A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on
EFL Vocabulary Learning
Zeng Hongjin
Department of Foreign Language, Tianjin Normal University, Binshuixi Street, Tianjin, China
Keywords: Mobile Apps, EFL, Vocabulary Learning, Impact, Mobile Learning.
Abstract: Although mobile apps have been used for many educational purposes, little is known about how effective
these apps are in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) vocabulary learning. To fill this gap, this study
centered on the effectiveness of mobile apps on EFL vocabulary learning. A total of 18 articles were collected
from 3 selected databases—Web of Science, Eric, and Academic Search Complete. The findings were
analyzed through content analysis. The results provide a profile of using contexts of mobile applications for
EFL vocabulary learning and the impacts of using mobile apps on EFL vocabulary learning outcomes. Mobile
applications are mostly used in informal learning contexts and adopted in higher education for EFL vocabulary
learning. The studies also identified 8 categories of impacts, including vocabulary acquisition and retention,
administration for learning, pronunciation feature, usage frequency, learners’ perceptions and attitudes,
motivation and interest, feedback and evaluation, and learning environments. Implications are discussed, and
suggestions for future research are provided.
1 INTRODUCTION
In recent years, the rapid development in
communications and wireless technologies has
resulted in mobile devices (e.g., PDAs, cell phones)
becoming widely available, more convenient, and less
expensive. More importantly, each successive
generation of devices has added new features and
applications, such as Wi-Fi, e-mail, productivity
software, music player, and audio/video recording.
Mobile devices could open new doors with their
unique qualities such as “accessibility,
individualization, and portability”(Saran & Seferoglu,
2010, p.253). One of the main current trends of
educational applications for new technologies is
mobile learning. O’Malley et al. (2003, p.6) have
defined mobile learning as taking place when the
learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location or
when the learner takes advantage of learning
opportunities offered by mobile technologies.
Kukulska-Hulme (2005) defined mobile learning as
being concerned with learner mobility in the sense that
learners should be able to engage in educational
activities without being tied to a tightly-delimited
physical location. Thus, mobile learning features
engage learners in educational activities, using
technology as a mediating tool for learning via mobile
devices accessing data and communicating with others
through wireless technology.
The new generation, as digital natives (Prensky,
2001) or the Net generation (Tapscott, 1998), enjoy
using the latest technology such as online resources,
cell phones, and applications. Prensky (2001, p. 1)
conceptualizes digital natives as a young generation
of learners who have grown up engrossed in recent
digital technological gadgets. The young generation
is “surrounded by and using computers, videogames,
digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all
the other toys and tools of the digital age”(Andarab,
2019). The advocates of digital natives believe that
educational communities must quickly respond to the
surge of the technology of the new generation of
students (Frand, 2000). Along with the surge of the
device, ownership is a growing obsession with
smartphone applications (apps). As a result, most
young adults have an assess to smartphone
applications. Meanwhile, 90% of users’ mobile time
has been spent on using apps (Chaffey, 2016) that
encompass all aspects of our lives, such as books,
business, education, entertainment, and finance. The
ownership and use of mobile devices generate and
facilitate more non-formal language learning
opportunities for learners (Kukulska-Hulme, 2009).
Hongjin, Z.
A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on EFL Vocabulary Learning.
DOI: 10.5220/0010485205570570
In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2021) - Volume 1, pages 557-570
ISBN: 978-989-758-502-9
Copyright
c
2021 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
557
Mobile technologies allow students to access learning
content of all types anywhere and at any time
(Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008; Kukulska-Hulme,
Lee, & Norris, 2017; Pachler, Bachmair, Cook,
&Kress, 2010). Likewise, most university students
are equipped with touchscreen smartphones (Yu et
al., 2018).
However, offering students mobile devices does
not guarantee their effective use to acquire language
knowledge (Chen, 2013; Stockwell, 2008). As
Conole and Perez-Paredes (2017) argue, students’
learning outcomes are not merely determined by the
technology itself. Learners use the same technology
differently to achieve their learning aims (Lai, Hu, &
Lyu, 2018), but many may fail to effectively use the
resources available due to a lack of digital literacy
skills (Conole & Perez-Paredes, 2017). To address
this issue, a study on the effectiveness of mobile apps
is of great importance.
