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The Feasibility of Using Bande à Part to Aid French Language Learners

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Abstract:

This pilot study examines users’ perceptions of Bande à Part, a music application designed for learners of French. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was adopted to investigate users’ perceptions of the app’s usability and potential for second language (L2) learning. The model’s two constructs, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and one added factor, perceived enjoyment, formed the main predictors of users’ intentions to continue using the app. Mean scores for the predictors were: perceived usefulness = 4.27/6, perceived ease of use = 3.88/6, and perceived enjoyment = 3.95/6, which are confirmed by the survey results that show that 10 of 13 participants intend to continue using the app. Qualitative results suggest that the app enhances users’ ability to notice targeted forms in the musical input (e.g., liaison, gender) and, corroborating the quantitative data, suggest that users find the features in the app useful. Several comments also indicate that the ease of use could be improved (e.g., improved mobile device access). This study helps to establish the TAM in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) literature and forms the basis for future work evaluating how songs aid L2 acquisition.

Author: Ross Sundberg, Walcir Cardoso

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