Benefits of using a mobile application in learning a foreign language

This article aims to show how the use of a mobile application contributes to the development of listening comprehension in English as a teaching strategy to generate significant learning. The research was conducted with a group of level A1 students, according to Common European Framework for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, who used Duolingo during an academic semester. The results indicate that the use of this application achieves a positive impact on the development of listening skills in English.


I. Introduction
This article is the result of the research project named: how do mobile applications help in the development of listening comprehension as a teaching strategy to generate significant learning of students at the Language Institute of the Universidad Santiago de Cali? developed as the thesis in the English Teaching Specialization in the same university [USC].
The USC, through the languages institute, had about 5,000 students in 2015. All the courses of foreign languages have an intensity of three face-to-face hours and six hours of independent work from the students. In these latter, the students have a varied offer of support activities as conversation clubs, tutorials, and idioms labs. Additionally, the professors of the institute suggest to the students the use of virtual tools to improve their communicative competence.
One of the challenges for the professors is to create consideration in the students about the importance of the constant practice for the development of abilities in foreign languages; specifically, in the listening comprehension. To address this, the professors employ in class some listening exercises of a guide CD that acts as a complement of the guide text.
The group of researchers that wrote this article considers that the use of the technology might be a way to encourage the students to improve the listening comprehension, even more considering the increasing popularity of the mobile devices in the academic population.
Currently, the use of the mobile technology has been increased in a considered way thanks to the ease of use and low cost of the applications focused on the learning of foreign languages. There is a wide variety of applications such as for the development of linguistic competences, listening, in reading, and writing. Amongst them, the group selected Duolingo as a tool to improve the listening comprehension of the students.
Duolingo has around 80 million users around the world for the learning of the English language; its method sets daily learning goals, allows the execution of an initial test to establish the level the user should start, and it uses images, translating and listening exercises. The group of students who used the application was also surveyed to know their opinion about the use of that tool and their benefits in the learning of English.

I. Introducción
Este artículo es el resultado del proyecto de investigación titulado: How do mobile applications help in the development of listening comprehension as a teaching strategy to generate significant learning of students at the Language Institute of Universidad Santiago de Cali?, desarrollado como trabajo de grado en la Especialización en Enseñanza de Inglés de la Universidad Santiago de Cali [USC].
In this article, we present a brief contextualization about the listening comprehension, the notion of gamification, and its use in learning contexts. Next, we present the methodology and the obtained results in the mentioned application, and we summarize the article with the conclusions.