With the increasing popularity of mobile learning,
language learning assisted with mobile technologies is
becoming a new focus of educational research. This
phenomenon has prompted educators and researchers
to take a pedagogical view toward developing
educational applications for mobile devices to promote
teaching and learning. As a result, research on mobile
learning has expanded significantly (Kukulska-Hulme
& Traxler, 2007). However, this growing body of
literature has focused on several broad areas of inquiry,
such as the development of mobile learning systems
and how mobile technologies assist learning a
language (e.g., exploring the widely-used commercial
L2 learning apps like Duolingo) (Loewen et al., 2019),
paying less attention to the effectiveness of mobile-
assisted EFL vocabulary learning. It is identified that
among those students who use mobile apps to learn a
language, most of them use mobile apps for vocabulary
learning. Although statistics suggest that the number of
students learning vocabulary through mobile apps is
increasing (Makoe & Shandu, 2018), little is known
about how effective these apps are in EFL vocabulary
learning. To fill this gap, this study focused on the
effectiveness of mobile apps on EFL vocabulary
learning.
It is unreasonable to expect any single study to tell
us to what extent mobile applications assisted EFL
vocabulary learning is effective in improving
language learning. However, a comprehensive review
of the existing studies can get us closer to an answer
(Cavanaugh, 2001).
To this end, this study centers around EFL
vocabulary learning assisted with mobile applications.
The specific research questions that this study
aims to address are as follows:
RQ1: In what contexts have mobile apps been
used for EFL vocabulary learning?
RQ2: What are the impacts (if any) of using
mobile apps on EFL vocabulary learning
outcomes?
This study is significant in several aspects. It was
determined that research on vocabulary learning
strategies is related to the indirect vocabulary learning
strategy (Bauman & Kameenui, 2004; Stahl & Nagy,
2006). When, why, and how mobile apps are used by
EFL learners to learn vocabulary has been researched.
However, there is a lack of empirical review of the
effectiveness of mobile apps assisted EFL vocabulary
learning. Furthermore, the acquisition of mobile apps
is of great importance for students with limited
vocabulary and language skills in academic and
professional lives. In the teaching and learning
processes, mobile devices could create new models
with their unique qualities, and the physical
characteristics (e.g., size and weight), input
capabilities (e.g., keypad or touchpad), output
capabilities (e.g., screen size and audio functions),
file storage and retrieval, processor speed, and the
low error rates” (Alzu’bi & Sabha, 2013, p.179). EFL
learners, one of the leading mobile user groups, are
facing a “transitional period” from formal teacher-led
English learning to non-formal self-directed English
learning (Mellati, Khademi, & Abolhassani, 2018).
Against such a background, this study aims to figure
out the practicability of mobile apps to assist
vocabulary learning, which helps to enlarge EFL
learners’ English vocabulary and diverse cultural
knowledge in helping them to acquire a high level of
English and culture understanding. Moreover,
vocabulary teaching is at the heart of developing
proficiency and achieving competence in the target
language. This study evaluated the impact of using
mobile apps on EFL vocabulary learning outcomes,
which affords teachers an overall dialectical view to
improve their teaching methods. Also, there is a need
to determine exactly what strategies are employed by
mobile developers on apps and their effects on
vocabulary learning. In this sense, this study can offer
apps developers a fundamental review of learners’
needs of vocabulary learning.
2 METHODS
2.1 Data Sources and Search Process
Data were collected from three databases, including
the Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and
Eric. The reason for selecting these three databases
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was that they were the most commonly cited
databases for educational research. Particularly, the
Web of Science is generally deemed to be one of the
most reliable databases for scholars in social science
research (Bergman 2012). Common search key words
“apps(applications) vocabulary learning” was applied
in the databases for search any publication which
contains “apps（applications）vocabulary learning”
in its content.
After the initial literature search, a total of 88
results were produced in the 3 databases, including 30
duplicates that were deleted. The author read through
the abstracts of the remaining 58 articles and
determined whether they were appropriate to be
included in the review by inspecting carefully to find
whether it met the inclusion criteria. A total of 31
articles were determined consequently. Then the
author further examined these articles by full-text
scrutinizing and excluded 13 articles. Finally, a total
of 18 papers were reviewed and analyzed for this
study. Figure 1 demonstrates the search process of the
literature.
2.2 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Guided by the research questions, the following
inclusion criteria were applied:
(1) The empirical research must be conducted
with mobile apps(applications). Studies that deal with
other kinds of apps, such as computer apps, were
excluded.
(2) The empirical research must be conducted
with vocabulary learning. Using the word like the
level of vocabulary or vocabulary acquisitions is also
acceptable. Articles that deal with other educational
purposes such as grammar, writing, or listening were
excluded.
(3) The empirical research must deal with
learning English as the second language. Articles that
stress learning English as mother language or learning
other languages such as Chinese, Korean, Japanese
were excluded.
(4) The empirical research must include empirical
findings with actual data. Articles that present
personal opinions and theoretical argumentations
were excluded.
(5) The empirical research must be published in a
peer-reviewed journal. Books, book chapters, and
conference proceedings were excluded. However,
review articles on mobile apps assisted vocabulary
learning were read. The information from these
reviewed articles was used as background
information.
