Engaging Learners with Personalised T-mall: Designing the Action Plan

Abstract

This paper relates the designing phase of a tablet mobile assisted language learning (t-MALL) environment targeting to increase the learners’ engagement in the foreign language classroom through the inclusion of personalised and customised learning. Customising the students’ access to learning material and support was expected to increase the students’ exposure to the target language through personalized learning content and tools. The implementation of the t-MALL classroom sought to provide the students with a caring, supportive and learner-centred environment which could sustain their engagement during class activities. Therefore, in the designing phase, a critical review of the t-MALL literature was performed in order to compile existing theoretical and methodological concepts and recommendations pertaining to the integration of personal tablet computers in foreign language tertiary education. This article highlights the research gaps as well as the contributions from the critical review then explains the development of the action plan towards the implementation of tablet computers in the immersive language classroom.