Abstract
The suitability of mobile apps for language learning finds increasing recognition in the field of language education. Recent research investigates the new learning experiences apps provide, taking the perspective of the language learner. This chapter seeks to contribute to this new line of autoethnographic research. As researcher-participant, I explored over the period of one year a wide range of different language apps and features from my mobile phone to learn Spanish. My aim was to experience language learning with apps from a learner’s perspective and to increase my awareness of learning opportunities in an informal learning context. With the use of a journaling app, I documented my observations and reflections on my learning experiences. I adopted Schumann’s (Learning as foraging. In: Dörnyei Z, Schmidt R (eds) Motivation and second language acquisition, pp 21–28, 2001) five-dimensional stimulus appraisal model as an explanatory framework to discuss my progression through four apps. The study shows that rather than searching for the perfect app, learners need to select and adapt apps to address specific learning needs that change over time.