Allow Mobile Phones in the Classroom to Enhance Students’ Confidence and Communication Skill
Allow Mobile Phones in the Classroom to Enhance Students’ Confidence and
Communication Skill.
Ho Minh Thang, MA
Abstract
In order to enhance EFL learning, the development of updated technological support has
been a critical issue over the past decade. With a booming mobile market in Vietnam, mobile
and other portable devices are beginning to influence language teaching and learning.
Besides, enhancing students’ confidence in using English to communicate with others has
become one of the main objectives in English teaching and learning at universities over the
last few years. As a suggestion, this study has explored the effectiveness of using mobile
phones as video recorders to help students gain more confidence and improve their
communication skills. The study involved designing communicative tasks which required
students to use their cell phones to create some short clips in which they had to speak English.
During the process, an observation sheet was applied to get students’ responses so that
teachers could provide instant support. Following was a questionnaire to get students’
feedback about the effectiveness of these activities. Finally, interviews with students were
conducted to find out their attitude towards the use of mobile phones as a tool for learning,
especially for language learning. The results showed that using mobile phones for language
learning seemed to create an inspiring learning environment for the students in which they
tended to be more confident to express their opinions. Even though there were some issues
related to technical problems or Internet access, student participants showed their great
interest in the activities as well as improved their communicative skills.
Keywords: Mobile phones, video clips, recordings, confidence, communication skill
1. Introduction:
In a developing country like Vietnam, learning English is very important because it is the only
medium that helps to make access to the modern developed world possible. So, to enhance
EFL learning effectiveness, the development of updated technological support has been a
critical issue over the past decade. Among various technological advances, with a booming
mobile market in my country, the use of mobile and other portable devices is now beginning
to have an influence on language teaching and learning. Most students in both urban and rural
areas are regular users of mobile phones and are accustomed to mobile devices. Accordingly,
it will be plausible to use mobile phones as a tool for learning, especially for language
learning. However, mobile phones have not been widely used in Vietnamese educational
settings as many teachers believe students’ using mobile phones in class may cause irritation,
delinquency and even crime. The fact is that many tertiary EFL teachers are calling out to ban
mobile technologies in the classroom.
However, from our teaching experience and observations, Vietnamese EFL learners have
been really keen on the application of mobile phones for learning purposes. Unfortunately, the
support of such a device in Vietnamese EFL classrooms seems to be restricted if not banned.
For that reason, I would like to conduct a further study to explore the benefits of Mobile
Assisted Language Learning (MALL) to promote Vietnamese EFL learners’ learning. In this
study, mobile phones are used as video recorders to help students gain more confidence in
performing their communicative skills as well as improve them. This study aims at
investigating learners’ attitudes towards the use of mobile phones for learning purposes in the
classroom and examining the effectiveness of using mobile phones as video recorders in
students’ confidence and communication skills.
Research questions:
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What are Vietnamese learners’ attitudes towards the use of mobile phones for learning
purposes in the classroom?
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What is the effectiveness of using mobile phones as a video recorder in helping
students become more confident and improve communicative skills?
2. Method
2.1. Literature review:
2.1.1. What is Mobile Assisted Language Learning?
Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is described as an approach to language
learning that is enhanced through the use of a mobile device. MALL is a subarea of both
Mobile Learning (m-learning) and Computer-assisted language learning (CALL). MALL is
involved with the use of mobile technologies, such as mobiles phones, MP3 /MP4 players,
PDAs and palmtop computers, to support students’ language learning. Kukulska-Hulme
(2006) supposed that students were able to access language learning materials and to
communicate with their teachers and peers, at any time, anywhere with MALL. This approach
currently encourages the utilization and retention of newly acquired language skills as well as
a primary source of language education for EFL students to acquire one or more new
languages. According to Klopfer et al. (2002), mobile devices have five properties, including
portability, social interactivity, context sensibility, connectivity and individuality, all of which
can produce educational benefits.
2.1.2. Applications of cell phones in the EFL classroom
Even though the number of mobile subscribers in the world has been increasing every day, it
is a little bit neglected in the pedagogical sector. As a matter of fact, cell phones are so
advanced and smart that they actually perform almost the same functions and features as
personal computers (Cui and Wang, 2008) and like all communication and computing
devices, cell phones can be used to learn (Prensky, 2004). As a result, the support of cell
phones in language learning activities is also internationally developed. More and more
educationists now realize the instructional potential of cell phones in EFL classrooms due to
the great development of their functions and features. Nevertheless, the problem is that they
don’t know how to implement classroom activities by using cell phone devices for language
teaching. Roksana Begum (2011) suggested some possible strategies use the cell phone in the
EFL classroom are presented for the teachers and students.
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Downloading required e-books, software and dictionaries from mobile Internet for
reading practice
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Using the online dictionaries for looking through word meaning.
Using translation dictionaries for the definition of a word.
Capturing class notes by means of mobile camera
Developing reading and speaking skills through the recorded short stories.
Practising pronunciation by recording audio materials
Receiving text messages from teachers with class content
Sending SMS in short and crispy sentences for grammar practice and the teacher can
later do correction by SMS reply. Students can get feedback from teachers via SMS.
Homework and some tests can also be delivered in this way.
Snapping pictures through cell phone camera for assignment, field trips and reports.
