Learner Centred Development of a Mobile and iTV Language Learning Support System

Interactive television (iTV) is a new media technology that has great potential for supporting second language learning, particularly for independent adult learners. It has many characteristics demanded by modern second language (L2) learning theories and is technologically quite sophisticated. However, in order for it to succeed it needs to fit in with these learners’ approaches to media use in language learning. While there is an extensive literature on many other aspects of language learning and teaching, particularly in classroom settings, we know surprisingly little about the independent adult language learner's attitudes and approaches to learning and to technologies for supporting it. In this paper, we describe a project to develop language learning via interactive television (iTV) where a focus group study has been used to elicit the attitudes of potential users in order to direct the design process using a use-case scenario. We present the design implications that emerged from the focus group, broadly suggesting the use of mobile phone in conjunction with iTV to facilitate informal language learning from up-to-date authentic materials broadcast on television.