A Research On Mobile English Learning Of College Students

Nowadays, the combination of new technology and education is a kind of inevitable trend as mobile phones, tablets and other high-performance mobile devices are continuously extended and applied in people’s life. The emergence of the mobile learning form is identified as a remarkable example of that. Mobile learning contains unlimited potential, which is characterized by its potential for learning, thus it is spontaneous, informal, personalized and ubiquitous. In our country, mobile learning has become one of popular learning ways since2000, and more and more people are full of enthusiasm for using and studying it. At present, surveys and investigations of the status of mobile learning on college students have been carried out in the cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanchang, and the study results have been achieved which can be regarded as valuable reference for further study. However, the study on college students’ English learning via mobile devices is seldom seen nowadays. The present study aims to investigate college students’ use of mobile devices in learning English from the perspective of the current situations of college students’ mobile learning in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is surely of realistic significance.The subjects of the present study are the college undergraduates who come from Guangxi Normal University, Guilin University of Technology, and Guilin University of Electronic Technology. All the subjects were randomly chosen for the survey. There are three questions for the present study, including (1) what’s the current status of mobile English learning among college students?(2) For college students, what are the typical problems of mobile English learning at present?(3) What c be done to help college students learn English via mobile devices more effectively and adjust themselves to lifelong learning society? The present survey was carried out in April,2013by using the methods of questionnaire and interview.The results of the present research are as follows:(1) The current overall status of mobile English learning of the college students in Guilin is satisfactory, and they in general hold a positive attitude towards learning English via mobile devices.(2) Mobile phones are the mainly popular mobile devices used by college students in learning English, and the need of professional examinations is the main factor restricting mobile English learning.(3) Mobile learning can be good for them to make excellent use of "little time" so that college students can learn English at all times and all places. The existing problems are as follows:(1) the purpose of mobile English learning is simplistic, only confined in professional test or examination.(2) It lacks effective mobile learning strategies, so the learning is confined to mobile phone use only.(3) Because of the regional restrictions, wifi isn’t so popularized and the campus network is relatively backward, which can limit college students’ mobile English learning.(4) It lacks the course of mobile English learning, and the tutorial and effective guidance.The suggestions are proposed according to the present research. Firstly, educational department should speed up the construction of wifi and campus network, so that more abundant and targeted mobile English learning resources can be developed and provided. Secondly, universities and colleges should emphasize the research and propaganda for mobile English learning, integrate mobile learning into formal classroom teaching, and set up research topics focusing on mobile learning. Thirdly, teachers should possess the concept of mobile learning and technological skills. Thus, they are able to help college students adjust their attitude towards mobile English learning, to cultivate their effective mobile English learning strategies, and finally to help them construct the habit of lifelong learning through the use of mobile.