모바일 앱을 활용한 영어 어휘 학습에 대한 초등 학습자의 인식

Abstract

This study aims to investigate elementary school students’ perception on English vocabulary learning using mobile apps with a focus on learning methods. To this end, 40 elementary school learners were asked to use 6 apps in person to figure out their preferred methods by proficiency levels and genders. The results of analyzing observation journals, surveys and interviews were as follows. First, the most preferred learning method was Tutorial type in all groups, and functions such as ranking, scores and levels in Game type were not significant to the upper group. Second, although there was no significant difference between male and female groups in all learning methods, some differences were observed in terms of subfunctions. For example, boys tended not to prefer giving an explanation of their wrong answers. Overall, all learners preferred flash cards containing word meaning, pronunciation, and examples with pictures. Repeated learning using flash cards was preferred, whereas repeated learning using word notes, incorrect answer notes, and lock screen was not preferred. Their strong preference for Tutorial approach explaining vocabulary in detail using flash cards is related to an EFL situation, where it is required to learn vocabulary intentionally and deliberately rather than accidental or implied learning. These findings are expected to provide practical information specifically needed for the development of English learning apps for elementary students as a complementary tool for vocabulary learning.