Do Language Learning Apps Really Work?

Research Article
Open access

Do Language Learning Apps Really Work?

Zidi Zhang 1*
  • 1 College of Arts and Sciences, New York University, New York, 10003, United States    
  • *corresponding author zz3129@nyu.edu
CHR Vol.3
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-915371-29-4
ISBN (Online): 978-1-915371-30-0

Abstract

With the rapid development of the mobile application market and the growing size of the foreign language learning population, learning a new language with an app can be said to be one of the most popular language-learning trends of the 21st century. At the same time, contemporary language learning applications sell themselves as innovations, in many ways that are just a return to Skinner's teaching machines as introduced in the 1950s. Technology is the 21st century, but the theories of learning are firmly 20th century. App designers must catch up to 21st-century theories of learning if they genuinely want to introduce ground-breaking tools. This work mainly analyzes why we will not make as much progress as we expected if we continue to pair 21st-century technologies with outmoded perspectives on learning and what are the up-to-date theories that will help make fundamental transformations in language learning applications.

Keywords:

language acquisition, mobile apps, behaviorism, language learning application

Zhang,Z. (2023). Do Language Learning Apps Really Work?. Communications in Humanities Research,3,673-678.
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References

[1]. Skinner, B. F. ( 1954). The science of learning and the art of teaching. Harvard Educational Review, 24, 145- 157.

[2]. Gandhi, D. (2010). Thorndike's laws of learning and its educational implications. Dgwaymade.blogspot.com. Retrieved 30 June 2022, from http://dgwaymade.blogspot.com/2010/10/thorndikes-laws-of-learning-and-its.html

[3]. Duckworth, E. (2014). Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning. Teachers College Press.

[4]. Hein, G.E. ( 1995). The Constructivist Museum. CECA (International Committee of Museum Educators) Conference Jerusalem Israel

[5]. Meyer, S. ( 1993). Refusing to Play the Confidence Game: The Illusion of Mastery in the Reading/Writing of Texts. Colege English, 55( 1), 46. https://doi.org/10.2307/378364

[6]. Lightfoot D. (2010). Language acquisition and language change. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science, 1(5), 677–684. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.39

[7]. Krashen, S., & Terrell, T. ( 1995). The natural approach. Phoenix

[8]. Wertsch, J. ( 1985). Culture communication, and cognition. Cambridge University Press.

[9]. Hill, J., & Bjork, C. Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners Participant's Workbook.

[10]. Allen, V., & Allen, E. ( 1985). Story Retelling: Developmental Stages IN Second-Language Acquisition. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 41(4), 686-691. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.41.4.686

Cite this article

Zhang,Z. (2023). Do Language Learning Apps Really Work?. Communications in Humanities Research,3,673-678.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies (ICIHCS 2022), Part 1

ISBN：978-1-915371-29-4(Print) / 978-1-915371-30-0(Online)
Editor：Faraz Ali Bughio, David T. Mitchell
Conference website: https://www.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 18 December 2022
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.3
ISSN：2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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References

[1]. Skinner, B. F. ( 1954). The science of learning and the art of teaching. Harvard Educational Review, 24, 145- 157.

[2]. Gandhi, D. (2010). Thorndike's laws of learning and its educational implications. Dgwaymade.blogspot.com. Retrieved 30 June 2022, from http://dgwaymade.blogspot.com/2010/10/thorndikes-laws-of-learning-and-its.html

[3]. Duckworth, E. (2014). Having of Wonderful Ideas and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning. Teachers College Press.

[4]. Hein, G.E. ( 1995). The Constructivist Museum. CECA (International Committee of Museum Educators) Conference Jerusalem Israel

[5]. Meyer, S. ( 1993). Refusing to Play the Confidence Game: The Illusion of Mastery in the Reading/Writing of Texts. Colege English, 55( 1), 46. https://doi.org/10.2307/378364

[6]. Lightfoot D. (2010). Language acquisition and language change. Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science, 1(5), 677–684. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.39

[7]. Krashen, S., & Terrell, T. ( 1995). The natural approach. Phoenix

[8]. Wertsch, J. ( 1985). Culture communication, and cognition. Cambridge University Press.

[9]. Hill, J., & Bjork, C. Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners Participant's Workbook.

[10]. Allen, V., & Allen, E. ( 1985). Story Retelling: Developmental Stages IN Second-Language Acquisition. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 41(4), 686-691. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.41.4.686

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