Mobile App Review

Language Learning Mobile App Review

For my summer course in CALL we are taking some time to explore the mobile apps currently available for language learners and choosing one to evaluate. Allow me to begin my review with my rationale for selecting this particular app. As a language learner I’ve often used study materials that were aimed at helping native speakers of English learn a foreign language. So, for this review I decided to turn the tables around and instead look for an English-language app designed for native speakers of Japanese, as most of my experience teaching ELLs has been with Japanese students.

One of the first results I discovered in the iTunes App Store was an app designed specifically for helping Japanese ELLs learn conversational American English. It seemed interesting and relevant enough to my search criteria that I downloaded it and gave it a try, but to be perfectly honest I don’t believe I would recommend this app to either language learners or instructors. However, while I think that I could have continued searching for a more appropriate app for Japanese ELLs to review for this assignment, I decided to stick with my original choice to further explore why exactly I felt this app wouldn’t be a wise choice for English language study. For this reason, I decided to comment on each of the 15 parts of this evaluation, so the overall evaluation ended up much lengthier than I had hoped. However, I feel that this evaluation turned out to be a very valuable experience for me as an aspiring language educator.

App information

Title: Standard American English With Full Text Japanese Dictionary Free HD (https://itunes.apple.com/app/biao-zhunamerika-rennoyouni/id552695264?mt=8)

Place to download: iTunes App Store

Price: Free for first 5 “books,” $2.99 for full version without ads

Last update: March 16, 2015

Version: 5.5

Size: 54.7 MB

Publisher/Developer: Li Yang

Target audience: upper-intermediate to advanced Japanese learners of English

Language skills: Conversational English, American English idiomatic phrases and colloquialisms, vocabulary, culture

App Evaluation

1. Purpose:
Is the purpose of the app clear? Is the content of the app in line with its purpose? Is the app appropriate for its target learner?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

This app has a very specific focus: helping upper-intermediate to advanced Japanese ELLs gain additional exposure to and understanding of colloquial American English. The app doesn’t allow users much freedom to customize the content or difficulty level of the material presented, but I think that for these particular individuals this app does a satisfactory job of fulfilling its purpose.

2. Accuracy:
Is the content of the app accurate? Are spelling and grammar accurate? Are the learning materials of the app culturally accurate?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

This was a difficult rating for me to assign; while the language that composes each “book” sounds very natural and includes many commonly used American colloquialisms, some of the spelling and grammar used in other parts of the program is startlingly incorrect. For example, right when the program first launched a menu with instructions popped up on my screen. In this instruction menu was the line, “1. How to consult dictionary? While reading, you get some word you wanna look up, simply press on the word <press for longer than one second>, and then you’ll see related annotations and usage of the word in pop up.” Since this is an app designed for Japanese ELLS, I was surprised that the user instructions were in English only, and on top of that the English used was awkward and incorrect.

I also spotted a few more issues with punctuation and grammar in other areas of the app as well:

- In the dictionary there are random entries that are capitalized, such as “Acts” and “Congratulations.” Though this isn’t a big deal, it could lead an ELL to believe that these words are always meant to be capitalized.

- Dictionary sample sentences also contain some inappropriate punctuation. Periods and commas are often separated from words with an additional space (e.g. “Try again .”). Also, the punctuation for the Japanese sentences in the “books” section is occasionally missing or incorrect as well.

- In the dictionary entries there are some awkward or even incorrect sample sentences (e.g. “It is as large again as that.”).

- Additionally, there are some spelling errors in the sample sentences (e.g. “So you want a rise? Dream on!”).

- Finally, while the sample sentences for some entries include other forms of the same word (e.g. “work” might also have sentences using the words “works,” “worked,” or “working”), there are some sample sentences with similarly spelled yet semantically unrelated words (e.g. the entry for “evens” includes a sample sentence for the word “evening”).

That being said, the idiomatic phrases used in the dialog activities are quite numerous and very common in everyday American English. Therefore, while the app is not always accurate with its spelling or grammar, I feel that it is very culturally accurate. I therefore gave this a neutral accuracy rating overall.