(6) The empirical research must be written in
English. All other languages were excluded.
2.3 Data Coding and Analysis
To address the first research question concerning in
what contexts mobile apps have been used for EFL
vocabulary learning, data were coded in an inductive
way using content analysis (Cho & Lee, 2014).
Contexts in this study were defined from different
dimensions, including geographical information,
grades of students, learning contexts (Eaton, Ph, &
Eaton, 2010). Moreover, research methods used in the
articles reviewed were also analyzed.
To explore the impacts of using mobile
applications on EFL vocabulary learning outcomes,
content analysis (Cho & Lee, 2014) was employed
again. First, units of analysis such as “peer pressure
could encourage Chinese EFL learners’ interests and
motivation in language learning” were identified by
scrutinizing the results of the section of each study for
open coding. To complete open coding, preliminary
codes appearing from the articles (such as
“motivation” or “interests”) were decided, and then
all the results were coded with these codes. When
data did not adapt to an existing code, new codes were
added. Next, similar codes were grouped and placed
into categories that were revised, refined, and
checked until they were mutually exclusive to form
the final categories (such as “motivation and
interests”). Impacts of using mobile applications to
learn vocabulary were recorded and numbered in
notes first after each article had been read and then
were compared cross articles to find common patterns
for theme generation (Cho & Lee, 2014). Themes
from the categories were developed through a
qualitative design through a grounded theory (Glaser
& Stauss, 1967).
All papers were scrutinized gingerly and
completely by the author. In order to intensify the
validity of the results, two stages were adopted. First,
the literature on the impacts of mobile applications
assisted EFL learning was reviewed thoroughly for
theoretical validity. Moreover, an expert was invited
to examine the categories of impacts of mobile
applications assisted
EFL vocabulary learning that emerged from the
data analysis by the author and to confirm the results
by reviewing the main findings of the 18 studies
identified. The inclusion criteria for the expert
reviewer were based on his academic impact,
including publications, citations, H-index, and i10-
Index. An agreement rate of 62% was yielded in that
the
author and the expert agreed on eight categories
A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on EFL Vocabulary Learning
559
Figure 1: The search process of the literature.
of the impacts out of thirteen. Distinctions were
resolved through discussion until consent was
reached. At last, eight categories of the impacts of
using mobile apps in EFL vocabulary learning were
explicated. No prior assumptions were generated
before the analysis. The results emerged inductively
from inspecting and interacting with real data.
3 RESULTS
3.1 RQ1: In What Contexts Have
Mobile Apps Been Used for EFL
Vocabulary Learning?
The geographical distribution of relevant studies was
examined (Figure 2). The results indicated that the
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560
majority of the studies were conducted in Asia (10),
which includes Turkey (1), China (5), and Japan (4)
respectively; four studies conducted in Middle East
countries with three in Iran and one in Arab countries;
two studies conducted in Europe included Spain (1)
and Czech (1); one conducted in South Africa and one
study did not indicate country and region.
Figure 2: Numbers of studies distributed based on
geographical information. *n/a=not applicable.
The studies were conducted in different grades
(Figure 3). The studies covered ranges from primary
school to college and university. The results
concluded that most studies were conducted in
colleges and universities (12), two conducted in
primary school and one in senior high school. There
is one study that did not indicate the research context.
While most studies were conducted in the setting
of higher education, the learning contexts were
different (Figure 4). The systematic review of Eaton
(2010) suggested that formal learning is a type of
learning arranged by institutes and guided by a
curriculum that is organized and structured, in
contrast with informal learning that is spontaneous,
experiential, not arranged by institutes, and not
guided by a curriculum. Non-formal learning means
organized learning but granted no credits and not
evaluated. Based on the data, over half of the studies
were conducted in either non-formal (3) or informal
(11) contexts. Only four studies were conducted in a
formal learning context, in which the use of mobile
applications was well organized and structured, also
arranged by institutes, and guided by a curriculum.
Figure 3: Numbers of studies based on grades of students.
*n/a=not applicable.
Figure 4: Numbers of studies distributed based on learning
contexts (Eaton, Ph, & Eaton, 2010).
In terms of research methods, the studies reviewed
adopted both qualitative and quantitative research
methods. The quantitative research methods mainly
included quasi-experimental designs with assessment
and questionnaire surveys. Interview, observation,
reflection, and transcript analysis were encompassed
in qualitative research methods. As shown in the bar
chart below (Figure 5), most studies adopted
quantitative research methods (11). On the contrary,
qualitative research methods (1) was hardly used.
Also, a growing number of researchers relied on
mixed-methods (6), compared with single adoption of
qualitative studies or quantitative studies. Since this
study began in early 2020, the total number of studies
in 2020 is relatively small. However, the general
trends in the chart indicate that the number of studies
on mobile apps assisted vocabulary learning is
increasing, and the employments of all research
methods are on the rise.
