Mobile technology in second language classrooms: Insights into its uses, pedagogical implications, and teacher beliefs

Blog post written by Benjamin Van Praag based on an article in the journal ReCALL

The use of mobile technology is becoming more and more prevalent, almost ubiquitous, in our everyday lives with devices such as mobile phones pervading every aspect of our daily routines and becoming as much part of the language classroom as pens, paper and course books. Adopting a multiple-case, multiple-method design, including background interviews, classroom observation and video-based stimulated recall interviews, the authors of this article explored mobile technology usage in second language classrooms.

The study investigated the practices of three experienced second language teachers in a UK-based language institute in classes of multilingual and multicultural adult learners. The findings, based on analysis of the participants’ rationales, stated beliefs and classroom actions, show that the teachers had a tendency to prohibit or reluctantly tolerate the use of mobile devices in their classrooms. At the same time, the teachers recognised some of the potential benefits of mobile devices that were able to support their teaching and assist students in their learning endevours. They also highlighted the incentives and barriers that respectively facilitated or hindered the integration of mobile technology into second language classrooms. These incentives and barriers included those that were internal (e.g. beliefs) and external (e.g. contextual constraints) to the teachers. Implications for the inclusion of mobile devices in classroom practice and teacher education and training are drawn from the study.

Read the full article ‘Mobile technology in second language classrooms: Insights into its uses, pedagogical implications, and teacher beliefs’ here