity in order

to investigate individuals' working memory load when, for example, using different specially designed intelligent systems for mobile devices for language learning (Chen et al., 2008; Chen & Chang, 2011; Oberg & Daniels, 2012) An extensive review of the literature on mobile technology and school work shows that the shortcoming for both educators and designers is knowing how to use mobile tools in the most meaningful way (Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula and Sharples, 2004) The authors propose that a blended learning approach is needed when using mobility technology in the school environment That is, all teaching and learning activities need not be carried out by mobile phones, but such activities must be balanced with strategic teaching and other learning files As mobility becomes more and more ubiquitous, the biggest recipe will be to

“discover how to use mobile technology to make learning so much a circuit of everyday life that it doesn't count as learning” (p.5)

A quantitative study by Pierce and Ball (2009) explored the teacher's formula and how people's perceptions can become deterrents or promoters of defining work in their lessons High school students in Australia are already using mobile devices for Computer Graphing as well as Algebra and Geometry programs

1.3 FEATURES OF MOBILE LANGUAGE LEARNING

Mobile learning is, according to Vavoula and Karagiannidis (2005), "any form of training that takes place if the learner is not at a fixed predetermined

location or when he or she uses mobile technology to use the learning opportunities" (p 537) The development of modern technology such as smartphones, tablets, and many more, makes learning both in class and at home more convenient Students' foreign language learning takes place outside of the school setting thanks to the availability of digital resources via mobile devices, which allows students to self-regulate their learning The flexible accessibility of mobile applications can provide learners with the opportunity and means to set learning goals, develop strategies, and implement their own activities This is the ideal platform for self-study without direct teacher intervention

"The benefits of mobile apps in education include socialization, entertainment, round-the-clock availability, efficient use of leisure hours, alternative modes of learning, and fun learning experiences, looks and intimacy" (Gangaiamaran, & Pasupathi, 2017) Mobile apps' adaptability, affordability, and accessibility provide learners with opportunities and means to set their own learning goals, develop strategies, and implement learning strategies Learning dynamics to achieve these goals without immediate teacher intervention is, therefore, the ideal self-directed learning platform Mobile language learning apps, which consist of self-contained 10-15 minute short lessons, also provide students with a self-directed language learning experience, including opportunities to access low-cost language learning materials, the ability to learn

on the go, and the flexibility to choose what to learn right away They have many opportunities to practice their listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary skills through voice recognition and recording tools, and easy and fast dictionary lookup In addition, the application allows saving the learning process so that students can track their own progress "Extensive capabilities to improve and modify input with a wide range of cues such as repeating audio and text, modifying speed and volume, using colors, graphics, animations, screens Responsive touch, audio enhancements, and changing input modes increase the

salinity and note of target patterns" (Russel, & Cieslik, 2012) "While the like features of language apps such as elements of competition, cooperation, discovery, and storytelling make them fun and engaging, the personal and private nature of learning App-based languages and the fact that learners don't need to come into contact with other learners during practice make them appealing to all levels of learners through apps that customize the learning experience to the individual needs, interests, and abilities of learners" (Sun and Yang, 2013)

game-1.4 PREVIOUS STUDIES

Despite the rapid development of modern technology for language learning, there is little research on the use and effectiveness of language applications Niño (2015) investigated the perceptions and experiences of Higher Education students at a university in the United Kingdom about their use

of mobile applications for independent language learning The results of the survey study show that students find mobile apps particularly relevant to passive language skills such as vocabulary acquisition, written and spoken comprehension, pronunciation, and grammar practice Rosell-Aguilar (2018) polled 4095 users of the Busuu app to find out how they use the apps According

to the research results, the majority of users are elementary level English learners, studying mainly for personal interests, travel and professional purposes They use the app several times per week, mostly during unplanned sessions when the opportunity arises Some users said they did not sign up for a language course while using the app, but used additional language resources to supplement their learning The skills that users want to improve are vocabulary, followed by speaking and listening The fact that feedback is provided in writing

is the app's least used feature The majority of users rated the app positively because it met their initial expectations and believed it helped them learn a shared language A review of language statements supported on mobile devices

by Brurston (2014a) has shown that despite the great potential of ever-evolving technologies, most applications are based on structuralist and restrictive approaches to vocabulary and grammar instruction activities