II. Listening comprehension
The development of the listening comprehension is a real challenge in the learning of a foreign language. Many authors think that it is the hardest ability to master and the teachers do not pay enough attention to that. Brown (1994) considers that in the 60s, the approaches for the learning of languages were more focused on the development of the students' oral competences; consequently, they showed low interest by understand what was listened. For that reason, in that time, the mechanical exercises of repetition were the center of the teaching activity for the learning of a new language.
The act of listening entails a psychomotor process that starts in the moment the ear detects the sound waves being transmitted by the nerves as brain impulses. This implies a series of cognitive and affective mechanisms. Vandergrift (1997) defines the listening comprehension as an ability that contributes to the internationalization of the language rules and eases the development of other competences. It is possible to consider that the listening comprehension is apparently, a passive process. However, researchers as Vandergrift have concluded that the listening ability is an interactive process of recognition, perception, and comprehension of the listening input. Vandergrift (2004) explains that the listening comprehension is an ability not capable to be observed, since it is the least explicit ability of the language. Rubin (cited by Brown, 1994) considers that the development of the listening comprehension activity is influenced by factors as age, gender, memory, attention, and even the language deficiencies. According to this, the development of the listening competence is a highly refined ability that requires the attention of the student and the application of strategies that allow him/her the extraction of the meaning of the listened. For that reason, the author lays out to the languages teachers the following questions: what does the receptor do when he/ she listens? Which are the factors that allow the development of the listening ability? Which are the features
Al respecto, Richards (1983) explica ocho procesos que están presentes en la comprensión auditiva, entendida como un proceso de interacción: • el receptor procesa lo que se conoce como discurso en bruto (raw speech) y guarda una imagen de este en la memoria a corto plazo, imagen que está constituida por frases, marcadores de cohesión y entonación, entre otros; • el receptor determina el tipo de discurso que se está procesando, si se trata de una conversación, una transmisión de radio, un discurso presidencial u otro y, las formas de interpretación del mismo; of the listening comprehension? What principles allow the development of techniques to improve the listening comprehension? And which are the most common techniques to teach the development of the listening ability?
In that regards, Richards (1983) explains 8 process that are present in the listening comprehension (understood as an interaction process): • The receiver processes what is known as a raw speech and stores an image in the short-term memory, image made of phrases, cohesion and intonation markers, among others • The receiver determines the speech type being processed: if that is a conversation, a radio transmission, a presidential speech, and the interpretation ways of it • The receiver infers the transmitter objectives through the consideration of the speech types, its content, and the context behind it • The receiver gathers relevant information about the context and content of the message. In this moment, the knowledge and experience of the receiver are assessed to perform cognitive operations to obtain an interpretation of the message • The receiver assigns a literal significant to the message. This process involves a set of semantic interpretations to the received message • The receiver assigns a significate according to the transmitter intentions, the possibility that misunderstandings arrive is generated in this phase of the process. A feature of the communication is the possibility to confirm or reformulate meanings between the participants of the exchange • The receiver determines the information to be stored in the short and long term memory; and • The receiver deletes of his/her memory the way the message was originally received.
The development process of the listening comprehension in the students of a foreign language -in this case, English-corresponds to the 8 phases described above. Consequently, we evidence that the listening ability is one of the most difficult to develop, since it is related with internal process performed by the subjects while the communicative exchange is performed. The languages teachers can use the following principles to develop strategies that allow the development of the listening comprehension of the students given the Brown (1994) principles. These principles include • el receptor infiere los objetivos del emisor a través de la consideración de los tipos de discurso, su contenido y el contexto en el cual se elabora; • el receptor recoge información relevante sobre el contexto y el contenido del mensaje, en este momento, el conocimiento y la experiencia del receptor entran en juego para realizar operaciones cognitivas, con el fin de lograr una interpretación del mensaje; • el receptor asigna un significado literal al mensaje, este proceso involucra un conjunto de interpretaciones semánticas al mensaje recibido; • el receptor asigna un significado de acuerdo con las intenciones del emisor, la posibilidad de que surjan malos entendidos se genera en esta fase del proceso, una característica de la comunicación es la posibilidad de confirmar o reformular significados entre los participantes del intercambio; • el receptor determina qué información guardará en la memoria a corto y largo plazo; y • el receptor borra de su memoria la forma como el mensaje fue originalmente recibido. El proceso de desarrollo de la comprensión auditiva en los estudiantes de una lengua extranjera, en nuestro caso el inglés, comprende las ocho fases arriba descritas. Entonces, se evidencia que la habilidad de escuchar es una de las competencias más difíciles de desarrollar puesto que se trata de procesos internos que realizan los sujetos mientras se produce el intercambio comunicativo. Los docentes de lenguas pueden recurrir al uso de los siguientes principios para diseñar estrategias que permitan el desarrollo de la comprensión auditiva de los estudiantes según los planteamientos de Brown (1994). Dichos principios incluyen: la integración del currículo, el desarrollo de la motivación intrínseca del estudiante, el uso de materiales auténticos y el desarrollo de estrategias de escucha.
Rosell-Aguilar (2007) ha encontrado que el uso de herramientas tecnológicas como el podcast ha favorecido, en buena medida, el desarrollo de la habilidad de escuchar, teniendo en cuenta que es posible extrapolar la práctica de la lengua a espacios y tiempos determinados por el estudiante.
Jordan (2012) plantea que la educación tradicional está avanzando hacia la transición de un modelo formal, institucionalizado y estático, hacia ambientes de aprendizaje de carácter innovador, dinámico y social, en los cuales el uso de elementos y mecánicas propias de los juegos contribuye al desempeño académico de los estudiantes y a la motivación hacia el aprendizaje. the integration of the curriculum, the development of the intrinsic motivation of the student, the use of authentic materials, and the development of listening strategies.
Additionally, the features of the listening comprehension activities and their development conditions are considered as determining factors of the listening comprehension. Goh (2000) shows that an interest to research the role of the different instruction types and the employed materials for the development of the listening comprehension were increased.
Rosell-Aguilar (2007) has found that the use of technological tools as the podcast has helped the development of the listening ability, by considering that it is possible to extrapolate the language practice to spaces and times determined by the student. Jordan (2012) suggests that the traditional education is advancing towards the transition from a formal, institutionalized and static model, to learning environments with innovative, dynamic, and social features where the use of elements and proper features of the games contribute to the academic performance of the students and encourages the motivation to the learning.

