1 Alzieni, H. (2021). The Effect of Mobile Learning on Learner Autonomy in the United Arab Emirates. In P. Vinogradova & J. K. Shin (Eds.), Contemporary foundations for teaching English as an additional language: Pedagogical approaches and classroom applications. New York: Routledge. CASE STUDY 8.3 THE EFFECT OF MOBILE LEARNING ON LEARNER AUTONOMY IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Hussam Alzieni Introduction Mobile technologies and mobile learning (mLearning) offer appealing opportunities to language learners to access multiple sources of information anytime and anywhere. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in incorporating mLearning into the learning-teaching process to enhance students’ academic success in different educational contexts (Al Zieni, 2019; Gitsaki & Robby, 2014). According to Ting (2013), teachers can expect that “by relating the school learning to students’ digital literacy, the way of students’ autonomously acquiring their digital literacy outside school may help them develop autonomy in school learning” (p. 25). This case study is an example of incorporating digital literacy in English language education in which mLearning was used as the medium of instruction. All the materials used by the teacher and students were digital, and the students used iPads as the principal tool to develop their English language skills. Students’ engagement in level 3 Foundations Program at Dubai Men’s College (DMC) of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) was examined to explore the effects of mLearning on their academic autonomy and to promote their overall independence. The students developed their autonomy to exercise their digital literacy to resolve the difficulties they faced while using their educational Apps, Web exploration, and data collection for their academic work. The Setting In April 2012, the decision-makers in the United Arab Emirates (the UAE) decided to use mLearning as a significant model of instruction in the Foundations Programs of three Federal institutions: Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), Zayed University (ZU), and the UAE University (UAEU) for the academic year starting in September 2012. This decision was made in order to advance active learning methods that would provide the students with the skills and experiences needed in a flexible work environment to achieve individualized and collaborative student learning in the post PC era and introduce the challenge and the task-based learning (Kamali, 2012). This case study took place in the Foundations Program at Dubai Men’s College (DMC) of HCT. The Foundations Program has four levels, and it accepts the students at CEFR A1, A1+, A2, A2+, B1, & B1+ levels of proficiency. The Program aims to prepare students for undergraduate university life academically and professionally. Improving English language skills is the primary concern, and students at the end of the program must pass a global band 5.0 of the IELTS exam in order to join their bachelor programs. Before the implementation of mLearning and transition to the use of mobile devices in the program, teachers used a blended teaching relying on a combination of printed and online materials. In this transition, a general Common European Framework (CEFR) based curriculum