User evaluation of the busuu language learning app

Fernando Rosell-Aguilar @FRosellAguilar

School of Languages and applied linguisticsThe Open University

Overview

• Apps for language learning • Survey• Results• Final thoughts

Apps for language learning• New market since 2007 (iPhone) + iPad 2010• “Game changer” (Goodwin-Jones, 2001)

– Functionalities– Competitors followed (Android, Windows...)

• 100 billion apps downloaded by 2015• Potential for ubiquitous learning opportunities, ease of

use, collaborative potential, content access, productivity (Murphy, 2011)

• Fits with constructivism; use of authentic materials; informal and lifelong learning; learning objects; CALL; MALL theories and practices of just in time teaching.

Apps for language learning• “Super powers” (Sweeney & Moore, 2012)

– Screen size– touch screen– enhanced text entry– high-quality image, audio and video playback, recording, editing and

sharing– voice recognition– storage– Fast connectivity– Geolocation– Bluetooth connection(Goodwin-Jones, 2011)

Apps for language learning• Research:

Wide ownership, enjoyable (Khaddage & Latemann, 2013) Some indications of language learning improvement:– Reading (McLanahan et al, 2012; Harmon, 2012)– Listening (Lys, 2013, Kim, 2013)– Vocabulary (Yildiz, 2012)– Verb conjugation (Castañeda & Cho, 2013)– Character writing (Shinagawa, 2014, Rosell-Aguilar & Kan, 2015)

Research questions

• Who uses the busuu app? What for? How do they use it?

• What do users think of the busuu app? What features do they like best / least?

• Do users think that using the app has improved their knowledge and use of the language(s) they are learning? Which skills do they think they have improved most?

Survey

• 30 questions• 2 languages • Open for 3 weeks in May 2016• Distributed through in-app message• 4095 respondents (2265 English / 1830 Spanish)• First large-scale survey of independent app

users

Respondents

Respondents

Respondents

Use

Use

Use

Use

Use

Use

Expectations

Expectations

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion

Premium

Premium

Premium

Assessment

They want more!

Final thoughts

• Very positive views of using the app as conducive to LL• Some formal use with planned sessions• Positive evaluation of automated feedback• Speaking practice is most wished-for but...• devices offer interaction• other apps offer different options• Is a dashboard the future?

Questions? Comments?

@FRosell-Aguilar

Fernando.Rosell-Aguilar@open.ac.uk

Thank you!¡Gracias!