O n f e r e n c e

Conclusion 
Traditional foreign language learning processes have proven to have had limited success, 
especially when the number of students increases. They usually fail because there either 
is a lack of time for students to interact and practice language sufficiently or else they 
suffer from scalability issues (that is, they are difficult to implement with a large number 
of students). Hence our proposal focuses on using computer systems to control students’ 
interaction. As a contrast to virtual worlds, which usually need a powerful server to run 
and Pcs on which to be played, we proposed using Apps for smart phones. They need a 
simple server software and light App for widely-spread Android devices. The App has two 
parts. The first one can be played individually and offline. It comprises different tests that 
enhance the vocabulary needed to play the second part.
The second part of the game has to be played online and in teams (2 or 3 persons), 
teammates being assigned different roles. By using anonymity students are obliged to 
collaborate in order to catch a serial killer by scanning QR codes. The game imposes no 
restrictions on the number of teams playing in parallel (the server concurrent connection 
capacity being the only limiting factor). At the end of the game, the supervisor receives a 
log for each team. It contains all the messages sent through the chat, so it can be used 
for assessment and language improvement processes. Even though the designed App 

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2014 CALL Conference 
LINGUAPOLIS
www.antwerpcall.be 
needs to be tested with a much larger sample size in order to find objective evidence of 
its usability and potential for enhancing foreign language learning in- and outside the 
classroom, the current experience sheds some light on the possibilities of using mobile 
Apps in the area of education and foreign language learning.
By providing multimodality tools including audio, video and text-chat, mobile Apps offer a 
wide range of attractive learning approaches which can be applied in formal as well as 
informal learning settings.