A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on EFL Vocabulary Learning
561
Figure 5: Numbers of studies distributed based on research
methods.
3.2 RQ2: What Are the Impacts (if
Any) of using Mobile Apps in EFL
Vocabulary Learning?
To figure out what the impacts of using mobile apps
in EFL vocabulary learning are, Table 1 and Table 2
are provided below. Table 1 is about the application
systems and related learning strategies reported in the
studies reviewed. Eight categories of impacts that
emerged from the study are presented in Table 2.
3.2.1 Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention
Vocabulary acquisition and retention refer to learners’
ability to memorize and acquire vocabulary assisted
by using the mobile application. For instance,
according to Demmans Epp and Phirangee (2019),
Students’ test scores improved while the mobile tool
was being frequently used and failed to improve when
usage subsided. It was indicated that students’
acquisition and retention were likely to improve after
using mobile applications in a high frequency.
Likewise, Ma and Yodkamlue (2019)’s study results
indicated that students with the mobile apps showed
a statistically significant acquisition of words. Chen
et al. (2019) found that game-related functions of
mobile applications were conducive to vocabulary
acquisition. It was shown that there existed
reasonable and strong correlations between learning
outcomes with the usage time of gamified functions,
thus improving vocabulary acquisition performance.
The results of Ma and Yodkamlue (2019)’s study
demonstrated that the participants with the mobile
app were able to retain more words in their long-term
memory because of spaced review and the
convenience of using the mobile app to review
everywhere. Similarly, compared with MEVLA-NGF
(mobile English vocabulary learning apps without
game-related functions), Chen et al.’s study(2019)
confirmed that MEVLA-GF (mobile English
vocabulary learning apps with game-related functions)
achieved its educational goal and effectively assisted
learners in improving their vocabulary size.
Analytical results show that MEVLA-GF positively
influenced learners’ vocabulary acquisition and was
helpful in augmenting the learners’ ability to dispel
the graduated interval recall hypothesis
(Pimsleur,1967), thus effectively assisting learners in
retaining vocabulary. However, Chen and Lee
(2018)’s study indicated that both students in the
experimental group and control group obtained a
significant improvement in the performance test and
revealed no significant differences between the two
groups. Studies also indicated that the apps were not
very supportive of their vocabulary acquisition and
retention (Klimova & Polakova, 2020).
3.2.2 Administration for Learning
Administration for learning refers to the function of
mobile applications to push notifications such as
sending events reminders. Studies showed that app’s
notifications were helpful because it served as a
constant reminder to engage in learning for most
distant students who have other work to do besides
studying (Makoe & Shandu, 2018). On the contrary,
Klimova and Polakova’s (2020) study indicated that
students did not reach a consensus on the notification.
Half of the students appreciated the notifications,
which helped them study regularly, and the other half
did not, which was also reflected in replies of most
students that the app had a neutral effect on their study
behavior. Again, this might have been caused by
receiving the notifications at a not suitable time of the
day.
3.2.3 Pronunciation Feature
One important feature of mobile applications that also
seems to be connected with vocabulary is the
pronunciation feature.
Students used the pronunciation model of the app
to train their English skills. For example, based on the
questionnaire, the users found the app beneficial –
they especially liked features such as listening to
word pronunciation (Enokida et al., 2017). The other
study showed that participants requested to include a
word pronunciation feature for VocUp, a mobile
application for vocabulary learning (Makoe &
Shandu, 2018).
3.2.4 Motivation and Interest
Students’ motivation, interest, engagement, and
confidence improved when involving mobile
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Table 1: Apps Availability on Mobile and Tablet platform and Related Learning Strategies.
Apps iOS Android
Surface
App
Web
based
Collaboration
Phonological
Analysis
Morphological
Analysis
Contextual
Analysis
Game
Quiz/
Assessment
Busuu App
Vocabulary
Flashcards 2016
WhatsApp
GREvocabulary
application
PHONE Words
Vocabulary
Noteboo
k
Socrative
VocabGame
Excel@EnglishP
olyU
Quizlet
HiroTan App
My-Pet-Shop
Vo c U p
3
rd
World Farmer
English Today
Table 2: Impacts of using mobile applications in EFL vocabulary learning.
