Investigating the Impact of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning on Vocabulary Retention among Saudi Arabia EFL High School Students

Abstract

The current research assesses the influence of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on the improvement of vocabulary knowledge and student accomplishment among Saudi EFL high school students, as well as the efficiency of MALL against conventional teaching-learning approaches. Following a post-test-only, random assignment, mixed-method research design, 120 students were assigned to an experimental mobile vocabulary application condition and a conventional condition. The content scores in the pre-test, immediate post-test and delayed post-test showed that the experimental group recorded higher scores than the control group in the short-term test as well as in the long-term test. Also, the study elicited higher motivation levels from the experimental group indicating the cognitive and affective advantages of MALL. The findings have a theoretical implication that aligns MALL with cognitive theories of spaced learning, including retrieval practice; it also suggests how MALL can overcome the drawbacks of conventional learning methods. Substantial to the sociocultural considerations vital to the use of MALL, the study advocates for the incorporation of MALL into the EFL curriculum and future research on the practicality and generality of MALL to other language skills.