The Effect of Language-Learning Apps on Positive Language Transfer

Today, the widely used language learning apps (LLAs) have greatly changed the general experience and landscape of language learning. This research collected the foreign language learning experiences of over 350 language learners with a survey and specific stories with multiple interviews to explore how the many educational features may affect language transfer, specifically positive transfer. Through these studies, we were able to narrow the research on language transfer to these most-used methods for language education in LLAs: spaced repetition, multimodal feedback, contextual learning, and gamification. The most prominent ways these methods affected language transfer were through the impact of lexical transfer, semantic transfer, pragmatic transfer, and motivation. The study of language transfer, within the context of LLA use, provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with language acquisition in the digital age. It is crucial to understand the dynamics of language acquisition, especially in this gradually globalized world that is based on languages and communication, and with more studies and research, the process of language learning may be further improved upon and made efficient.