Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is the next step for language learning wherein learners will not

need to sit in a classroom or in front of a computer to get learning materials (Miangah & Nezarat, 2012). As
mobile technologies are growing and attracting more and more types of consumers, its use has spread into
more areas. It now influences cultural practices and allows new kinds of learning (Pachler et al., 2010 as cited
in Gronlund & Viberg, 2012).
The main advantage of MALL is its portability. As Yamaguchi (2005) states, "A computer is better than a
mobile phone for handling various types of information such as visual, sound, and textual information, but
mobile phone is superior to a computer in portability. And some students don’t have their own computer". Due
to this characteristic, mobile learning has gotten more attention from scholars and researchers. However,
educators are more gradual at introducing mobile learning since they need to understand how it can be
effectively used in various kinds of learning (Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008)
Mobile learning and its sub area MALL have been changing the landscape of technology -led language
learning. Thus, this research aims to study the effects of using a mobile phone application as a supplementary
tool for learning on Japanese students who are studying for the Test of English for International
Communication (TOEIC). It mainly focuses on the reading comprehension and the testing skills of the learners.
Currently, Japanese have the lowest TOEFL score in Asia (Yamaoka, 2009) and more and more Japanese are
venturing into foreign countries with the desire to learn English. Philippines offers English education at a
cheaper price than foreign countries which makes it attractive for foreign learners. For ESL instructors, it is a
challenge to find new techniques to make students learn better and easier. Mobile Assisted Language
Learning might just be one of the new emerging techniques which will be efficient for learners.

Methodology

This study uses the descriptive research using the case study approach. The case study method has the
ability to examine an in depth “case” within its “real life context” (Yin, 2004). As stated by Shavelson and
Townes (2002, pp. 99-106 as cited in Yin, 2004) the case study method is pertinent when the research
answers either a descriptive question (what happened?) or an explanatory question (how or why did
something happen?).
For this research, 5 Japanese respondents were selected. There were 4 males and 1 female with ages rangin g
from 20-28. All of them were students in an ESL school in Cebu City. They all take the TOEIC test with scores
between 600-800. They speak Japanese as their first language and studied English when they were in junior
high school.
They were asked to use an application named English Reading Comprehension which is exclusively
downloaded from the Appstore. The application aims “to improve vocabulary, grammar, and logical thought
ability” and currently receives a rating of 4 stars in the Appstore. It includes: English Reading Comprehension
(~ 330 lessons) - TOEFL Reading Comprehension (~185 lessons) - TOEIC Reading Comprehension (~ 64
lessons). The entire number of lessons can only be accessed if it is bought but there are free lessons in each
part. The English Reading Comprehension application has 28 free lessons, TOEFL Reading Comprehension
has 25, and, TOEIC Reading Comprehension has 10. Each student was given instructions to use the free
lessons from the sections in the application for at least 20 hours and answer as much as they can. All the
lessons had articles or texts followed by different questions related to the article or text. Since the format of
the contents in each part was very similar to the real TOEIC test, the application was selected by the
researcher. The students were not limited to only answering the TOEIC test because of this reason.
After using the application for more or less 20 hours, each student was given an interview about their
experience with the application. The questions were as follows but were not limited to: What is your general
impression of the application? What are its advantages and disadvantages? How useful was it for you? What
can you say about its feedback system? How difficult was it? How long did you use it? Would you r ecommend
it to your friends? Do you have suggestions to the developers?

Findings and Discussions

Reading practices can help students improve their vocabulary and vocabulary knowledge can enhance their
reading comprehension (Chen, C. M. & S.-H. Hsu, 2008). The texts and articles found in the application are
emails, historical articles, pieces about famous people from all over the world, etc. Basically, the texts were
varied and used a wide range of vocabulary. For the students who used the application, th ey were able to
encounter plenty of new and difficult vocabulary words that tested their skill level. This was the consistent
general impression that was given on the application.
Usefulness
There were mixed opinions on whether the application was useful or not. 3 out 5 students thought that it was.
One student said it was not useful and another student said that it could have been useful if he had reviewed
about the unknown words. Everyone agreed though that there were many new words in the application. As
Student A claims, “I could know that my vocabulary is so poor. That’s a good point. I realized I must study
more.”
Student B said that, “the amount of English read is important to our English skill. I can be used to English
more.” For her, the application provides practice in order to familiarize herself more with the English language.

