THE RELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ READINESS FOR SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND THEIR EMPLOYMENT OF MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING

Abstract

Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) continues to grow its importance in facilitating and making self-study more efficient for language learners. The application of MALL, however, depends very much on the learners’ attitudes towards technology employment and their levels of readiness for self-studying. To help provide statistical evidence on how learners’ motivation relates to their readiness for studying by themselves, this study examined how college-age language learners are using mobile affordances and whether these practices relate to the extent to which they are ready to self-direct their learning process. Participants were 467 students from year 1 to year 4 in a Bachelor of English programme and the data were collected through a validated 6-point Likert Scale questionnaire.  Results from the t-test showed that the students are highly ready for self-directed learning (SDL). They are generally found to regulate their own learning process under instructors’ guidance. From Pearson analysis, there were positive correlations between the readiness for SDL and students’ constructs of motivation and their frequency of employing MALL respectively. It is suggested that MALL should be integrated more deeply into the curriculum to make the best use of technological developments in English language learning and provide students with more efficient and active self-learning opportunities.