THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE: SMARTPHONE APPLICATIONS AND VOCABULARY GROWTH

Nowadays,170 mobile applications are frequently employed in higher education, particularly for learning English as a foreign language, because of their special qualities (such as portability, multimodality, interaction, or ubiquity). The approach to learning using smartphones and mobile apps is, on the one hand, particularly learner-centered in the sense of autonomous and individualized learning, as opposed to traditional classroom learning. This research examines the perceived utility and effectiveness of smartphone applications (apps) for vocabulary acquisition among Uzbek students. Employing a mixed-methods approach, utilizing an online survey and researcher observation, the study investigated the perspectives of English major students at the Uzbekistan State World Languages University (UzSWLU). The findings indicate a generally positive perception of smartphone applications' contribution to vocabulary development, attributed to their capacity to provide substantial vocabulary input. Furthermore, the study identified age and prior experience with app utilization as significant variables influencing students' evaluations of app efficacy in vocabulary learning.