3. Usefulness:
Is the app useful for learning the target language? Does the app provide useful information? Are the activities or tasks of the app practical?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

The information presented in the app seems relevant and useful for the particular set of learners it’s targeting (upper-intermediate to advanced learners of English looking to learn natural American English slang and colloquialisms). The dialogs presented in the “books” sound very natural and the conversations concern everyday issues in relevant contexts (e.g. family members discussing a student’s day at school, a couple discussing their day at work, etc.). However, while a lot of great information is presented in the dialogs and the dictionary feature is quite extensive and informative, the tasks for the users to complete do not seem very helpful. Though there are cloze tests available for students to practice the idiomatic phrases encountered in the dialogs, there is little else for the user to do to in this app to help them gain a clearer understanding of when and where it’s appropriate to use the idiomatic phrases.

4. Flexibility:
Does the app allow the user to adjust settings to meet his/her needs? Does the app offer various modes of learning activities? Does the app provide opportunities to collaborate with others?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

Perhaps my favorite feature of the app is the ability for the user to change the speed of the audio. This provides the user with some sort of ability to control the information being presented in order to better accommodate their listening skills. Users are also able to add and remove words from their personal word list to keep track of difficult or unfamiliar terms. However, this is about as far as customization goes; the only interactive activity available are cloze tests with very few options, and there is no sort of online feature for users to communicate or collaborate with other users.

5. Authenticity:
Does the app provide authentic learning experiences? Are the learning materials of the app authentic? Are authentic materials provided in appropriate contexts?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

As we discussed in class, “CALL task authenticity can be estimated by taking into account the learners’ perceptions” (Chapelle & Liu, 2007, p. 121), which conversely means that it’s difficult to judge an app’s authenticity without knowing the particular learners for whom I’m evaluating this program. However, I certainly feel that learners would potentially see the content presented in the lessons as authentic since the audio sounds very natural, the content presents realistic conversational contexts, and the colloquialisms presented in the dialogs are ones that many learners would encounter when speaking to native English speakers in the United States. However, while the content might appear authentic for ELLs, I feel that the tasks presented would not come across as such. The sentences in the cloze exercises are presented out of context from the lessons in which they are introduced and the tests therefore feel very much like those one might encounter in a classroom during a pen-and-paper examination.

6. Engagement:
Is the user motivated to use the app? Does the app provide reinforcement to hold the interest of the user? Does the app offer a meaningful and interactive learning environment?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

Sadly, while the information presented in this app would be interesting for an advanced learner who is trying to learn more about American idiomatic phrases and everyday speech, it’s not very engaging otherwise. Users can only read and listen to the dialogs without any other ability to interact with the program (such as by being prompted to repeat each line into the speaker for practice). Additionally, the tests are not particularly rewarding. Users choose how many questions they want to answer when they start a test, but the questions are not influenced by what content the user has or has not yet covered in the app, and users are not given any other options regarding the content of the test’s cloze activities. The user therefore has no control over what colloquialisms and vocabulary they will be tested on. Students are able to check their responses immediately after the test and they have the option to consult the dictionary entries of words they missed or to add words to their unknown word list, but otherwise their test information is lost immediately after they’ve finished. There is no feature to track their scores or their progress in the program. Also, I know that some apps (such as Duolingo) have features that keep track of how often users access the program, and even send out reminders if users neglect to use the program for a certain amount of time. This app has no such feature.

7. Feedback:
Does the app provide specific feedback? Is feedback on learner responses constructive and timely? Is error handling meaningful and helpful? Does the app allow the user to monitor his/her progress? Does the app provide a summary of learner performance?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

Though I feel a bit harsh for assigning a “very unsatisfactory” rating here, I feel that meaningful feedback is one of the most necessary and important features an app can have, and I sadly feel that this particular app leaves much to be desired. When students answer on the cloze tests items they are given little feedback aside from a green checkmark for correct answers and a red “X” for incorrect answers. At the end of the test, students are then given the option to access the dictionary pages for the vocabulary terms that formed the correct sentences in the test. However, there is no mention of which vocabulary word the learner originally chose for the question, nor is there any description why one answer is a better choice than the others.  The program also does not keep track of the student’s test results or progress, leaving students helpless to track their own progress within the app. This sadly does nothing to help cultivate student autonomy, as be nowadays “individual programs can track not only how learners did on tests, but also how they worked through material, including how long they spent on individual items, words they looked up, help they requested, and guesses they made while doing an exercise” (Healy, 2007, p. 382). This app could therefore have provided so much more feedback for the users, so I unfortunately had to give it a very unsatisfactory review.

