Attitudes and Perceptions of Graduate ESL Students towards Mobile Assisted Language Learning in Pakistan

Abstract

The present paper aims to describe perceptions and attitudes of graduate and undergraduate English-major ESL students towards the use, importance, benefits and challenges they face regarding Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) apps. For this purpose, a quantitative study is conducted to record the respondents’ responses on a dichotomous scale. Through the study, it was found that most of the language students were using MALL and were in favor of MALL, while using mobile phone and its apps for language learning, they recognized its importance and benefits, aspired to incorporate it in traditional learning method. The respondents assert that MALL not only makes them autonomous, but also saves their time. They also recorded numerous challenges, but the greatest challenges they declared are the language learning apps which require a significant time access to operate. The other challenge is the continually bugging advertisements they had to tolerate while using language learning mobile apps which disturb their tempo and waste their time. Considering its findings, the study highlights the need of uniform integration of MALL and formal teaching-learning mode by the government of Pakistan. This needs government’s specialized care and budget for the smooth running. The study provides a careful estimate of situation of MALL in Pakistan which further stresses the speedy accommodation of MALL in education department to meet international standards.