Keep growing, stay connected: understanding older Chinese EFL learners’ practices and barriers in mobile-assisted vocabulary learning

Mobile-assisted vocabulary learning (MAVL) holds potential for supporting older adults’ lifelong learning, yet their experiences remain under-researched. This qualitative study explored the expectations, engagement patterns, barriers, and facilitators in MAVL use among Chinese EFL learners enrolled in Senior Citizen Universities. Data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings reveal that expectations functioned as multi-dimensional acceptability constraints (Constructing Personal Relevance Through Diverse Learning Orientations, Demanding Cultural Reciprocity and Linguistic Accessibility, and Expecting Age-Sensitive Functionality as a Prerequisite). Engagement was characterized by Orchestrating Flexible and Self-Regulated Learning Rhythms, Bridging Digital and Analog Practices, Embedding Learning in Socially Accountable Networks, and Affirming Competence Through Authentic Communication. Barriers extended beyond Navigating Friction in Age-Insensitive Interfaces to include Bearing Cognitive and Affective Costs of Sustained Engagement, Resisting Intrusive Commercial Architectures, and Encountering Content that Misaligns with Lifeworld. Persistence was sustained through the interplay of Sustaining Engagement Through Relational Scaffolding and Mobilizing Lifelong Learning Values Against Structural Friction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.