Robert Godwin-Jones, Ph.D., is Professor of World Languages and International Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and past Director of the English Language Program there. His research is principally in applied linguistics, in the areas of language learning and technology and intercultural communication. Robert has published widely in those fields, as well as regularly presenting at international conferences. Most recently, he has worked particularly in the areas of mobile-assisted language learning and open educational resources. He writes a regular column for the journal Language Learning & Technology on emerging technologies. In the first of four posts, Robert presents the case for allowing students to use mobile devices in the classroom.
Should students be allowed to use mobile devices in the language classroom?
It’s quite likely that, if asked, the majority of language teachers would respond with a clear ‘no’. Conventional wisdom – as well as teachers’ likely own personal experiences – would inform their view that mobiles are a distraction, taking students’ attention away from the learning at hand. In this and subsequent blog posts (and in the associated whitepaper), I will be arguing for the opposing view, namely that the judicious use of student mobiles in the language classroom can be an effective teaching and learning strategy. However, that does require a rethinking and readjustment on the part of both teachers and students on the ways in which mobile devices are used. It will likely mean, for example, that mobile usage will be restricted in some way, and that guidelines should be developed, and agreed to by all stakeholders.
Benefits of mobile use
If such a model of mobile use is adopted, a range of language learning benefits can result, including:
- Enriching classroom activities with authentic language resources
- More easily integrating into instruction tasks involving the use of images, audio, and video
- Enabling more effectively collaborative classroom activities for writing, listening, or speaking
- Enhancing students’ digital literacy, and other 21st century skills
- Encouraging out of school and life-long language learning
None of these gains are automatic – mobile use takes careful preparation and thoughtful implementation. Teachers will need not only an adjustment in attitude, but also help and training. The very richness of mobile features, services, and apps may be overwhelming to teachers, already concerned that they lack the necessary skills and knowledge in an area which is constantly evolving. It’s best to start small, by using mobiles to do familiar activities more efficiently. That might mean providing more efficient (and out-of-class) access to media, such as audio files or video clips. One of the big advantages of having students use mobiles is the potential for linking classroom activities to at-home assignments. Indeed, one of the great benefits of mobile use is the integration of learning opportunities in all phases of a student’s life. Mobiles provide the opportunity to personalize learning as well as to develop skills and knowledge for autonomous language learning. All four language skills, as well as cultural learning, can be addressed using different mobile functions, apps, and web-based resources.
A range of possibilities
From the perspective of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory, mobile use has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, use of authentic materials, and real-world integration of language use. These are all aspects that are key in today’s model of communicative language learning. Mobile devices can supply more “time on-task“, an important consideration, particularly in environments in which the target language is not typically encountered outside of class. As is true with any pedagogical tool or approach, there are different ways to use mobiles to support language instruction. One often-cited model (Puentedura, 2014) for technology integration lays out this range of possibilities:
- Substitution. Technology substitutes for a traditional approach, for example, digitized audio replacing cassette tapes
- Augmentation. Tech acts as a direct tool substitute and adds new functionality; digital audio supplies quick random access and variable playback speed
- Modification. Tech allows for significant task redesign; digital audio is combined with text and images in multimedia projects
- Redefinition. Tech allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable; students use digital audio in digital storytelling and share results online
Typically, teachers will begin using mobile devices to do familiar tasks, but as familiarity with the devices and apps increases, they may see opportunities for using mobiles to move beyond traditional classroom practices. Teachers will be guided in the use of mobiles by their experiences, knowledge of their students’ abilities, and the nature of the learning tasks/goals. Many activities will not lend themselves to use of mobile devices. On the other hand, some activities begun in class could be continued at home with the help of mobile services or apps. The prospect of enabling a seamless learning process in and out of school should provide a strong incentive to language teachers to consider seriously introducing mobiles in their teaching.
Positive experiences
Mobile use in the language classroom can serve as a welcome break, start-up, or concluding activity. Mobile-based activities can stimulate rich collaborative work, as students work together to communicate in the target language, based on what they’ve heard, watched, read, or written through the mobile devices. Teachers are likely to find that students react quite positively to integration of their devices into classroom instruction. This positive experience may well lead students to continue to use their mobiles for informal language learning beyond the classroom.
Find out more by downloading the free whitepaper on using mobile devices in the language classroom.