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Mobile Application as Appropriate Support for the Retention of New English Words and Phrases in English-Language Learning

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Book cover Smart Education and e-Learning 2019

Part of the book series: Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies ((SIST,volume 144))

Abstract

When learning a foreign language, it is essential to learn new words and phrases. However, students often have problems remembering and retaining new vocabulary. Therefore, it is important to revise new vocabulary outside the classroom as well. In this process, modern technologies can help. Currently, mobile learning is one of the approaches to learning new vocabulary because it enables learners to perform their learning anytime and anywhere, mobile devices are easy to carry and usually adapted to learners’ needs. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how vocabulary supported with a mobile app was learned and retained in a practical English class at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. In addition, the effectiveness of such mobile learning was assessed. The methodology of this study was based on an experiment. The findings of this study, as well as of other research studies on this topic, confirm effectiveness of mobile apps on the learning of foreign-language vocabulary. However, they also indicate that especially teacher’s encouragement enhanced through different methods, such as feedback or notifications, is essential for students’ motivation to use the mobile application and study the new words and phrases.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by the SPEV project 2019, run at the Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. The author thanks Ales Berger for his help with the data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Informatics and Management, Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

    Blanka Klímová

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  1. Blanka Klímová
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Correspondence to Blanka Klímová .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bradley University, Peoria, IL, USA

    Vladimir L. Uskov

  2. Bournemouth University and KES International Research, Shoreham-by-sea, UK

    Robert J. Howlett

  3. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Centre for Artificial Intelligence, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Lakhmi C. Jain

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Klímová, B. (2019). Mobile Application as Appropriate Support for the Retention of New English Words and Phrases in English-Language Learning. In: Uskov, V., Howlett, R., Jain, L. (eds) Smart Education and e-Learning 2019. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 144. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8260-4_30

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