perceptions towards MALL devices in learning English in and outside classrooms. The results suggested that undergraduates at HUFI had slightly positive perceptions towards using MALL devices in learning English. In terms of participants’ perceptions towards using MALL devices in classrooms, the results of this study are relatively
similar with a number of previous studies: Alamer (2016), Alkhudair (2020), Chakir (2018), and Costa and Han (2017). Most of these studies showed positive perceptions of EFL learners in learning English with their mobile devices. Dealing with the perceptions of students towards using MALL devices outside classrooms, the results of this study are consistent with the studies of Krasulia and Saks (2020), and Sun (2019).
Nearly 90% of undergraduates in Sun’s study (2019) believed that learning outside classrooms with portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, personal computers and the like was efficient. The results of Krasulia and Saks (2020) found out critical reasons for the positive perceptions towards learning outside classrooms with students’
handheld devices. In particular, most students recognized the authenticity in informal learning process provided from mobile devices. From this benefit, students felt more motivated, so they had positive perceptions towards using portable devices in learning English.
With Means of items In1 and Out7 (Table 4.2), it could be concluded that the participants of the survey felt motivated moderately when learning English with MALL devices both inside and outside classes. As mentioned in the literature review, motivation is one of highlighted features makes EFL learners perceive positively when they learn English with mobile devices. A number of researchers also found out the consistent results about motivation enhancement in MALL learning such as Chiang (2020), Gonulal (2019), Hwang et al. (2015), Jiménez (2019), Machmud and Abdulah (2018), Naz et al. (2019), Nicolas and El-Aly (2018), Refat et al. (2020), Tayan (2017), and Zou et al. (2018). Tayan (2017) investigated on Saudi University students and found out that the participants felt comfortable when they utilized portable devices in EFL classes. The students believed that increasing motivation enabled them to involve more in interactive activities. Furthermore, Tayan (2017) also pointed out that nearly 90% of the students believed mobile technology could be a motivational stimulus to the learning cycle, and subsequently created positive learning outcomes. On the other
hand, Naz et al. (2019) pointed out other aspects related to the association between motivation and learning materials as well as motivation and communication. The researchers demonstrated that undergraduates at Pakistani universities were motivated when they accessed to online materials by their smartphones because of the swiftness of the tools. Moreover, learning English with smartphones in and outside classrooms enabled learners to communicate anytime and anywhere. This feature helped Pakistani students become more excited to join English learning activities. The study of Jiménez (2019) revealed that students in modern era viewed mobile technology associated with emotional dimension. In particular, students considered novelty as a significant element in the learning process because it enabled them to focus and engage with the subject matter more easily. In comparison with traditional learning method, learning with mobile devices proved its motivational stimulus through various forms, such as using music and video to bring attention, putting the story to know sentence structures of tense, awarding learners when they completed the tasks successfully, helping learners to know the rules more easily for extracting the examples from daily activities (Refat et al., 2020).
Items In4, In10 (Table 4.2) concerned with the intention or the desire to use portable devices in learning English. The results revealed that Generation Z students showed their slight desire to engage in MALL classes in the future. These values correlate fairly well with Chakir (2018), Hoang and Nguyen (2019), Xu (2020) and further support the concept of Botero et al. (2018). Botero et al. (2018) found the intention to use MALL devices of undergraduates and suggested that an improvement of facilitating conditions along with a more influential role of the educational community were necessary to engage learners in MALL courses, especially in developing countries. It can be implied that two components pointed out by Botero et al. (2018) can boost or weaken students’ desires to MALL learning. In a study of Hoang and Nguyen (2019) investigated EFL students’ perceptions at Thai Nguyen
University, their study revealed the devotion of students to integrate smartphones in both formal and informal learning. From the findings, the researchers implied that students at Thai Nguyen University were ready for blended learning, especially MALL programs. The findings of Hoang and Nguyen (2019) contributed to the field that MALL method might be a principal constituent that cannot be eliminated for mobile technology-based learning methods. On the contrary, findings of Ataeifar et al. (2019), and Nalliveettil and Alenazi (2016) showed negative perceptions of the participants towards the intention to use MALL devices. The research of Nalliveettil and Alenazi (2016) found that over a half of undergraduates in Saudi Arabia believed their poor performances in university exams were caused mainly from mobile phones. The research of Ataeifar et al. (2019) showed two major reasons made sophomores have weaker tendency to use MALL: taking much time and being distracted from lessons.
Beside undeniable affordances of mobile tools in English learning, there are many factors affecting learners’ desire to use MALL. Lecturers should limit them to make students feel more comfortable when learning with MALL.
Another finding of this study is students at HUFI had neutral perception towards showing their preferences between traditional courses to MALL courses in classrooms.
Specifically, one interviewee preferred MALL learning because of its E-resources;
however, one was of opinion that traditional learning was still in favored by most of Generation Z students. Another reason was about the convenience mobile devices could offer to make student’s life easier. Specifically, learning English on portable devices did not require learners to travel anywhere. For students who did not own private vehicles, this feature helped them reduce fare and save time of travelling.
