Mobile-Assisted Language Teaching: A Systematic Review with Implications for Southeast Asia

Like the rest of the world, COVID-19 created a sudden move to online modes of learning in Southeast Asia that highlights the need for updated teacher training to adopt computer- and mobile-assisted learning/teaching techniques. The changes in technology provide a multimedia platform that revolutionizes how people can interact through ICT, including for education. The results of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) on student performance have not been overwhelmingly positive. Yet, the use of technology-based instruction tools seems inevitable. The proliferation of ICT technologies including the internet, broadband, and mobile technologies will continue to increase and offer advantages to tap into. How are teachers—the workers in the educational service sector—affected by technological change? Education systems in Southeast Asia can benefit from mobile-assisted language teaching (MALT) in ways that address the specific obstacles that are faced by countries in the region. We systematically review the topics that have been covered in the literature on MALT for content analysis and consider the implications for educational contexts in Southeast Asia. The different strategies that are employed with ICT and/or mobile technology differ from traditional classroom learning. The findings of the systematic review suggest that the existing research is constrained by the type of technologies studied, with a bias toward existing technologies.