III. Gamification
The implementation of the gamification concept in the educational field arose as a new way to create meaningful experiences in formal and informal learning contexts. As per Deterding, Dixon, Khaled, and Nacke (2003), the gamification term was coined in the digital communication industry in 2008, but it was until 2010 that the term was widely known thanks to the conferences and the participants of the industry who made it popular.
Although, until now, no academic definition for the term has arisen, it is clear that the gamification can be associated to two large concepts: the increase of the social adaptation and institutionalization of video game elements in daily life, and the idea that the video games are designed more for the entertainment than for utility purposes; i.e., the games might create desirable experience states that motivate the users to stay focused on them. Deterding, Sicart, Nacke, O'Hara, and Dixon (2011) define the gamification concept as the use of the game design elements in different contexts. In the gamification, the instinctive competence that most people have is used to encourage and charge productive behaviors.
Aunque hasta el momento no se le ha dado una definición académica al término, es claro que gamificación hace referencia a dos grandes conceptos: el primero corresponde al aumento de la adaptación social y la institucionalización de elementos de juegos video en la vida diaria; el segundo, se refiere a la idea de que los juegos de video son diseñados, más para el entretenimiento que para la utilidad, es decir, que los juegos pueden crear estados de experiencias deseables que motivan a los usuarios a permanecer enfocados en ellas.
Algunos de los mecanismos de gamificación utilizados en educación son los de recompensa y seguimiento.
Benefits of using a mobile application in learning a foreign language. Sistemas & Telemática,15(40),[55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68] Rollings y Adams (2003) define a game as an interactive or participative entertainment. Given the fact that the learning is conceived as a participative process, the incorporation of game elements in the education is a topic that provides considerable benefits to that activity. Consequently, to understand how the gamification operates in the education, it is necessary to understand the three key elements in the construction of games: the activity types, the reward mechanisms, and the tracking mechanisms.
Games are a noteworthy technological experience for all the audiences (Borrero, Sanjuán & Ramírez, 2015). Their purpose, in the case of serious games, is different than the entertainment (Orozco, Baeza, Navarro, & Llano, 2012). When an interaction process is centered in a game, the rules must be clearly established, even more when didactic and learning objects exist, as Abadía (2012) mentions.
Citing data of Smith-Robbins (2011), the activity types in the games are typically oriented towards the achievement of a single goal; the objectives are planned in a clear way and the conditions to win and surpass several obstacles are defined. Here, it is possible to establish the similitude between the games and the education -the students or players seek to accomplish a task to achieve an expected objective/goal-. The shared objective of reaching goals in the games and in the education, is a fundamental reason for the implementation of the gamification concept in the education.
Some of the used gamification mechanisms in education are the reward and tracking ones.
There are three main reward mechanisms categories: scoreboards, prizes, and achievements. The first presents the reached scores by the participants per his/her progress level in the game. This table is normally used in competence activities, but it can also be used to stimulate the work group. The prizes are used as elements to increase the motivation (medals, trophies); whilst the achievements are publicly showed icons in the profiles of the participants that highlight activities made by one person. They point to satisfy the needs of a recognition.
The progress tracking mechanisms in the games are, somehow, analog to the following system in the education. This allow the guidance to the students about how to improve or advance in the development of their competences and the achievement of the proposed goals.
Los mecanismos de seguimiento del progreso en los juegos, por su parte, son de alguna manera análogos al sistema de seguimiento en educación. Este permite guiar a los estudiantes sobre cómo mejorar o avanzar en el desarrollo de sus competencias y el logro de las metas propuestas.
El concepto de gamificación en educación busca aumentar la motivación intrínseca de los estudiantes a través de proveer reconocimiento a los usuarios al completar actividades que a su vez conllevan al logro de una meta. Lo anterior tiene como efecto que los estudiantes estén más motivados a aprender.

