Usage and Acceptance of Mobile Devices for English Language Learning by Vietnamese Teenagers

Abstract

Teenagers all over the world are living in a digitalized society with extensive exposure to digital technology. Their attitudes towards and behavior in using digital technology and devices for learning have become a subject of studies over the past decades. This quantitative study adopted the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to examine Vietnamese teenagers' usage and acceptance of mobile devices for language learning. Survey data from 655 school and university students were analyzed by independent sample t-tests and the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. Findings revealed that teenagers used mobile devices more for entertainment and information search than for online learning, and there were statistical differences between school and university, rural and urban, English and non- English majors in their usage of mobile devices (mainly smartphones) for online learning. Results of the PLS-SEM analysis indicated that the total effects of all paths to attitude towards use were positive, implying that all relationships in the proposed model explained students' attitudes on the use of mobile devices for English language learning. The study findings offer useful implications for teachers and software designers in promoting the use of mobile devices for English language learning in Vietnam.