Enhancing English Idiom Comprehension Through Idiomatch: Evidence from A Mobile-Assisted Language Learning Application
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i3.9429Keywords:
mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), English idioms, gamification, figurative language learning, EFL higher education, quasi-experimental studyAbstract
English idioms remain challenging for EFL learners because their figurative meanings cannot always be interpreted literally, while empirical evidence on mobile applications specifically designed for idiom learning remains limited. This study investigated the effectiveness of Idiomatch, a gamified mobile-assisted language learning application, in improving university students’ English idiom comprehension and examined students’ perceptions of its use. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest nonequivalent control group design involved 60 undergraduate students from an English Education program, with 30 students in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. The four-week intervention comprised eight instructional sessions. Data were collected through a 25-item idiom comprehension test and a 10-item perception questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The experimental group improved from a pretest mean of 58.27 (SD = 10.80) to a posttest mean of 83.47 (SD = 7.84), while the control group increased from 63.73 (SD = 8.72) to 67.33 (SD = 7.36). The posttest difference was statistically significant, t(58) = 8.22, p < .001, Cohen’s d = 2.12, and ANCOVA indicated that the group difference remained significant after controlling for pretest performance. Students also reported generally positive perceptions of Idiomatch. These findings suggest that contextualized, gamified mobile learning may serve as a useful supplementary approach to English idiom instruction in higher education, although the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the short intervention and nonequivalent intact groups.
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