Bibliometric Analysis of Computer- and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: A Comprehensive Review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/callej.2526412

Keywords:

Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Mobile-Assisted Language Learning, Bibliometric Data, Citation Network, Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The development of Computer- and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (CMALL) has significantly transformed language education by enhancing learning methodologies.  This study employed bibliometric analysis to examine CMALL- related publications from 2004 to 2024 using the Scopus database, which includes 5,287 publications (4,542 focusing on CALL and 745 on MALL). The aim is to map publication trends, identify influential authors and institutions, analyze collaboration patterns, and explore thematic developments in the field. Using Boolean search techniques and filters to ensure relevance and quality, the analysis employs VOS viewer software to visualize co-authorship, citation, and keyword co-occurrence networks. The research findings are organized into three essential domains: publication trends, co-author collaboration, and citation networks. According to the analysis findings, the growing international research interest in CMALL has led to the USA and China emerging as primary contributors. Key thematic clusters include AI integration, mobile app-based instruction, cognitive approaches, and digital sustainability. A data-based assessment of CMALL’s development extensively examines its broad academic framework and worldwide significance. It also identifies research gaps and proposes directions for future studies at the intersection of language learning and educational technology.

Author Biographies

  • Tamilmani Kulamangalam Thiyagarajan, Nehru Memorial College, Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India

    Tamilmani Kulamangalam Thiyagarajan (Corresponding Author) is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of English at Nehru Memorial College, Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. With over three decades of teaching experience, he specializes in American Literature, Disability Studies, and English Language Teaching. He has published 45 research articles in journals indexed in the UGC-CARE List, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases.  He actively contributes to the academic community by serving as a resource person for professional development programs organized by the UGC-Human Resource Development Centre of Bharathidasan University and other institutions nationwide. He received the Best Teacher Award from the Rotary Club of Tirunelveli in 2020.

  • Sridheepika V S, Nehru Memorial College, Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India

    Sridheepika V S is a Research Scholar at Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous), Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. As an ardent scholar, she is driven by a strong passion for research and a deep commitment to scholarly excellence. Her intellectual curiosity and dedication have led her to publish several research articles across her areas of interest. With a keen desire to continuously explore and learn, she actively contributes to contemporary academic discussions and interdisciplinary research

  • Hariharasudan Anandhan, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, India

    Hariharasudan Anandhan's scholarly contributions, comprising over 59 research articles, have graced the pages of esteemed journals. In a crowning achievement, Stanford University and Elsevier have recognized the scholarly endeavors of Dr. A. Hariharasudan by listing me among the world's top 2% of scientists, a testament to my unwavering commitment to intellectual exploration. He had been given the covetable assignment of proofreader and language editor of the Polish Journal of Management Studies, working as a Guest Editor for Journal of International Women’s Studies, World Journal of English Language, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Education and Frontiers in Public Health and Editorial Board Member of Journal of Education and Learning, Forum for Linguistic Studies, Academic Editor and Editorial Board Member of PLOS ONE & Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Reviewer of various journals and serving as Scientific Committee Member of International Conferences. He also presented or participated in scores of research papers in a dozen venues, including Dubai, Bangkok, Malaysia, Poland and Vietnam, and served as session chair at international conferences.

  • Priyadarshini Muthukrishnan , INTI International University, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

    Priyadarshini Muthukrishnan is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of education, currently serving as a Senior Lecturer at INTI International University, Malaysia. With a Ph.D. in Education and over two decades of experience spanning school and higher education sectors, she has held multiple leadership roles, including Programme Leader for Diploma, B.Ed (Hons) TESL, and Ph.D. programs at reputed Malaysian universities. Her prolific research on teacher professional development, e-learning, educational psychology, and digital pedagogy is reflected in 23 SCOPUS-indexed publications, several research grants, and international collaborations. A seasoned supervisor and examiner for doctoral theses across institutions in India and Malaysia, she also contributes actively as an editorial board member, conference chair, and manuscript reviewer for leading journals

References

Ahsan, K., Akbar, S., Kam, B., & Abdulrahman, M. D. (2023). Implementation of micro-credentials in higher education: A systematic literature review. Education and Information Technologies, 28(10), 13505–13540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11739-z

Al Hebshi, A. A., & Gamlo, N. (2022). The effects of mobile game-based learning on Saudi EFL foundation year students’ vocabulary acquisition. Arab World English Journal, 13(1), 408- 425. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no1.27

Bakan, U., & Han, T. (2019). Research and trends in the field of social media from 2012 to 2016: A content analysis of studies in selected journals. Estudios Sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 25(1), 13–31. https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.63713

Biscaro, C., & Giupponi, C. (2014). Co-authorship and bibliographic coupling network effects on citations. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e99502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099502

Boţa-Avram, C. (2022). Bibliometric analysis of sustainable business performance: Where are we going? A science map of the field. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(1), 2137–2176. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677x.2022.2096094

Chen, J., Yuan, D., Dong, R., Cai, J., Ai, Z., & Zhou, S. (2024). Artificial intelligence significantly facilitates development in the mental health of college students: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1375294. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1375294

Chen, X., Zou, D., Cheng, G., & Xie, H. (2021). Artificial intelligence-assisted personalized language learning: Systematic review and co-citation analysis. In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE 21st International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) (pp. 137–141). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT52272.2021.00079

Cornillie, F., Thorne, S. L., & Desmet, P. (2012). Digital games for language learning: Challenges and opportunities. ReCALL, 24(3), 243–256. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344012000134

Dizon, G., & Gayed, J. M. (2021). Examining the impact of Grammarly on the quality of mobile L2 writing. JALT CALL Journal, 17(2), 74–92. https://doi.org/10.29140/jaltcall.v17n2.336

