Mobile devices increasing opportunities for informal learning and second language acquisition

International audienceThis paper provides the results from a study conducted in 2010-2011 on 638 French-speaking university students in order to identify how informal learning with English language media enhances English language acquisition and to identify the role that mobile technology plays in providing access to such media. By associating the respondents' answers to the survey questions with their English language test scores we have been able to demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between a student's level of English and the amount of time he/she spends learning English informally by consuming media and participating in social networks. The study indicated that only 13% of the time a student spends consuming English language media is spent using a mobile device. The students who participated in the survey give learning the lowest ranking amongst uses they have for mobile phones