Research On The Application Of Mobile Micro-learning In English Vocabulary Learning Of Vocational College Students

With the popularity of mobile phone,research on mobile learning has become a heated issue.Both domestic and overseas scholars generally believe that the combination of mobile learning and language teaching has great potential for language teaching and learning.Also,this can make up for the current disadvantages of vocational college English teaching for lack of new learning methods and inadequate personalized learning material.As a requisite part of college English learning,using mobile learning to help students learn vocabulary is becoming more and more common.Since learning English vocabulary with the help of mobile micro-learning is a new area for college instructors and students,according to current literature there are still many issues waiting for solutions.Therefore,this study has both theoretical and practical significance.This study used a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to examine the following 5 research questions:(1)What are the students' attitudes and perceptions towards learning college English vocabulary?(2)Do students prefer to learn English vocabulary in the mobile way in comparison with the traditional paper-printed way? And why?(3)Are there any differences in the vocabulary effectiveness in paper-printed way and mobile micro-learning?(4)What are the correlations between students' vocabulary learning results and their learning time on mobile micro-learning?(5)What do students suggest for improvement of mobile micro-learning? The sample used in this study was 125 freshmen from a vocational college in Yunnan Province.Its research tools include both questionnaire survey and interview.The questionnaire consists of four factors: current English vocabulary learning situation among college students,students' perception to the importance of English vocabulary and vocabulary learning methods,and students' suggestions about mobile micro-learning improvements.The first-hand interview information and survey data were collected and analyzed with SPSS 22.0.The results of data analysis from questionnaires and experiment indicate:(1)More than 90% respondents think that learn English vocabulary is very important in the process of language learning specially in improving reading proficiency;but more than half of the respondents agree that forgetting English vocabulary quickly is the biggest obstacle regarding vocabulary learning;(2)The mean scores of students' attitudes on smart-phone learning APP were significantly higher than that of students' attitudes on paper-printed vocabulary learning material;(3)Vocabulary test score from the students using smart-phone learning APP were higher than those using paper-printed learning material;(4)Mobile micro-learning time has correlation with vocabulary learning effectiveness;(5)Most respondents propose that the college should provide free Wi-Fi and that APP designers should enrich and optimize learning resources,learners must cultivate the awareness of mobile micro-learning.Based on the results of data analysis,the conclusions of this study are as follows:(1)Vocabulary learning is indispensable and important in the process of language learning but learning vocabulary effectively and efficiently has always been a big obstacle for vocational college students.College English teaching should attach importance to vocabulary learning and students ought to concentrate on vocabulary storage and application;(2)Since smart-phone has gained popularity among college students,coupled with the unique advantageous traits of mobile micro-learning,college students using mobile micro-learning can benefit a lot in their language learning.This new learning method can not only improve learning effectiveness but also motivate students to learn English;(3)Based on the learning effects,teachers can combine the traditional method with mobile micro-learning in English instruction;(4)Students should invest more time in mobile micro-learning;(5)In view of the current deficiency of the method,APP designers,college and students should make joint efforts to ameliorate this new vocabulary learning way.