Mobile Assisted Language Learning: Theory and Practice

Описание: The introduction and now ubiquitous use of smartphones has had a profound effect on social practices, including those related to second and foreign language learning. A key new affordance is that of mobility. This can refer to mobility in physical space, mobility of technology, mobility in conceptual space, mobility in social space, and the dispersion of learning over time. All of these different kinds of mobility create connections between various kinds of language learning experiences, across both formal and informal learning spaces. In this presentation, I will review some key principles of mobile-assisted language learning. I will then demonstrate how these principles are relevant to two innovative langua ge learning projects conducted in the Department of English at the City University of Hong Kong. The first of these is an implementation of project-based learning on a course in English for science, in which students were tasked with creating a digital video scientific documentary, involving a range of connected, mobile learning experiences. The second is a collaborative, interdisciplinary project to create video-based learning materials for law students, which can be accessed through mobile technologies, again extending learning to a range of connected spaces. I will conclude by considering the implications of these projects for the future of mobile-assisted language learning.