Impacts Contents Freq. Studies
Vocabulary acquisition Students’ ability to acquire and remember 14 (Ma & Yodkamlue, 2019) (Andarab, 2019)
and retention vocabulary (Franciosi, Yagi, Tomoshige, & Ye, 2016)
Pronunciation feature Students use application’s pronunciation 5 (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019)
model to train their English skills (Makoe & Shandu, 2018)
Usage Frequency Students show different frequency in mobile 7 (Ebadi & Bashiri, 2018)
applications usage (Zhang & Pérez-Paredes, 2019)
Learners’ perceptions Learners’ beliefs, perceptions and attitudes about 9 (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019)
and attitudes their vocabulary competence and the use of apps (Chen & Lee, 2018)
(Makoe & Shandu, 2018)
Motivation & Interest Promoting learning motivation, learners’ interests, 12 (Ma & Yodkamlue, 2019)
engagement and confidence.
Learning environment Learning conditions that affect the behavior and 5 (Chen & Lee, 2018)
development of students’ learning (Ma & Yodkamlue, 2019)
Evaluation & Feedback Quick delivery of and access to evaluation and 6 (Makoe & Shandu, 2018)
feedback through quiz, assessment and game (Yarahmadzehi & Goodarzi, 2020)
Administration for Pushing notification such as sending 2 (Makoe & Shandu, 2018)
learning events reminders (Klimova & Polakova, 2020)
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563
applications in learning. According to Demmans Epp
and Phirangee(2019), students understand words
easily with the help of a mobile application that
provides a multimedia learning environment for
learners to learn the target words. The mobile
application also stimulates students’ motivation.
Results of studies indicated that assisting the lexical
items with a theme or visual aids could help to
motivate vocabulary learning (Andarab, 2019). Also,
studies suggested that mobile game applications
mostly had been used to improve motivation and
interest to learn vocabulary (Elaish, Ghani, Shuib, &
Al-Haiqi, 2019).
3.2.5 Usage Frequency
Students use mobile applications at different
frequencies. For instance, one study identifies users
into 4 groups: excited users, just-in-time users,
responsive users, and frequent users (Demmans Epp
& Phirangee, 2019). In this study, students tended to
use the application to support learning activities in
more protracted sessions. These sessions were spaced
over time but tended to last upwards of 40 to 50 min
(students’ entire spare period). This amount of
focused time is well outside the range expected for
microlearning activities (Beaudin et al., 2007; Edge
et al., 2011), especially those conducted through
mobile devices (Ferreira, Goncalves, Kostakos,
Barkhuus, & Dey, 2014). Studies also suggested that
the students with the new, cross-platform application
exhibited a relatively significant tendency of frequent,
steady, and periodical logins than those with the old,
PC-only one. The analyses suggested that the cross-
platform, mobile-optimized web application elicited
the students’ ability to regulate their everyday self-
accessed online learning (Enokida et al., 2017).
3.2.6 Learners’ Perceptions and Attitudes
Learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards their
vocabulary competence and the usage of the mobile
application is of great importance to vocabulary
learning. The studies suggested that the users held
positive attitudes towards the application because it
influenced their learning positively and provided
them with both form and meaning-focused instruction,
even though they were dissatisfied with the levels and
authenticity of the contents presented by the app
(Ebadi & Bashiri, 2018). Likewise, findings indicated
that students held different attitudes towards different
functions and perceived the mobile apps as
facilitative for some learning actions. In addition,
students would choose the implementation of the
mobile app in other courses taught by teachers.
Therefore, the teachers should always think about the
purpose of the use of the mobile app in encouraging
students’ learning for generating higher learning
outcomes (Klimova & Polakova, 2020).
3.2.7 Learning Environments
Mobile applications provide learners with learning
environments different from the traditional learning
context, which affect the behavior and development
of students’ learning. Studies found that mobile
application provided a multimedia learning
environment for learners to learn target words (Ma &
Yodkamlue, 2019). According to Chen & Lee (2018),
incorporating digital games to support language
learning provided students with an interactive
environment to enrich students’ learning experience.
Also, ubiquitous, inexpensive, powerful, and creative
learning environments can provide new and fantastic
interaction opportunities and multi-synchronous
modes of learning environments by employing
portable social network applications such as
WhatsApp and Viber (Mellati, Khademi, &
Abolhassani, 2018).
3.2.8 Feedback and Evaluation
Evaluation and feedback can be provided
immediately by mobile applications. For instance,
Makoe and Shandu (2018)’s study found that learners
showed their satisfaction towards the fact that the
mobile app was interactive in that the exercises
helped them to get prompt feedback on assessing their
understanding of the content. The app provided
device-human interaction that facilitated feedback in
the absence of human-human interaction. Students
considered the feedback very strict when they made
just a small mistake, such as the lack of a full stop,
but they enjoyed the correction feedback of their
performance. Nevertheless, the strictness of feedback
is on purpose to make students realize the importance
of accuracy (Klimova & Polakova, 2020).
4 DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Using Context of Mobile
Applications in Vocabulary
Learning
Results of this study indicated that research methods
of studies in mobile apps used in EFL vocabulary
learning were mostly quantitative research. However,
qualitative research methods can be introduced to the
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564
studies of mobile apps used in vocabulary learning.
