Korean EFL College Students' Acceptance of Smartphone Applications for English Language Learning

Abstract

Smartphones have deeply penetrated all aspects of our lives. The impact of smartphones has reached education and led to the development of countless language learning applications (apps). However, before merging this new technology with language education, it is critical to identify determinants affecting students' acceptance of smartphone apps for English language learning (SAELL). The purpose of this chapter is to investigate factors affecting the students' intention to use SAELL, and gender and academic major differences in acceptance of SAELL. A quantitative method was used to analyze data collected from 675 participants in Korea. The results indicated that perceived usefulness, perceived convenience, social influence, perceived enjoyment, and self-management of learning significantly affected the students' intention to use SAELL. Gender and academic major moderated the acceptance of SAELL. This chapter adds to the knowledge of how to use smartphones for language learning and provides useful insights on the acceptance of SAELL.