Vocabulary on the go: A mobile app for Arabic learners

Zayed University in the UAE has developed a mobile vocabulary app that attempts to utilise some of the best features of existing apps all in one place, whilst at the same time taking into account the unique challenges facing... [ view full abstract ]

Zayed University in the UAE has developed a mobile vocabulary app that attempts to utilise some of the best features of existing apps all in one place, whilst at the same time taking into account the unique challenges facing Arab learners of English. It is based on sound pedagogical principles and aims to motivate learners to develop their knowledge and use of 2,600 restricted word families, including academic vocabulary, and their most frequent and useful collocations. My poster will focus on three main aspects of the app.

Firstly, it will describe what the app is and its overall structure and organisation. It will also explain some of the different stages and activities that learners complete. These are primarily based on the vocabulary learning principals of noticing, retrieval and generative use (Nation, 2013), as well as encoding and storing (Kihlstrom, 2013).

Secondly, it will describe how the app is used by students on the Academic Bridge Program (ABP) and how teachers can monitor progress.  

Finally, the poster will give some examples of how the vocabulary app is innovative. This is in terms of the elements of adaptive learning that have been incorporated into the app, including re-presentation of weak words and review quizzes. It is also in terms of the elements of gamification, which include mastery of stages to enable progression, point scoring and competition between users.

Participants will also receive a short demonstration of the app and try it out for themselves.  

I will present information about a purpose-built vocabulary app for Arab learners of English on a university foundation course in the United Arab Emirates. My poster will describe the organisation of the app, how students... [ view full abstract ]

I will present information about a purpose-built vocabulary app for Arab learners of English on a university foundation course in the United Arab Emirates. My poster will describe the organisation of the app, how students use it and the main innovations. I will also provide a demonstration of the app.