This subject is structured so that the student will obtain an understanding of MALL from two different and complementary perspectives: a theoretical one, reflecting the state of the art of the discipline, and a practical one, illustrating the currently available range of apps and functionalities of mobile devices. To be specific, by the end of the semester a student will have obtained the following results:
At a theoretical level: the student will have a general knowledge of the history and trajectory of this field since its very beginning and the theoretical models that underpin the application of MALL both within and outside of the language classroom. The results obtained from these different approaches will also be understood by the student in terms of the development of communicative and linguistic competences and the characteristics of the underlying mobile devices.
At a practical level: the student will have gained experience of installing and experimenting with a representative sample of mobile apps and tools for learning languages together with their didactic possibilities in a formal and/or non-formal learning environment. Furthermore, a range of apps will be used that reflect the different ways in which mobile technology can be used: individually, accessing both local and online resources, collaboratively, sharing information artefacts online, and socially, where groups of people network around common themes.