Moreover, the advantages of qualitative methods and
quantitative methods can be combined to improve the
validity of the study (Creswell, 2014). The qualitative
study contributes to understanding the human
condition in different contexts and a perceived
situation, which can also help to study the influences
of using mobile apps in different learning contexts
(Creswell, 2013).
Also, mostly the mobile apps were used in
informal and non-formal learning contexts. The
research found students had a waning interest in using
the mobile application over the term. However, the
impetus for some students to use the support tool was
maintained (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019). This
result implies that teachers could adapt mobile
applications in a formal learning context by which
can help students increase their vocabulary
knowledge and give test which is closely related to
what they learn from mobile vocabulary learning. As
shown in the literature, test scores could be improved
when mobile tools were frequently used and failed to
improve when usage subsided (Demmans Epp &
Phirangee, 2019).
As regards students’ grades, most of the app users
are college students, which is comprehensible for
most university students equipped with touchscreen
smartphones (Yu et al., 2018). The second large
group is primary school students. It is suggested that
developing a good educational game is an optional
method to arouse young children’s interests in
English vocabulary learning and assist them to
achieve their immediate and long-term vocabulary
goals. As Chen & Lee (2018) mentioned, the mobile
application used in vocabulary learning especially
educational games, enhanced motivation in terms of
the goal, feedback, autonomy, and immersion
aspects. Meanwhile, the finding leads us to think
about how to use mobile applications to learn
vocabulary in senior high school. Most importantly,
students should be given brief orientation and lectures
by instructors (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019).
Research implied that students were more likely to
use mobile applications to assist their vocabulary
learning when they spent most of their time on
individual work (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019).
This result suggests that providing brief instructions
and facilitating students to work individually will
contribute to the increasing use of mobile applications
for vocabulary learning in secondary school.
4.2 Impacts of using Mobile
Applications on EFL Vocabulary
Learning
The studies reviewed indicate that the reason to
design and implement mobile applications is mainly
to improve the learners’ vocabulary acquisition and
retention and enhance English vocabulary teaching
and learning (Makoe & Shandu, 2018). Different
studies result in different conclusions. Most studies
found mobile applications are effective in promoting
students’ vocabulary learning (Ma & Yodkamlue,
2019; Mellati, Khademi, & Abolhassani, 2018). On
the contrary, some studies imply that mobile
applications are not supportive of vocabulary learning
(Chen & Lee, 2018; Klimova & Polakova, 2020).
These two different results demonstrate that the
impacts of using mobile applications in EFL
vocabulary learning still remain controversial, and
more empirical studies are in need to further explore
this topic. It should be cautious about adopting mobile
applications in vocabulary learning. The results of
this study demonstrate special features of mobile
applications which can be applied by learners,
teachers, software designer, and government to
enhance learning outcomes.
Mobile applications provide learners with
learning environments different from traditional
learning contexts, which give learners much more
freedom and break the boundaries of time and space.
Learners should learn to use mobile applications
effectively at any time and any place with their own
learning paces. However, the existence of too much
freedom also challenges language learners to
overcome numerous distractions (Mellati et al.,
2018). Therefore, parental and teachers’ supervision
is of great importance to mobile application use.
Students should develop the ability to be self-
disciplined. In addition, different mobile applications
have different features, such that learners can choose
the suitable one according to their own learning style,
cognitive competence, vocabulary knowledge, and
the one which can best improve their learning
motivation and interests.
Moreover, the results of this study indicate that
the notification feature of mobile apps is supportive
because it served as a constant reminder to engage
learners in learning (Makoe & Shandu, 2018). Thus,
with this feature, teachers can give timely
notifications to administrate distant vocabulary
learning. On the other hand, students did not reach the
consensus on notification mostly because receiving
notifications at a not suitable timing (Klimova &
Polakova, 2020), which implies that teachers should
A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on EFL Vocabulary Learning
565
give notifications in seasonable timing and in an
appropriate frequency. Otherwise, students may feel
annoyed with this notification feature.
Considering the feedback and evaluation of
mobile applications, teachers cannot depend much on
them. While the exercises on mobile applications help
learners to obtain prompt feedback on assessing their
understanding of the content (Makoe & Shandu,
2018), the strictness of feedback and the absence of
human-human interaction makes students feel
uncomfortable (Klimova & Polakova, 2020).
