CHALLENGES CONFRONTING EFL STUDENTS IN THE USE OF MOBILE LEARNING APP IN ACADEMIC SETTINGS

Abstract

Students studying English as a foreign language (EFL) face both opportunities and challenges when mobile learning apps are integrated into the classroom. This study aimed to investigate the challenges encountered by EFL students when utilizing mobile learning applications within academic contexts. This study was conducted in one private university in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. 20 chemical engineering students who were enrolling in the English course were chosen to be the subject of the study. The researcher used qualitative method in this study by using questionnaire and interview as the research instruments to collect the data. The result showed that the students’ challenges in the use of mobile learning application encompassed technological constraints, linguistic barriers, pedagogical mismatches, socio-cultural nuances, and motivational factors unique to EFL learners. The result of this study is expected to inform the educators in choosing more accessible and responsive mobile learning apps based on the needs of EFL learners in academic settings.