IV. Metodología
Uno de los objetivos del proyecto fue analizar el impacto de una aplicación móvil para el desarrollo de la competencia auditiva, como estrategia pedagógica para generar aprendizaje significativo en los estudiantes de nivel A1, de acuerdo con el The gamification concept in education seeks to increase the intrinsic motivation of the students through the promotion of recognition to the users by completing activities, that carry on the achievement of a goal. This latter has as a main effect that the students are more motivated to learn.
The implementation of the gamification concept in education also provides a frame to improve the use of several types of resources that create other forms of learning. This latter by incorporating audio, images, and texts in a singular experience. This is the case of the mobile application used in this research project: Duolingo. Glover (2013) considers that before implement the gamification concept in education, it is necessary to consider the following topics: • Is the motivation of the students really a problem?
• Are there any behaviors needed to be incentivized?
• Is it possible to gamify specific activities?
• Is it possible to create a parallel evacuation route?
• Does the use of gamification elements helps certain types of students?
• What type of rewards will generate higher motivation in the students?
• Will some activities require a higher time disposition than others?
• Are the rewards too easy to obtain?
The above bullet points allow a higher clarity in the implementation process of the gamification in education, considering that as a process that allows the generation of participative learning experiences, it is a frame of use in different types of resources to activate the learning in the students.

IV. Methodology
One of the objectives of the project was to analyze the impact of one mobile application for the development of the learning competence as a pedagogic strategy to generate significate learning in the A1 level students in accordance to the common European frame for the teaching of languages (European Council, 2001). In order to achieve this purpose, we implemented an initial test and a posterior to the use of the application, to establish the level of listening comprehension of the students, before and after the use of the application. marco común europeo para la enseñanza de lenguas (European Council, 2001). Para lograr este propósito, se implementó una prueba inicial y una prueba posterior al uso de la aplicación, con el fin de establecer el nivel de comprensión auditiva de los estudiantes, pre y post aplicación.
Los estudiantes del grupo escogido para el estudio estuvieron practicando con esta aplicación, de manera autónoma, por dos meses; al finalizar este periodo de práctica se procedió a aplicar de nuevo la prueba inicial, con el fin de establecer el beneficio del uso de la aplicación para el mejoramiento de la competencia auditiva en inglés.
Luego de usar la aplicación los estudiantes respondieron una encuesta de doce preguntas con el fin de obtener su opinión acerca del uso de las aplicaciones móviles en el proceso de aprendizaje de una lengua extranjera. Del conjunto de opiniones se puede establecer que el uso de la aplicación tuvo buena aceptación en el grupo.

V. Resultados
Como se indicó, se realizó una prueba estandarizada adaptada por los investigadores, que se aplicó al comienzo y al final del semestre. Con el fin de mostrar el beneficio de la aplicación móvil en el desarrollo de la competencia auditiva de los estudiantes, se mostrará aquellas secciones de la prueba donde se evidencia dicho progreso.
Although the research project was a qualitative one, for the presentation of the results we used quantitative elements, such as graphs and tables. We invited the students to use the Duolingo application with the purpose of practicing the listening ability in the English language. Then, we applied a survey to each student to obtain numeric results related with the advantages in the use of that application.
The methodological design of this research was entailed to demonstrate the importance the use of the mobile applications to improve the learning of the English language, specifically the listening comprehension.
The selected tool was -as mentioned before-Duolingo. We considered that for being a free application, and besides of the fact of the ease of access, its popularity, and nature. The application was developed by Luis von Ahn (2011) features the use of images, sounds, conversations, and vocabulary, grammar, and translating exercises presented in an interactive way to the users.
The selected group was composed of 7 men and 5 women, with an average age of 19. They had 40 minutes to answer 25 questions subdivided in four sections (a, b, c, d) with different complexity level. The test was elaborated and adapted taking as a basis the text named Interchange into teachers' resource book Richards, Cory-Wright, & Pianco, 2005). This test was applied before the students use the Duolingo application.
The students of the selected group for the study were practicing with that application in an autonomous way by two months. When this time frame was over, we applied the initial test to establish the benefits of the application for the improvements in the listening comprehension of the English language.
After using the application, the students answered a 12-question survey to know their opinion about the use of the mobile applications in the learning process of a foreign language. We can establish that the use of the application had a good acceptation in the group.

