The user interface design of mobile assisted language learning based applications

ABSTRACT Mobile technologies have been gaining popularity day by day, thanks to internet boom, in language learning like many other field. In recent years many language learning purposed mobile applications has taken place in mobile markets. Among all, in a stratified random way, 8 mobile applications for learning language were selected to conduct this study and they were evaluated through the view of user interface design (UID) principles about educational mobile applications by 11 English Language Teachers (ELTs) with the help of an interview composed of 4 parts. The data from the interview was analyzed to determine what a screen design of a goal-oriented mobile application should be like to learn languages, if any interface design of the stratified random selected mobile applications meets the needs of screen design of a mobile application to learn languages, and what the certain features of the mobile application interfaces to learn languages are. At the end of the process, the evaluations of ELTs lead to deduce a list of principles for designing language learning purposed mobile applications. Additionally, it can be stated that each application with its each target user, in another word learner, can shape the aims and many features of the interface design. Lastly, a list of features was suggested to design user interface of language learning purposed mobile applications. Keywords: user interface design, language learning purposed mobile application, mobile learning, mobile assisted language learning, English language learning