Drigas, A., & Charami, F. (2014). ICTs in English learning and teaching. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 2(4), 4–8. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijes.v2i4.4016

Gupta, N., Ali, K., Jiang, D., Fink, T., & Du, X. (2024). Beyond autonomy: Unpacking self-regulated and self-directed learning through the lens of learner agency- A scoping review. BMC Medical Education, 24, Article 1519. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06476-x

Fu, Q. (2018). Impacts of mobile technologies, systems, and resources on language learning: A systematic review of selected journal publications from 2007–2016. Knowledge Management & E-Learning, 10(4), 375–388. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2018.10.023

Hariharasudan, A., & Kot, S. (2024). Research trends in green human resource management: A comprehensive review of bibliometric data. In Green Human Resource Management, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7104-6_19

Han, Y. (2020). Connecting the past to the future of computer-assisted language learning: Theory, practice, and research. Issues and Trends in Learning Technologies, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_itlt_v8i1_han

Han, R., Lam, H. K., Zhan, Y., Wang, Y., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Tan, K. H. (2021). Artificial intelligence in business-to-business marketing: A bibliometric analysis of current research status, development, and future directions. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 121(12), 2467–2497. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-05-2021-0300

Herring, S. C., Stein, D., & Virtanen, T. (2013). Pragmatics of computer-mediated Communication. De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214468

Hinkelman, D. (2018). Evolution of blended learning. In Blended Learning in English Language Teaching (pp. 1–21). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53686-0_1

Iftikhar, A., Ali, I., Arslan, A., & Tarba, S. Y. (2022). Digital innovation, data analytics, and supply chain resiliency: A bibliometric-based systematic literature review. Annals of Operations Research, 333(2–3), 825–848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-022-04765-6

Intellectsoft. (2025). How AI improves the language learning experience. Intellectsoft Blog. https://www.intellectsoft.net/blog/how-ai-improves-the-language-learning-experience/

Kannan, J., & Munday, P. (2018). New trends in second language learning and teaching through the lens of ICT, networked learning, and artificial intelligence. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 76, 13–30. https://doi.org/10.5209/clac.62495

Li, Banban. (2023). Individual differences in computer-assisted language learning research [Review of the book Individual differences in computer-assisted language learning research]. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.38970

Liu, K. (2020). The trend of mobile-assisted language learning from 2014 to 2018. In Proceedings of the 2020 International Conference on Education, Culture and Management Innovation (ECEMI). Destech Publications. https://doi.org/10.12783/dtssehs/ecemi2020/34701

Martín-Martín, A., Orduna-Malea, E., Thelwall, M., & Delgado López-Cózar, E. (2018). Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus: A systematic comparison of citations in 252 subject categories. Journal of Informetrics, 12(4), 1160–1177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.09.002

Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 106(1), 213-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5

Mulyani, Y. P. (2021). The forty-year history of revenue management: Bibliometric analysis. OPSI, 14(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.31315/opsi.v14i1.4677

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Podsakoff, N. P., & Bachrach, D. G. (2008). Scholarly influence in the field of management: A bibliometric analysis of the determinants of university and author impact in the management literature in the past quarter century. Journal of Management, 34(4), 641–720. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308319533

Qian, K., & Tang, J. (2018). Researching mobile-assisted English language learning among adult distance learners in China. International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 8(3), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijcallt.2018070101

Schwienhorst, K. (2002). Why virtual, why environments? Implementing virtual reality concepts in computer-assisted language learning. Simulation & Gaming, 33(2), 196–209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878102332008

Shrestha, P. (2014). Innovations in learning technologies for English language teaching. System, 42, 474–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.12.016

Su, F., & Zou, D. (2020). Technology-enhanced collaborative language learning: Theoretical foundations, technologies, and implications. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(8), 1754–1788. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1831545

Tamilmani, K. T., & Nagalakshmi, R. (2019). Embedding technology in curriculum design and development. International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering, 8(7C2), 252–256. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3557543

Woo, J. H., & Choi, H. (2021). Systematic review for AI-based language learning tools. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2111.04455

Xi, H. (2018). Improving communicative competence through synchronous communication

in computer-supported collaborative learning environments: A systematic review. Education Sciences, 8(1), 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8010015

Xue, H., Dai, F., Liu, G., Cao, P., & Huang, B. (2021). Edge computing: A systematic Mapping study. In Proceedings of the 2021 IEEE International Conferences. IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/dasc-picom-cbdcom-cyberscitech52372.2021.00090

Yang, F., Wen, J., & Qi, L. (2020). Information and communication technology in English language education: A review and future research directions. In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Education and Multimedia Technology (ICEMT). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200306.134

Yazdi, A., Ramachandran, S., Mohsenifard, H., Nawaser, K., Sasani, F., & Gharleghi, B. (2024). The ebb and flow of brand loyalty: A 28-year bibliometric and content analysis. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2402.13177

Yang, J. (2013). Mobile-assisted language learning: Review of the recent applications of emerging mobile technologies. English Language Teaching, 6(7), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n7p19

Downloads

Published

2025-09-29

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 4 (2025): Special Issue GLoCALL 2024 Conference Papers

Section

Literature Review

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Author and CALL-EJ

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright of articles is retained by authors and CALL-EJ. As CALL-EJ is an open-access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. Sources must be acknowledged appropriately.

How to Cite

Bibliometric Analysis of Computer- and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning: A Comprehensive Review. (2025). Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 26(4), 232-257. https://doi.org/10.54855/callej.2526412