Furthermore, handheld tools also support students who were busy with their study and their part-time jobs. They could learn English whenever they could manage to spend their free time. Compared to traditional classes, learning with portable devices can help students to exploit their time more effectively. It seems that this finding is a Mode
among findings of other researchers such as Nalliveettil and Alenazi (2016), Sun (2019), Poláková and Klímová (2019). Results from these studies are categorized as two trends: one for MALL courses and one for traditional courses. Specifically, nearly 90% of non-English university students were bored with current traditional teaching model (Sun, 2019) and at least 60% Generation Z students agreed with the novelty of English learning applications which outweighed conventional teaching methods (Poláková & Klímová, 2019). However, Nalliveettil and Alenazi (2016) found that tertiary students showed their favor in traditional courses because over a half of the students confessed that they could not remember everything they had read from their mobile phones. It means that traditional course materials are somehow really effective in motivating long-term memory. On the other hand, Poláková and Klímová (2019) confirm that being Generation Z learners does not mean they will be automatically motivated in using mobile applications in MALL learning. In fact, the researchers found that there was a considerable number of students preferring to traditional learning methods.
Items In2 and In6 (Table 4.2) dealing with the awareness of the participants towards using MALL devices in teaching and learning English. The study found that undergraduates were aware of applying MALL in English teaching and learning. This result is identical with the results of Dashtestani (2015). Participants in his study were well aware of advantages that mobile learning could provide even though teachers and educational stakeholders were not involved in the implementation of mobile learning.
The researcher concluded that students in his study were aware of both pedagogical and environmental domains of mobile learning. It can be implied that students can recognize the affordances of mobile learning in English learning even though they do not engage in. It is probably because they recognize the benefits mobile technology can bring. Using handheld tools every day is a crucial part making students realize the advantages of mobile technology, thus, motivate their reception to mobile learning,
especially MALL learning. Furthermore, Tayan (2017) found that a small number of undergraduates had little or no awareness in the concept of mobile learning, but the percentage was just 8%. It means that 92% Generation Z undergraduates in the study of Tayan (2017) were aware of mobile learning. Correspondingly, all of Generation Z interviewees of the present study believed that a majority of Generation Z students were aware of MALL devices. These statistics indicate a strongly positive feature for MALL education. The awareness of students towards mobile learning and MALL learning is important since when they understand the existence and effectiveness of MALL learning, they might support their peers to use MALL effectively (Botero et al., 2018). From the positive perceptions towards awareness of students at HUFI, it can be inferred that English lecturers at HUFI have been applying handheld devices considerably in their classes. This result is opposite partly to the finding of Hoang and Nguyen (2019) at Thai Nguyen University. The researchers found that teachers did not use mobile learning remarkably in their teaching process; however, the researchers did not mention the relationship to students’ awareness. Instead, they emphasized students’
desire to integrate smartphones in learning process.
Item Out6 (Table 4.2) revealed that students agreed with the empowerment of MALL devices in learning English outside classrooms. It is no doubt that MALL devices support students dramatically in self-learning. When teachers are not available, owning an assistant like handheld devices is really useful for students to solve many problems by themselves. Through the interview, the study found a majority of the students was of opinion that the impacts of mobile technology towards learning English nowadays were tremendous because they saw everybody using mobile devices in daily activities and in English learning, and they were aware of numerous benefits that mobile technology could bring to facilitate learning process. These findings are analogous to results of Al-Baekani and Ridwan (2018), Alkhudair (2020), Ataeifar et al. (2019), Chen (2017), Chen and Lin (2018), Gonulal (2019), Hani (2015), Mellati et
al. (2018), Nalliveettil and Alenazi (2016), Naz et al. (2019), Tayan (2017), and Yang (2012). A numerous facilitation of MALL learning was pointed out by EFL learners such as supporting collaborative and ubiquitous learning (Yang, 2012; Hani, 2015);
and stimulating communication skills (Ataeifar et al., 2019; Gonulal, 2019; Tayan, 2017). Zou et al. (2018) emphasize that learning on mobile devices may even facilitate students’ communication skills beyond students’ country. Other benefits that MALL learning enriching learning process are: approaching authentic materials (Al-Baekani &
Ridwan, 2018; Alkhudair, 2020; Chen & Lin, 2018; Gonulal, 2019), and enhancing vocabulary (Ataeifar et al., 2019; Mellati et al., 2018; Naz et al., 2019).
Item In9 (Table 4.2) related to the confidence of students in using portable devices in learning English. The study found that Generation Z undergraduates at HUFI were slightly confident in using MALL devices in learning English. This result is similar to Vuong et al. (2018). As mentioned in Introduction, sophomores in their study found no difficulty in using Moodle e-learning platform and they felt that IT illiteracy was not a challenge for them. The level of students’ confidence in Vuong et al. (2018) is even higher than that of the present study. With the rapid development of mobile technology, the confidence level of using mobile devices is likely to be one of critical issues of Vietnamese students will be enhanced steadily in the future.