8. Integration:
Can the learning materials of the app be integrated into a curriculum? Does the content of the app fit with curricular goals? Is the content of the app relevant to the course of study undertaken by the user?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

I feel that this app could be used as supplementary material for a course in conversational English, particularly if the students or the instructor were searching for an app to provide additional exposure to colloquial American English in particular. However, because of the language errors I mentioned in question 2 regarding accuracy, the instructor would need to carefully consider whether or not the relevant material presented in this app is worth also exposing learners to the inaccurate material. I could see the dialogs in this app being beneficial to Japanese ELLs who are having difficulties understanding how certain idiomatic phrases are used in everyday American English conversation, but integrating this app as a whole into a course could be a difficult task because of its errors.

9. Support:
Is user assistance available? Is online help adequate? Does the app provide necessary updates?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

The app has been updated within the last couple of months, so it appears that the creators are continuing to work on this app. There is also a substantial amount of information about the app in the “Help” section, and it’s set up like an FAQ so that it’s easy to find answers to some common questions that might arise while using the app. However, while the creator provides his email address for users who wish to contact him, there is no other sort of online support or contact information available.

10. Price:
Is the app free? Is the app paid? Is the price of the app appropriate and reasonable? Is the app a value for money and time?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

Since I was putting myself in the shoes of a learner when selecting my app for this review, I was immediately drawn to those that provide at least a portion of the app for free. I’m generally not willing to spend money on an app unless I’ve had a chance to try it for myself to ensure that it’s a.) worth the money and memory it costs and b.) something I would regularly take advantage of if it were on my mobile device. Personally, while I enjoyed working through the five free “books,” I think I would shop around more before purchasing the full app. In particular, the app’s spelling and grammatical mistakes lead me to believe that it might be worth my time to search for more polished, professional options over this particular app. However, I do think that the relatively low price of $2.99 is a good value for Japanese ELLs who have a particular interest in understanding, practicing, and using colloquial American English phrases.

11. Reliability:
Is the app free of bugs and breaks? Is the app stable without crashes? Does the app load quickly?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

I have never had the app crash on me, nor have I encountered any difficulty loading the program. There are unfortunately a lot of ads that pop up during screen transitions, and these have slowed down my progress using the app as some ads will not allow the user to close them until at least 5 seconds have elapsed. However, I would imagine that if a user were to purchase the ad-free full version of this program, there would be few, if any, problems encountered with its reliability.

12. Presentation:
Is the content of the app presented clearly and logically? Is the user interface of the app attractive and friendly? Are screen displays effective and efficient?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

I feel that the app has a clear layout and the text is easy to read. Though I’ve already mentioned that some content could be added to make the content easier to understand (such as presenting the name of the speaker in conjunction with their spoken dialog in the “books”), I do feel that overall this app presents a logical layout with few distracting features, save perhaps the advertising.

13. Organization:
Is the app well organized? Is the content of the app well structured? Is the app interesting to look around?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

While I wouldn’t say that this app is particularly interesting to look at, it’s got a simple, logical layout that’s easy to navigate.

14. Navigation:
Is the app easy to navigate? Are the on-screen instructions of the app easy to follow? Is it easy to retrieve information? Does the app use the touch screen effectively to explore?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

This is a fairly simple app with a fairly simple layout, so navigation seemed quite easy and user-friendly. The app’s basic instructions pop up the first time the program is launched, and more detailed instructions are also available to the user at any time in the “help” section listed under the “more” tab on the menu at the bottom of the screen. The other tabs (for the books, dictionary, personal word list, and tests) are always on display and easy to access, so at no time was it hard to get from one part of the app to another. My only problem with navigation would be the button used to open the options menu in the lessons (or “books”). While I never encountered any problems with the touch screen technology, the button was small and difficult to notice when I first started using the program.

15. Multimedia:
Does the app make effective use of graphics, sound and color? Is the level of audio quality, the scale of graphics or video display appropriate for language learning?

