A systemic mapping study of Mobile Assisted Language Learning methods and practices: a qualitative literature review

Abstract

Pedagogical use of mobile applications has become a novel approach for language teaching, resulting in higher student engagement and motivation. There are a number of methods and practices that have been created so far to incorporate into language classroom at the disposal of language educators. However, extracting relevant and suitable information from growing bodies of research and teaching practices to apply in a specific teaching context is tedious and time-consuming requirement for those who want to use the state-of-the-art methods of mobile assisted language teaching in their classroom. Thus, the aim of this systematic mapping study is to structure the knowledge of using Mobile Assisted Language Learning methods and practices and provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in this domain of language teaching. Besides giving the structure of relevant research areas and the portfolio of key publications, the paper also outlines classification of mobile assisted language learning solution proposals and the visual status of the target research areas. Finally, it represents future research agenda and draw implications.