From Classroom to Smartphone. Mobile Culture in Italian Language Learning Process

Abstract

In recent years, the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has shifted from fixed e-learning environments to mobile learning (m-learning), characterized by ubiquitous access through smartphones and tablets. This study is explicitly framed within mobile learning theory and digital pedagogy, exploring how mobile devices transform the Italian language learning process from a classroom-bound activity to a contextualized, informal experience. Despite the pervasive presence of mobile devices in higher education, their potential as resources for generating and producing knowledge often remains underutilized in Italian as a Foreign Language (FL) instruction. This paper examines students' actual use of Italian cultural applications, analyzing them not merely as recreational tools but as integral components of a digital pedagogical framework. Specifically, we will present the results of a survey conducted in Faculty of Humanities, at Department of Foreign Languages, University Ismail Qemali of Vlora,in Albania, in order to analyze the actual use that learners of Italian FL, make of their mobile device as an opportunity for linguistic and cultural deepening in an informal context, to evaluate the use, appreciation, and pedagogical potential of these apps. The study employs inferential statistics, including Chi-square tests, to examine relationships between app usage, age, and language proficiency, while also reporting reliability measures (Cronbach’s alpha) for the research instrument.