Very Unsatisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Neutral/Uncertain | Satisfactory | Very Satisfactory

The audio is perhaps the best feature of this app. Each dialog is spoken by native speakers of English, is clearly enunciated and easy to understand, and users even have the option to change the speed of the audio if it is still a struggle for them to keep up with what’s being said. However, I had really hoped for more that could be done with the available multimedia. For example, in the options menu there is a “Fillin word mode” feature. I’m actually not entirely sure what this feature does; it’s only available in the “books” and it doesn’t appear to change the written content or the audio in any way. Since this feature is only in the dialog activities I was kind of hoping that it would highlight the words as they’re spoken in each sentence for the user to more easily follow along, which is a feature I’ve seen in listening activities in some other language learning apps. Sadly, no such feature was available in this program. While the font is of an easy-to-read size and never clashes with the background colors, it’s no more interactive than a plain text file.

Another multimedia feature I’ve seen in some other apps is video as well as audio to present dialogs between two or more speakers. This app only provides the written dialog to accompany the audio, and what’s more concerning is that there is no mention of who is speaking each line in the script. This app let’s users choose how much of the dialog they want to listen to at a time: users can listen to the whole dialog at once or listen to one line at a time, and they can also choose for the dialog to automatically play/loop or they can choose to move through the lines at their own pace. As a result, if users are moving through each line at their own pace it might become difficult to understand who is speaking each line. This is especially true because the lines of text do not evenly alternate between the speakers (one speaker may say two lines of text, while the next speaker only says one), and in the case of the first book the speakers are two adult males who could be hard to distinguish for ELLs who are expending most of their cognitive energy trying to understand the content of the lines being spoken over who is actually saying them.

Basically, while the audio is very professional and easy to listen to and the presentation of the text is pleasant to look at and easy to read, I feel that this app could have done so much more with the mobile technology. But, at the same time, this is an inexpensive program, so for what it’s worth I can’t give this app any less than a neutral rating.

Overall Rating

    1. Very Poor (Not recommended at all)

    2. Poor (not appropriate)

 X 3. Adequate (Acceptable with reservation)

    4. Good (Appropriate for use)

    5. Excellent (highly recommended)

Additional Comments

I do feel that this app is worthwhile for Japanese English language learners who are specifically interested in learning more about American English colloquialisms and how they are used in everyday conversation. That being said, instructors would be wise to caution their learners that, while this app offers accurate examples of how to use American idiomatic expressions, this app (and the dictionary in particular) does contain a number of spelling and grammatical errors.

Further inspection into the origins of this app actually revealed to me that this particular app (designed for Japanese ELLs) is actually based on another app that does not contain any Japanese text: Speak English Like an American by Language Success Press (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speak-english-like-american/id398332055?mt=8). The app I evaluated therefore seems to be an attempt to produce another version of the same program but with Japanese language support added on.

Sadly, this app does not fulfill the present need in CALL for mobile learning apps to possess a degree of interconnectedness in which “learners can constantly be interacting with the things and people around them, and language learning tasks can be shaped so that they draw learners into interacting with their surroundings in new and innovative ways” (Stockwell, 2012, p. 212). However, it does fit the need for mobile apps “to be short and succinct, with a very short start-up time as well as short-segmented sections that can be completed individually as a single unit” (p. 211). While this certainly isn’t going to have a great impact on a learner’s progress, it at least provides a way for learners to study colloquial American English even if they’re on the go and don’t have much time to devote to language study.

References

Chapelle, C. A., & Liu, H. (2007). Theory and research: Investigating authenticity. In Egbert, J., & Hanson-Smith, E. (Eds.), CALL environments: Research, practice, and critical issues (pp. 111-129). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Healy, D. (2007). Theory and research: Autonomy and language learning. In Egbert, J., & Hanson-Smith, E. (Eds.), CALL environments: Research, practice, and critical issues (pp. 377-388). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Stockwell, G. (2012). Mobile-assisted language learning. In Hayo, R., & Thomas, M. (Eds.), Contemporary computer-assisted language learning (pp. 201-216). Huntingdon, GBR: Bloomsbury Publishing.

(Evaluation format adapted from Jong-Bae Son’s 2015 Language Learning App Review Form)