V. Results
As we previously stated, we performed a standardized test adapted by the researchers applied at the beginning and the end of the semester. To show the benefits of the mobile application in the development of the listening comprehension of the students, we show the parts of the test where the progress is evident.
La Figura 1 muestra que el 42% de los estudiantes contestó de manera correcta la sección 1 de la prueba y un 58% de ellos la contestó de manera incorrecta. De lo anterior se deduce que un alto porcentaje de los estudiantes muestra deficiencias en el desarrollo de la competencia auditiva del inglés.
En la Figura 2 se observa la mejora de la habilidad de escucha de los estudiantes con un 100% de respuestas correctas en la primera sección de la prueba realizada luego de usar Duolingo. Lo anterior evidencia de manera contundente que el uso de la aplicación móvil favoreció el desarrollo de la competencia auditiva.
En la Figura 3 se observa que un alto porcentaje de los estudiantes mostró que no logra obtener un resultado correcto en la identificación de las actividades que se están realizando What are they doing?
Lo anterior, contrasta con lo que muestra la Figura 4, que corresponde al resultado de la misma pregunta, luego de que los estudiantes utilizaran la aplicación. El porcentaje de estudiantes que  Figure 1 shows that 42% of the students correctly answered the section 1 of the test and the remaining 58% responded incorrectly. From here, we can infer that a high percentage of the students presents deficiencies in the development of the listening comprehension of the English language.
In Figure 2, we observe the improve in the listening ability of the students with a 100% of correct answers in the first section of the test performed after the use of Duolingo. That is, the use of the mobile application helped improve the development of the listening comprehension in the students.
In Figure 3, we observe that a high percentage of the students is not able to obtain a correct result in the identification of the activities being performed in the What are they doing section.
From the results in the above graph, it is possible to infer that those results contrast with the shown in Figure  4 -the same question after the use of the application-. The percentage of students with correct answers is now 92%.
In Figure 5, we present the results of the students in the initial test in an exercise consisting of identifying vocabulary related with daily activities. The results show that half of the group was correct in the tests and the other half did not.
The result obtained by the students after using the application show an increase in the percentage of the correct answers: 83% with regard to 50% in the initial test (see Figure 6).
From the results that the survey presented, we can highlight a perception aspect related with the use of the mobile technologies for the learning of a foreign language. In Figure 7, we show the students opinion to the question: how do you think the mobile applications help you learn and practice English? 75% of the students consider that the mobile applications contribute to the learning of a foreign language and only the 25% think that the contribution is low. There is no mention that the applications are useless at all.