Accordingly, teachers can adopt the effectiveness and
accuracy of feedback and evaluation from the mobile
application with the provision of formative evaluation
and student-oriented feedback in the teaching and
learning process. Also, the findings suggest that
mobile game applications have been mostly used to
improve motivation and interest to learn vocabulary
(Elaish, Ghani, Shuib, & Al-Haiqi, 2019), which can
be adopted to teach lower grade students. Likewise,
students’ acquisition and retention are likely to
improve after using mobile applications in a high
frequency (Demmans Epp & Phirangee, 2019). Thus,
teachers should integrate the mobile applications in
traditional and formal learning contexts, which
promise students to use mobile applications
frequently.
Pronunciation features, administration for
learning, evaluation, and feedback, and gamification
are proved to be inducive to EFL vocabulary learning.
This implies that software developers ought to add
these features to mobile applications. The problem of
downloading mobile applications should be taken
into account as some users are wary of the
applications costly, others are concerned about the
security of applications. Therefore, failure to study
the protection and security of mobile applications can
obstruct their adoption and use (Makoe & Shandu,
2018). Although mobile applications facilitate
student-content and student-device interaction where
the learners appreciate the privacy of working alone,
other learners may feel that they needed student-
student and student-teacher interaction (Makoe &
Shandu, 2018). Hence, the developer should include
interaction and collaboration components in mobile
applications such as chatting and ranking.
Based on the results, the challenges of using
mobile applications include phone problems,
network, and connectivity, as well as a lack of
familiarity (Makoe & Shandu, 2018). One possible
reason may be that not all learners possess a
smartphone or the required application (Lander
2015). Hence, the government should make an effort
to support the use of mobile applications officially
and financially and provide an established
framework. A common understanding should be
reached in schools and universities, which creates a
sense of trust to relieve teachers, parents, and
learners’ concerns. Government and schools should
also work together to establish programs to train
skillful teachers. Furthermore, particularly online
sources, managerial cooperation, and administrative
structure should be provided to control online
distractions (Mellati et al., 2018).
5 CONCLUSION AND FUTURE
DIRECTIONS
This study investigated how mobile applications
assisted vocabulary learning by conducting
qualitative research. The results of this study
indicated that mobile applications assist vocabulary
learning with different features, such as feedback and
evaluation. However, the problems of using mobile
applications still exist.
A number of factors limited the results of this
study. The first limitation is concerning data sources.
The reviewed studies were searched from three
selected databases, and the only peer-reviewed
journal articles were included. Therefore, studies
from other resources were excluded, such as other
databases, book chapters, dissertations, and
government reports. Second, the key words for
searching were “application vocabulary learning,”
which might exclude some studies that involved
applications but defined in other ways.
No literature searched and reviewed in this study
was found exhaustive. Hence, further research should
use more data sources to obtain a more holistic picture
of the relation between mobile applications and
vocabulary learning. According to the results of the
study, more qualitative research should be conducted.
Particularly, empirical research could be conducted to
investigate mobile applications and vocabulary
learning. First, how different elements and functions
of mobile applications interact with each other to
impact learning outcome and learning competence.
For instance, researchers could explore how to use
mobile applications as a resource to design
vocabulary learning activities for students. Then
observe how students develop their vocabulary
acquisition and learning competence through these
activities. Second, how the mobile applications can be
integrated into teaching could be investigated as a
context-based understanding of the educational
potential of different technologies is partly
CSEDU 2021 - 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education
566
determined by teachers’ perceptions (Brown, 2012).
Third, where mobile applications might be adopted in
different educational settings, and cultural contexts
could be investigated. As found in this study, the use
of the mobile application is limited to certain regions
and learning contexts.
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APPENDIX
Table 3: Summary of 18 studies reviewed.
#Studies Research question Main findings
1 (Demmans Epp &
Phirangee, 2019)
How application use related to changes in
student vocabulary knowledge?
Learning is likely tied to the task design (i.e.,
whether it encourages deep processing) and
repeated effort rather than the mobile tool’s
support for noticing or fast and extended
mapping.
2 (Ma & Yodkamlue, 2019)
The effects of a self-developed mobile app
on Chinese university EFL learners’
vocabulary learning and retention.
The mobile app was feasible and effective in
helping EFL learners learn more words and retain
them in their long-term memory.
3 (Chen & Lee, 2018)
How application-driven model influence
aspects of learning performance?
A quiz game with the support of application-
driven model contributed to enhance flow
experience and better learning self-regulation.
4 (Enokida, Sakaue, Morita,
Kida, & Ohnishi, 2017)
How the HiroTan app assists Japanese
students with effective vocabulary
learning?
Users found the app beneficial and they especially
like several features.
5 (Makoe & Shandu, 2018)
How to design and implement a mobile-
based application aimed at enhancing
English vocabulary teaching and learning?
Technological, as well pedagogical, aspects of
mobile-app interventions are essential for
vocabulary teaching and learning.