In Vietnam, according to the research results of Mr Tran Van Hung and

Ms Thai Thi Tram, Faculty of Information - VNU Library (2014) on university libraries before the trend of using mobile devices in studying by students, mobile is being used very well for learning purposes A fourth-year student

shared: "Without a laptop, I don't know what to do with a phone now" From that,

we see that mobile devices are an essential part of the student learning process

In addition, in another study by Ms Nguyen Thanh Mai Thy (2020), she tested

74 students of Van Lang University on the impact of using mobile technology

on students' English speaking skills Most of the students participating in the experiment believed that using mobile devices would be beneficial for learning English The results show that students' abilities in speaking increases by 17% after using a foreign language learning application on mobile devices

1.5 SUMMARY

This chapter reviews previous literature regarding the use of foreign language learning apps on mobile devices Given the description of a huge amount of scholarly research, the researcher hopes that the present study has acquired enough relevant knowledge

Chapter II: METHODOLOGY

2.1 RESEARCH GOVERNING ORIENTATION

This study adopted a quantitative approach: using questionnaires with multiple-choice questions to collect information about the use of mobile language learning applications, features of mobile language learning apps they use, and the reasons why students use mobile language learning apps Also, this study adopted a qualitative approach by interviewing students about their suggestions for effective mobile language learning apps, based on their experiences

2.2 RESEARCH METHODS

2.2.1 Research context

The research is conducted at VNUA, second semester of the school year 2020-2021 Participants of the study are 124 second-year English majors at VNUA The researchers apply the convenient sampling strategy According to the results, there are 105 questionnaires completed but 7 invalid questionnaires Therefore, the total number of valid questionnaires collected was 98

2.2.2 Data collecting procedures

Step 1: Design the questionnaire

In this step, a questionnaire is created for the participants After reviewing the theory of foreign language learning application materials on mobile devices,

as well as the actual investigation of the actual notes of the second-year students

at VNUA, the researcher concluded that there are many foreign language learning apps on mobile devices that are mostly used by students

Step 2: Piloting

The questionnaire was distributed to 5 students to determine which questions or expressions were ambiguous and needed to be corrected or improved Following that, some changes were made

Step 3: Administering the questionnaire

The questionnaires were distributed in person to participants from five classes at various times Students who are absent were asked to complete questionnaires online using Google Forms The researcher made every effort to ensure that all of the items were thoroughly understood and that no errors were made while completing the questionnaire Following that, all questionnaires were collected for the subsequent procedure

Interviews were conducted via Zalo, Messenger, and phone calls The interviews were recorded for later transcription of the answers

2.2.3 Description of the questionnaire

A self-report questionnaire (see Appendix 1) was created to collect

relevant data on the use of a foreign language learning mobile application The questionnaire is divided into two sections with ten questions each Part 1 contains the personal information of survey participants Part 2 examines the reality of using foreign language learning apps on mobile devices by VNUA 2nd year English language students This type of close-ended questions allows the researcher to process the data more easily and faster by using some modern computer software

Part 1, questions 1 – 6, inquire about the personal information of participants The survey participants' class, gender, age, years of English learning, and current level were all important to the researcher