VI. Discussion
The use of mobile applications for the teaching and/ or learning of languages has increased in the last years. In the literature, it is possible to find articles and studies that show the benefit of the incorporation of the technology use and mobile applications in several academic logró contestar de manera correcta todas las preguntas aumentó significativamente, pasó de cero a 92%.
En la Figura 5 se presenta el resultado de los estudiantes en la prueba inicial en un ejercicio que consiste en identificar vocabulario relacionado con actividades de rutina. Los resultados muestran que la mitad del grupo acierta en el ejercicio de la prueba y e igual número no lo logra.
Benefits of using a mobile application in learning a foreign language. Sistemas & Telemática,15(40), 55-68 topics in various institutions worldwide. To deep this, we have chosen five researches that are closely related to the study presented in this article. Ramos & Valderruten (2014) show that the use of wireless response technologies in English tests have a positive impact in the presentation of standardized tests of sufficiency in foreign languages. They also applied a survey to the students to know their opinion to the use of such technologies in the English classes, where the approval for their use was evident relative to the traditional classes. In general, the obtained results show affinity with our results, since the acceptation of the use of technologies in the learning of English and the positive impact in the development of the class.
On the other hand, González (2015) presented a survey where the objective was to show the integration of the technology as a significant tool for the teaching of English as a foreign language. He showed how the use of the technology significantly improves the quality of the classes and promotes the motivation towards the learning of the language.
The author addressed that it is common that some barriers still exist that do not allow the university professors use different technological tools. Although, the research is focused on the integration of the technology in diverse ways as the use of virtual platforms, e-mails, web pages, and power point presentations; it also includes the use of mobile devices as a strategy to maintain the interest in the learning of the foreign language through the use of the translator, the applications, games, and dictionary. 90% of the people that was surveyed in the research of González (2015) pointed out their disposition to the use of the technology as a reinforcement tool in the learning of English; result that agrees with the one in the present study. López & Silva (2013) showed the most influence factors in the accepting of the mobile devices in the learning processes in higher education. This was the first research in Spain that presented quantitative results about students using mobile devices as a complement to their formation, besides of the factors influencing in the adoption of this learning method. On their results, they show that 75% of the students (from a sample of 411) use their mobile devices with some activity related with learning. This demonstrates that the students are taking the initiative and innovating in the ways of learning, i.e., the use
Ramos y Valderruten (2014) muestran que el uso de tecnologías inalámbricas de respuesta en exámenes de inglés logra un impacto positivo en la preparación de los estudiantes con miras a la presentación de pruebas estandarizadas de suficiencia en la lengua extranjera; esa investigación también aplicó una encuesta a los estudiantes para conocer su opinión sobre el uso de dicha tecnología en las clases de inglés en la cual se hizo evidente su apreciación sobre la marcada diferencia entre los cursos tradicionales y la clase de inglés en la que se implementó la tecnología inalámbrica. En general, los resultados obtenidos por ellos muestran afinidad con los resultados obtenidos por los investigadores en cuanto a la aceptación del uso de tecnologías en la clase de inglés y el impacto positivo en el desarrollo de las clases de lengua extranjera.
El estudio realizado por Jung (2015) se considera un trabajo único sobre los factores que influyen en la enseñanza del inglés, específicamente investigando sobre la adopción de un modelo de implementación de tecnología móvil centrado en la perspectiva del estudiante. Su investigación y el presente estudio coinciden en las conclusiones acerca del uso de aplicaciones móviles para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de la lengua extranjera, particularmente en lo que respecta a la interacción de los estudiantes y la tecnología móvil, y a la percepción de los mismos sobre el uso de las aplicaciones móviles en el desarrollo de competencias específicas, como es el caso de la competencia auditiva.
Adicionalmente, Gómez y Lazo (2015) exponen un estudio de caso relacionado con el uso potencial de aplicaciones móviles en el proceso de aprendizaje de estudiantes de posgrado. Su investigación tuvo como objetivo la construcción teórica de un modelo educomunicativo basado en aplicaciones móviles para el estudio y aprendizaje de una asignatura. Los autores of mobile devices is highly related with their behavior and learning habits.
In general terms, the obtained results in the research performed by López & Silva (2013) are in accordance with the ones in our research in the acceptation and the use of mobile applications to complement the higher education. When the students were consulted about the use of mobile devices for that end, a high percentage manifested that the use of mobile applications is a tool that allow them to learn or practice the foreign language, which improves in the competences related with that language. Jung (2015) proposes that the role of the mobile technology in the education -specifically in the teaching of the English language-has increased considerably in the last decade. This, due to the fact that the use of the mobile technology allows a good conjunction with the learning objectives. This type of technology has activities that allow the expansion of the learning experiences for the students and allows the exploration of new possibilities.
The study carried out by Jung (2015) is considered as a unique work related with the factors influencing the teaching of English, specifically researching in the adoption of a mobile technology implementation model centered in the student perspective. His research and ours agree with the conclusions about the use of mobile applications for the teaching and learning of a foreign language, particularly in the part related with the interaction of the students regarding the mobile technology and their perception about the use of mobile applications in the development of specific competences, as is the case of the listening competence.
The performance of the students who used the mobile application -widely used technology accepted by the students-was improved considerably as the graphs in the previous section show.
Additionally, Gómez & Lazo (2015) expose a case study related with the potential of the mobile applications in the learning process of postgraduate students. Their research had as main objective the theoretical building of an "educommunicative" model based on mobile applications for the study and learning of a certain subject. The authors consider that the use of the applications in the educative contexts require, beyond the technology itself, a methodological design that entails experimentation, simulation, and game as facilitator elements of learning.
Although the study of Gómez & Lazo (2015) differs from our research on its general objective, both in their and our approaches, the mobile applications are a tool that improves the learning processes and require the dedicated participation of the students as main protagonists of such processes. Rahimi & Soleymani (2015) focused on researching the impact of the mobile technology and the listening comprehension in students of English as a foreign language. Their study used as sample a group of 52 students divided in two: experimental and control ones. Their results and the ones in our approach are compatible, since both demonstrate that the mobile technology has a positive effect in the improvement of the students listening ability. This is based on the particularities that mobile devices present and the ease of access the students must use the materials anytime, anywhere (especially outside the classroom). That is translated into portability, social interactivity, connectivity, and individuality. Furthermore, the features of the mobile technology use from the students allows to increase the motivation towards the learning of a foreign language.

VII. Conclusions
The gamification concept applied to educative concepts allows the students to advance on their learning processes at their own pace, given the features of the mobile applications: easy and fast access, availability, and low cost.
The implementation of proper elements of the games in scholar contexts such as the learning of a foreign language are a novel aspect impacting positively the performance of the students. The use of mobile applications to develop a listening competence of the A1 level students of the USC showed favorable results and evidenced the preference towards the use of these tools as a complement to the practice of the foreign language.
In general terms, we can conclude that the obtained results in this research project are similar to the ones in other national and international studies. The use of mobile applications in the learning process of a foreign language entails benefits in the development of competences, specifically in the listening comprehensio.