6 (Chih-Ming Chen, Huimei
Liu, & Hong-Bin Huang,
2019)
The effects of PHONE Words, a novel
mobile English vocabulary learning app
(application) designed with game-related
functions (MEVLA-GF) and without
game-related functions (MEVLA-NGF),
on learners’ perceptions and learning
performance.
Mobile English vocabulary learning application
with game-related functions is more effective and
satisfying for English vocabulary learning than
without game-related functions.
7 (Yarahmadzehi &
Goodarzi, 2020)
Whether utilize mobile phones in EFL
classroom can influence the process of
vocabulary formative assessment and
consequently improve vocabulary learning
of Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners or
not?
Applying technology to facilitate study improves
vocabulary leaning of participants better than
those who are assessed formatively based on
traditional way.
8 (Ebadi & Bashiri, 2018)
EFL learners’ perspectives about their
vocabulary learning experiences via a
smartphone application.
The users held positive attitudes towards the
application because it influenced their learning
positively and provided them with both form and
meaning-focused instruction, but they were
dissatisfied with the app’s levels and authenticity.
9 (Klimova & Polakova,
2020)
Students’ perception of the use of a mobile
application aimed at learning new English
vocabulary and phrases and describe its
strengths and weaknesses as perceived by
the students.
Students perceived the mobile app as facilitative
for some learning actions but was not supportive
regarding communication performance.
10 (Enokida et al., 2018)
The new, cross-platform application or the
older, PC-based Web-Based Training
(WBT) system, which is mor effective for
vocabulary learning?
The total learning duration, the outcome, and
learning efficiency are almost equivalent between
the experimental and control groups. However,
the cross-platform, mobile-optimized web
application elicited the students’ ability to
regulate their everyday self-accessed online
learning.
11 (Andarab, 2019)
Has humor been also extensively indicated
to carry a significant role in vocabulary
learning? The effect of humor-integrated
pictures on vocabulary acquisition of 45
intermediate English as foreign language
(EFL) learners on Quizlet.
The significant effectiveness of technology in
vocabulary learning can be boosted with the help
of humorous context.
A Review of Empirical Studies of Effectiveness of Mobile Apps on EFL Vocabulary Learning
569
Table 3: Summary of 18 studies reviewed. (cont.)
#Studies Research question Main findings
11 (Andarab, 2019)
Has humor been also extensively indicated
to carry a significant role in vocabulary
learning? The effect of humor-integrated
pictures on vocabulary acquisition of 45
intermediate English as foreign language
(EFL) learners on Quizlet.
The significant effectiveness of technology in
vocabulary learning can be boosted with the help
of humorous context.
12 (Mellati, Khademi, &
Abolhassani, 2018)
The impact ofcreative interaction in social
networks on learners’ vocabulary
knowledge in Online Mobile Language
Learning (OMLL) course.
New technologies established authentic and
effective interaction between human and
computer in learning contexts as well as
challenges that developing countries are faced
with in conducting OMLL courses.
13 (Bazo, Rodríguez, &
Fumero, 2016)
How Vocabulary Notebook assists
vocabulary learning?
By using the application Vocabulary Notebook,
the students were able to tackle the problem of
incorporating specialized vocabulary derived
from the use of Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) in their classes.
14 (Franciosi, Yagi,
Tomoshige, & Ye, 2016)
Could less complex simulation games also
support the acquisition of a foreign
language?
Gameplay with a simple simulation does enhance
long-term vocabulary retention which may be
beneficially applied in acquisition of foreign
language vocabulary.
15 (Kohnke, Zhang, & Zou,
2019)
The effects of the app to enhance
undergraduate students’ knowledge
retention of business vocabulary of
different difficulty levels through extended
ubiquitous learning opportunities.
Mobile gamified educational programs are a
fruitful avenue for students to expand their
business vocabulary knowledge and retention.
16 (Rosell-Aguilar, 2018)
How did users perceive the mobile app
busuu?
A large proportion of users consider apps a
reliable tool for language learning with
vocabulary as the main area of improvement.
17 (Elaish, Ghani, Shuib, &
Al-Haiqi, 2019)
Whether the developed VocabGame can
motivate native Arab students learning the
English language to achieve better
performance?
VocabGame app should be part of the daily
English curriculum for learning the English
language. Following the feedback and statistical
analysis, the features of the app can be improved
in terms of designing better graphics to motivate
students in their learning process.
18 (Zhang & Pérez-Paredes,
2019)
What are the uses and the motivation
behind language learners’ selection of
mobile assisted language learning (MALL)
resources?
Vocabulary development remains Chinese
postgraduate EFL learners’ biggest concern.
Vocabulary resources, including vocabulary
learning and mobile dictionary applications, are
rated as Chinese postgraduate EFL learners’ most
favorite resources. They also prefer to take
recommendations from social media and
experienced experts.
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