Will mobile learning change language learning?

The use of mobile phones and other portable devices is beginning to have an impact on howlearning takes place in many disciplines and contexts, including language learning. Learnerswho are not dependent on access to fixed computers can engage in activities that relate moreclosely to their current surroundings, sometimes crossing the border between formal andinformal learning. This creates the potential for significant change in teaching and learningpractices. Taking the broader field of mobile learning as the setting within which developmentsin mobile-assisted language learning may be understood, the paper argues that an emphasis onmobility can lead to new perspectives and practices. The paper offers reflections on whatmobile learning has to offer and considers whether it is likely to change how languages aretaught and learnt. ‘Mobile learning’ is not a stable concept; therefore its current interpretationsneed to be made explicit. Examples of current projects and practices show an affinitybetween mobile and games-based learning, and can further illuminate what is distinctive andworthwhile about mobile learning