Exploring learners’ continuous usage decisions regarding mobile-assisted language learning applications: A social support theory perspective

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) applications (apps) can provide users with personalized learning content to meet their learning needs. Besides, from the learner perspective, the apps can be regarded as ‘social’ individuals, like anthropomorphic instructors who offer social support to help them with language learning. However, the current literature lacks an investigation of the dominant technological feature of MALL, that is, personalization function influencing users’ assessments of social support and trust towards MALL and subsequently determining their continuous usage intention toward MALL. To address this gap, using stimulus-organism-response theory and social support theory, this study develops a research model by investigating how personalization (stimulus) affects social support in terms of information, emotional and appraisal support and trust (organism), which eventually influence users’ continuance intentions toward MALL apps (response). A total of 455 valid questionnaires were collected, and the data were analysed by the partial least squares (PLS) method. The results showed that personalization increases users’ information, emotional and appraisal support. Information, emotional and appraisal support enhance user’ trust when using MALL. Users’ trust fosters their continuous usage of MALL. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed that information, emotional support and appraisal support fully mediate the relationship between personalization and trust. Trust acts as a full mediator between information, emotional and appraisal support and continuance usage intention. This study provides theoretical contributions to the existing literature and practical suggestions for practitioners to develop MALL apps. Finally, research limitations and future research directions are also discussed.