Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Proceedings of  2nd  MEC TESOL Conference   2020                   Pp. 84-95
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/MEC2.6

 Full Paper PDF

 

The Impact of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in Developing the Listening
Skill: A Case of Students at Dubai Men’s College, the United Arab Emirates
 

Hussam Alzieni
English Communications Department
Dubai Men’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Email: halzieni@hct.ac.ae

 

 

Abstract:
Mobile technologies are one of the fastest-growing technologies in education. They offer an appealing opportunity to access multiple sources of information anytime and anywhere. Students who join Dubai Men’s College in the Foundations program suffer from accumulative weakness in the language skills in general and in the listening skill in particular. The study aimed to confirm the positive impact of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) on English Listening Skills. It attempted to examine the effect of MALL on students’ acquisition of English language Listening Skill at Dubai Men’s College (DBM), the United Arab Emirates. The study also investigated teachers’ perspectives on the effect of MALL on the students’ listening skill. The research question was: To what extent students’ listening skills have in the experimental group developed through the use of MALL compared to the students in the control group?  A mixed-method approach composed of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis was used to answer this question. 66 students participated in a quasi-experiment of an experimental group, and a control group and 20 teachers participated. The findings indicated that there were statistically significant differences between both groups in favour of the experimental group. The research stressed the benefits of using MALL to improve the students’ listening skills, especially those who seem to be demotivated. Finally, some teachers showed a lot of support for the use of MALL. Additional empirical research should be conducted to increase the generalizability of the findings.
Keywords: language acquisition, listening skill, MALL, teachers’ perspectives, Dubai Men’s College

Cite as:  Alzieni, H. (2020). The Impact of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in Developing the Listening Skill: A Case of Students at Dubai Men’s College, the United Arab Emirates.  Arab World English Journal(AWEJ). Proceedings of 2nd MEC TESOLConference 2020. 84-95.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/MEC2.6

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https://orcid.org/0000- 0002-1151-044X
https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/MEC2.6

Dr. Hussam Al Zieni (PhD), an English Instructor at Dubai Men’s College, Higher Colleges of
Technology in the United Arab Emirates. He holds a PhD in Education, Curriculum and English
Language Instruction. He has been working as an EFL teacher, teacher trainer, and researcher for
about 25 years. His primary interest in research is in technology in the classroom, mobile learning,
learner autonomy, assessment, and classroom management.