Another advantage that the students stressed is its portability. In a statement Student C delivered, “This
application is played using an Apple device so I don’t nee d to prepare notebook or textbook; it is a portable
studying material. Since it is a free application, it is good”. The application can also be used offline and it is
easy to operate. This finding validates the study of Huang et al. (2012) that the many ad vantages of mobile
learning is its flexibility, low cost, small size and user-friendliness.
As to its similarities with the real TOEIC test, 4 out 5 students claimed that it is similar to the exam. They
pointed out that using the application helped them get used to the TOEIC test. According to Student B, “It
helped with TOEIC, especially in the Reading Comprehension section. If I take the TOEIC again, I will use it.”
For Student D, “It helped me in my TOEIC, not only in the vocabularies but also it is a tr aining for me to
answer the TOEIC exam since I couldn’t read long articles before I came here. Now I can read long articles.”
When the interview was done, the students just finished taking their TOEIC test. Usually when the exam date
is near, students at this school lessen the number of their classes with their teachers and do plenty of self -
studying as promoted by the management. During this period, they said they used the application and it
provided a change of pace from the normal studying routine they make with their books and notebooks.

Feedback System
When each lesson is completed, a summary of the answers in all the questions are shown. After which, there
will be a rating of at most five stars depending on the performance of the application user. F or Student C, “It is
good that I can see my rating right after I finish answering one lesson.” He also added that, “If I get three stars,
I feel that I need to study more”.
Other students supported Student C. According to Student D, “If I get 5 stars after playing the application, I
thought, “I am smart!” If I get 2 stars, I feel so sad. Especially in lesson 1 in the TOEIC reading
comprehension, I cannot understand so many words that is why I could not understand the article. But
because I cannot understand some words, I have to look it up in the dictionary and then I will learn.” The same
sentiments were expressed by the rest of the students.
The positive attitude toward the feedback system of the application shows that it is important for the learners
to know right away where they stand in the lessons of the application. It encourages the learners to work
harder in each lesson they answer. This indicates that English reading accompanied with unfamiliar
vocabulary learning and self-assessing feedback is influential in developing the reading comprehension and
reading abilities of the learners (Chen & Hsu, 2008).

Disadvantages
All of the respondents pointed out that there were spelling and grammatical mistakes in the application. Also,
according to Student B, she would have wanted the application to be more interactive with more graphics
added like an “avatar” that would show the development of the user. She added that “a zoom function would
be nice because it can’t be expanded.” For her, people who have bad eyesight would have difficulty in seeing
and reading the paragraphs in such a small screen without the zoom function. These statements prove the
study of Albers & Kim (2001) about the disadvantages of mobile learning which are small screen size and
limited presentation of graphics.
Difficulty
The students were asked about the difficulty level of the lessons and the common answer was that it depends
on the lesson. In each section there are some difficult parts and other parts are also so easy for them. The
average time for them to finish one lesson was 5 minutes, despite the difficulty. Student B took the initiative to
time herself while answering each lesson because according to her, the real TOEIC test has a timer. Because
of this habit, she was able to know that her reading and answering speed became faster with the help of the
application.
Conclusion
Using mobile learning and applications to teach a second or foreign language is still a new territory for Filipino
teachers. Especially in the Philippines, there are many limitations to the use of gadgets in assisting language
learning, like the dependence on networks that may not have a reliable high transmission capacity and may be
subject to various kinds of disturbances (Gronlund & Viberg, 2012). However, this shouldn’t discourage
teachers to slowly introduce this new trend.
As shown in this study, the application English Reading Comprehension is an effective tool for Mobile Assisted
Language Learning (MALL). The Japanese students who had the opportunity to use the application stated that
despite its shortcomings, they would recommend it to other students who are also taking TOEIC or those who
want to improve their reading comprehension skill. Even though the study was done on Japanese students,
language teachers all over the world can benefit from this knowledge. With the large number of free
applications available in the market, there are ample choices from which teachers can choose the best
application to fit their students’ needs. However, since this field is still under development it is b est for
teachers to be careful on which applications to introduce to their learners. In this study, the application was
proven useful as a supplement. It may not have the same results if it was used as the main method of
teaching.
The future brings a lot of opportunities for the growth of new methods in language learning. As for MALL, it
would be beneficial to analyze the interconnection between individuals’ learning strategies, learning styles,
and use of mobile technology. Knowledge on these aspects would be beneficial not only for learners and
educators but also for system developers (Gronlund & Viberg, 2012).