Unboxing the gifts of WhatsApp in language learning: magnifying the impacts on english achievement, academic engagement, foreign language anxiety, and learner autonomy

Abstract Using mobile gadgets to learn a language, known as Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), has been widely recommended to enhance students’ language learning results. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge about the influence of utilizing messaging services, such as MALL, on students’ academic progress, independence, and anxiety levels. Using a quasi-experimental study, this research aimed to examine the effect of WhatsApp-mediated learning on English achievement (EA), academic engagement (AE), foreign language anxiety (FLA), and learner autonomy (LA) in Iranian English learners. The study consisted of 92 intermediate English students who underwent an Oxford Quick Placement Test before being randomly grouped into two cohorts: the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). The English Proficiency Test, the Academic Engagement Scale, the FLA Scale, and the Learner Autonomy Questionnaire were administered to evaluate both groups before and after a 16-week intervention program that was held twice a week for 1 h. While the EG was taught on WhatsApp, the CG was taught in a face-to-face setting. The findings from a one-way MANOVA analysis showed that the EG demonstrated better results in EA, AE, and LA while experiencing lower levels of FLA compared to the CG. The implications of the research findings are further discussed for relevant stakeholders.