Acceptance and implications of smartphones for informal language learning in foreign study tours

Technological developments have greatly influenced the field of mobile-assisted language learning. To have a better understanding of the applications of digital devices in educational settings, this paper aims to assess the possible acceptance of smartphones for informal language learning in foreign study tours, and investigate the main factors influencing their acceptance. The United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was modified and then used as the technology acceptance framework for this study. A total of 94 secondary students and 104 in-service secondary school language teachers in Lanzhou, China, were surveyed for this purpose. The results of the statistical analysis showed that students and language teachers shared a similar moderate-to-high level of acceptance towards adopting smartphones for informal language learning in foreign study tours. In addition, their acceptance level was strongly influenced by the facilitating conditions, followed by other elements including social influence, attitude and performance expectancy, successively. Copyright © 2020 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved.