Mobile-assisted language learning in EFL: Patterns of use, learner practices and perceived challenges

This paper investigates how mobile-technology mediated practices are shaping English language learning among university students, specifically examining how undergraduates majoring in English integrate mobile devices into both formal and independent learning of English as a foreign language. As smartphones and tablets become nearly ubiquitous in the daily lives of young adults, their role in language education is no longer an optional supplement but a significant locus of pedagogical innovation (Kukulska-Hulme et al. 2017). Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) offers learners the ability to access language resources, interact with peers and instructors, and engage in self-regulated learning beyond the traditional classroom's temporal and spatial boundaries. The potential for ''anytime, anywhere'' language learning raises both promise and challenge: promise in the form of increased autonomy, personalization, and engagement; challenge in the form of instructional alignment, screen-time management, and meaningful pedagogical integration (Teymouri, 2024). Furthermore, understanding the shift from simple access to more deliberate, strategic use of mobile technologies necessitates empirical inquiry into how frequently students employ such tools, for what purposes, and with what challenges. By exploring these questions within a Bosnian higher-education context, this study contributes to the relatively under-researched milieu of South-Eastern European EFL programmes and sheds light on how MALL practices evolve across the years of study.