Part 2 includes four questions ranging from 7 to 10 that focus on students using foreign language learning apps on mobile devices Question 7 is used to demonstrate the trustworthiness of survey participants The content of this question is about the status of using foreign language learning applications on mobile devices Students participating in the survey choose one of five criteria

of frequency of use in line with the reality of how students use foreign language learning applications Question 8 asks about how often students use language

learning apps in a week The researcher wanted to find out which apps are the most popular and which are used the most frequently on a daily basis A different scale ranging from 1- 6 is used to assess student usage If participants choose Tflat as an app that is used 8 to 10 times per week in question 7, but only once a month in question 7, it is clear that the reliability is very low Therefore, the researcher will eliminate polling with low confidence, as described above Question 9 inquires about the utilization of various features of foreign language apps on mobile devices using a five-point Likert scale Furthermore, the level is sorted by frequency of use There are 13 features for which survey participants must mark an “X” on each corresponding level Question 10 asks about motives (reasons) for using those apps Students can choose from a variety of options Finally, the researcher asked about the phone number, username of Facebook, Zalo of the students participating in the survey to serve the interview To protect their privacy, all survey participants' personal information is kept strictly confidential and their names will not appear in any reports

2.2.4 Description of the interview questions

The interview questions (see Appendix 2) were created to collect relevant

data on the use of foreign language learning mobile apps There were 10 year students of the VNUA English Department who participated in the interview Due to the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic, students study online at home, so the researcher interviewed online to ensure the safety of both parties The interview questionnaire includes 6 questions, which were intended to know more about their practice as well as some suggestions for better learning with mobile language apps

second-2.2.5 Data analysis

2.2.5.1 Questionnaires

The statistical analysis of the questionnaires is broken down into six steps: Step 1: Clean up the data

The data has been carefully reviewed and questionnaires that are not fully answered or out of order will be discarded After the survey was completed, 98 questionnaires were kept As a result, the response rate was 84%, which the researcher considers sufficient to provide complete information

Step 2: Sort the data into categories

The information was organized into categories based on the three research questions that were addressed As a result, there are three groups of answers that correspond to students' use of foreign language learning apps on mobile devices

Step 3: Select variables

In the following step, the data variables are prepared for analysis in order

to find answers to the research questions posed at the start of the study

Step 4: Conduct an analysis

The appropriate statistical analysis techniques are chosen by the researchers The descriptive statistics, such as means and standard deviations, were computed

Step 5: Set up tables

Several tables have been prepared to clearly show the relationships for comparison and contrast, which will greatly assist the researchers in the next step of interpreting the findings

Step 6: Analyze the data and draw conclusions

The findings are related to the research question In other words, the research questions were answered in light of the findings

2.2.5.2 Interview responses

Step 1: Reading the transcripts

The researcher quickly browsed all the records of 10 students who participated in the interview After, underline important phrases and words and read the transcript over and over again

Step 2: Labeling relevant pieces

Label the phrases, sentences, and sections related to the foreign language learning application on mobile devices that students answer Labels are important student statements, actions, concepts, comments, statements that impress and surprise researchers

Step 3: Decide which codes are the most important, and create categories

by bringing several codes together

Review the codes generated in step 2 The researcher can generate new codes by combining two or more codes Also, there is no need to use up all the codes created in step 2

Step 4: Label categories and decide which are the most relevant

Describe the connection between labels and create categories Categories and connections are the results of interview research

Step 5: Write the result

2.3 SUMMARY

In this chapter, the researcher shows the research methods used In addition, the researcher describes in detail the questions in the questionnaires and interviews and outlines the steps of data analysis

Chapter III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter will go over the data obtained from the data collection instrument used, namely the survey questionnaire and the interview, which provides answers to the four research questions

3.1 RESEARCH QUESTION 1: TO WHAT EXTENT DO SECOND-YEAR ENGLISH MAJORS AT VNUA USE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING APPS?

3.1.1 General situation of using foreign language learning applications on mobile devices

First of all, students were asked to indicate how often they use foreign language learning apps on mobile devices Five statements were designed to indicate the students‟ frequency of using foreign language learning apps on mobile devices during a day, a week, or a month

Figure 1: The frequency of using foreign language learning apps on mobile

devices