Investigating gender and experience effects on EFL learners' perceptions of Mobile assisted language learning

Mobile assisted language learning(MALL) has been widely used by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to enhance their language learning experience. Although previous studies investigated various factors impacting learners’ perceptions towards MALL and its usefulness, the role of demographic features and the extent to which they influence learners' perceptions toward MALL has been under-researched. Accordingly, this study examined the impact of experience and gender on learners' perceptions of MALL and their perceived MALL usefulness. Data were collected from 190 EFL learners attending English language learning courses in the educational context of Iran. Univariate analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA) was employed to analyze the data. As the results indicated, there was a significant relationship between the experience of the language learners and their perceptions of MALL usefulness. More precisely, the more the learners' were experienced in using smartphones for language learning, the more positive their perceptions of MALL's usefulness would be. The study's results were analyzed in the light of the available literature, and suggestions for further research were provided.