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Lifelong Learning on the Go: English Language Mobile Learning in China
Author(s) -
Kang Haijun,
Lin Xi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
new directions for adult and continuing education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1536-0717
pISSN - 1052-2891
DOI - 10.1002/ace.20325
Subject(s) - lifelong learning , affordance , adult education , language acquisition , mobile technology , mobile device , psychology , computer science , multimedia , pedagogy , mathematics education , world wide web , human–computer interaction
As China is playing an active role in the World's politics, economy, and cultural circles, being able to communicate in English has become one of the basic life and work skills and a key for global access and integration. High mobile technology penetration, together with the proliferation of mobile learning applications, have made it possible for Chinese adult learners to learn English on the go. Mobile technology's core features including portability, instant power‐on, on‐demand, and the ability to accommodate multimodal learning styles and preferences are accounted for to describe mobile learning apps’ affordances for lifelong adult learners’ English learning. Four popular English language learning apps, are compared to illustrate how Chinese lifelong adult learners are learning English on the go.