Understanding Chinese EFL Learners’ Acceptance of Gamified Vocabulary Learning Apps: An Integration of Self-Determination Theory and Technology Acceptance Model

Implementing the idea of gamification in mobile-assisted language learning has recently been gaining increasing attention from academia and industry. However, few studies have investigated students’ motivation to use and their acceptance of popular gamified English vocabulary learning apps. This study proposes a theoretical framework combining the self-determination theory and the technology acceptance model, and examines it with survey data collected from 272 Chinese college students. The findings of the descriptive statistical and structural equation modeling analysis include: (1) students generally choose these apps out of autonomous motivations instead of controlled motivations; (2) autonomous motivation positively affects both perceived usefulness and ease of use, whereas controlled motivation only shows positive effects on the former; (3) controlled motivation does not affect the autonomous motivation to adopt these apps; and (4) consistent with the TAM frameworks, perceived usefulness and ease of use positively affect behavioral intention and actual behavior in terms of the frequency and duration of use in the gamified English vocabulary learning context. This study is expected to not only provide a solid theoretical explanation about the impact of motivation on the degree of acceptance of learning technologies in the language education context among specific student groups, but also offers practical insights on how to maximize the potential benefits of gamification and mobile learning in foreign language education