Purpose:Mobile-assisted language learning(MALL)apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners'motivation to learn a second language(L2).However,little research has investigated how this motivati...Purpose:Mobile-assisted language learning(MALL)apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners'motivation to learn a second language(L2).However,little research has investigated how this motivational impact takes place.Additionally,despite the flexibility of mobile learning,most existing studies are conducted in classroom settings,with less attention paid to out-of-school technology usage.Design/Approach/Methods:To address these gaps,we present a model based on self-determination theory and propose the idea of“motivational transfer”to explain the psychological mechanism underpinning the impact of technology.To examine the model,we conducted a case study with 20 Year 8 Chinese junior school students who used Duolingo to learn English as a foreign language(EFL)after school for 6 weeks.Findings:Questionnaire and group interview data support our hypothesized mechanism:learners'activity-specific intrinsic motivation(IM)for using Duolingo and their underlying psychological need for autonomy and competence can be transferred to a more general level,thereby enhancing learners'global IMforL2.OriginalityValue:The proposed theoretical model expands our understanding of how digital technology stimulates learners'L2 motivation;it can help L2 educators design better technological affordances to promote learners'motivation both in and outside the classroom.展开更多
基金the China Scholarship Council(Grant No.202006380078)。
文摘Purpose:Mobile-assisted language learning(MALL)apps such as Duolingo have great potential for promoting learners'motivation to learn a second language(L2).However,little research has investigated how this motivational impact takes place.Additionally,despite the flexibility of mobile learning,most existing studies are conducted in classroom settings,with less attention paid to out-of-school technology usage.Design/Approach/Methods:To address these gaps,we present a model based on self-determination theory and propose the idea of“motivational transfer”to explain the psychological mechanism underpinning the impact of technology.To examine the model,we conducted a case study with 20 Year 8 Chinese junior school students who used Duolingo to learn English as a foreign language(EFL)after school for 6 weeks.Findings:Questionnaire and group interview data support our hypothesized mechanism:learners'activity-specific intrinsic motivation(IM)for using Duolingo and their underlying psychological need for autonomy and competence can be transferred to a more general level,thereby enhancing learners'global IMforL2.OriginalityValue:The proposed theoretical model expands our understanding of how digital technology stimulates learners'L2 motivation;it can help L2 educators design better technological affordances to promote learners'motivation both in and outside the classroom.
