Exploring mobile DDL for Italian in secondary education: Analysing student engagement, self-directed learning strategies and language outcomes

This paper examines the integration of Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) and Data-Driven Learning (DDL) in secondary education through Learniamo, a mobile-only web application developed by the author to support corpus-based learning. The project assesses the potential of mobile DDL to foster language development beyond the classroom, drawing on quantitative and qualitative evidence to analyse students’ engagement with the app, the extent of their participation, the effects of mobile DDL on targeted linguistic outcomes, and the strategies they employed when interacting with corpus data. The study adopts a quasi-experimental design involving 44 students from two French high schools enrolled in the EsaBac programme, which targets B2 proficiency in Italian. Over a two-month period, participants used the app autonomously to complement classroom learning, and data were collected through pre- and post-tests, usage logs, questionnaires, and focus group interviews. Usage logs showed steady engagement, with pre-constructed corpus-based activities being the most frequently accessed feature, followed by open corpus searches. The largest proficiency gains were observed among lower-intermediate learners, with smaller but positive improvements at higher levels. Search queries revealed interest in grammatical constructions, collocations, literary forms, and curriculum-related vocabulary. Findings highlight the potential of mobile DDL as a complementary mode of language learning in secondary education, despite the need for technical refinements.