Doing research through the use of text message and Internet browser
Recording student’s speech in cell phone voice recorder options and later use it for
speaking and pronunciation tests (Thornton and Houser, 2005)
Listening to enjoyable songs on mobile iPod for learning key language or grammar
Using sound effects as a stimulus for writing.
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Voice threading; people can use their cell phones to call and record their voices to
communicate with others or post their comments to their Voice Thread page (Cui and
Wang, 2008)
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Using mobile games to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Using word match games as a means of spelling practice.
2.1.3. Attitudes toward the application of mobile phones in education.
Some recent research shedding light on mobile phone use in language learning shows that
more and more attention has been paid to mobile phones and their use in the classroom. While
Kiernan and Aizawa (2004) evaluated the use of mobile phones as tools for classroom
learning, Thoronton and Houser (2005) stated that students highly-rated mobile phones’
educational effectiveness in the classroom. However, there has also been an opposite view of
mobile phone use in education, which calls for the restriction of mobile phones.
2.1.3.1. Advocates of mobile phones in education.
It is believed that mobile phones may offer a motivating tool for language learning because
they are widely used throughout the world and are more common among students for
communication with each other. According to Mcneal and Hooft (2006), “using real world
resources for teaching and learning in the classroom can make education more meaningful
and relevant to our students”. Researchers see that mobile learning can offer some assets
(Attewell, 2004). These are collaborative learning activities that use camera phones or
multimedia messaging to add visual and audio material to a web-based multimedia map or
picture.
In 2011, Al Aamri and Kamla Suleiman discussed the attitudes about the use of mobile
phones in the language classroom and insisted on their benefits:
“Mobile phones have positively contributed to the field of learning in many different
ways. First, mobile learning helps learners to improve their literacy and numeracy
skills and to recognize their existing abilities. Second, it can be used to encourage both
independent and collaborative learning experiences. Also, it helps learners to identify
areas where they need assistance and support. Moreover, it helps to remove some of
the formality from the learning experience and engages reluctant learners. Besides, it
helps learners to remain more focused for longer periods.”
Providing learners with a large number of practical applications in language learning, mobile
phones have certainly been supported by many researchers despite the fact that there are some
others holding their negative views on mobile phones’ use.
2.1.3.2. Opposers of Mobile Phones in Education
In spite of the increasing popularity of mobile phones around the world, they have not been
used widely in educational settings as some people feel reluctant (Mcneal and Hooft, 2006). A
lot of studies have outlined and described the disadvantages of using mobile phones in
education. Some opposers of mobile phones in education are always against the existence of
mobile technologies in schools since they may hinder teachers and learners from real
communication, distract them from concentration or reduce the level of learners’
independence in their studying. Also, “using mobiles in the classroom would end up causing
more distractions” and they just “interrupt teaching” (cited in Katz p.94).
Thus, after a perusal of the literature, it seems that many of these studies have tended to pay
attention to using mobile devices, particularly mobile phones, in language learning. However,
until very recently, students’ attitudes towards mobile phones in language learning and the
challenges they face have been less researched.
2.2. Research methodology.
2.2.1. Participants:
The study involved the participation of 60 students majoring in different subjects at the
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH).
No. University Number
Major
Auditing
Business English
Module
General Business English
Speaking
Year
1
1
1
2
UEH
UEH
30
30
2.2.2. Instruments:
- Activity worksheets: In each lesson, the teacher conducted some communicative activities
for his/ her students to take part in with worksheets designed to support their performance.
- Observation worksheet: In the lesson, the teacher used the observation worksheet to note
down the responses as well as a performance of the students when they made their video clips.
- Questionnaire: A questionnaire including 12 questions was designed to find out the students’
responses to the use of mobile phones making clips in their language learning and assess the
effectiveness of the suggested application of video recordings with mobile phones in order to
help the students gain confidence and improve communicative skills.
2.2.3. Data collection:
The study was conducted in 10 weeks. At first, the students were asked to spend 30 minutes
left of each lesson conducting a communicative task in pairs, groups or individually. In the
activity, they had to use their mobile phones to make a short clip recording their oral
performance of the task given. During the above period, the students were observed so that
they would be immediately supported or thoroughly guided so as to produce their best
performance of the task. The teacher used the observation worksheet to record all the
students’ feedback and the challenges that they had to address. At the end of the module, the
students were supposed to answer a questionnaire to show their opinions about the activities
given in the study, including using mobile phones to record a video of their communicative
performance.
3. Findings and Discussion:
3.1. What are Vietnamese learners’ attitudes towards the use of mobile phones for
learning purposes in the classroom?
3.1.1. Students’ use of mobile phones for English Language Learning:
Most of the students surveyed showed that they used mobile phones very often (at least 3
times per day) in their daily life. Apart from two main functions as calling and texting, which
account for 100 percent, the majority of students used their cellphones for relaxing (93%)
while the number of students studying with their mobile phones made up 65 percent.
In addition, regarding the use of cell phones for ELL, there were a lot of students who
regularly used their phones to study in different ways, such as looking up words on dictionary
(78%), searching information by surfing websites (95%), using studying applications (51%).
In contrast, the number of students using mobile phones to record or video-record was much
smaller (about 42% and 28% respectively)
3.1.2. Students’ feelings about mobile phones in ELL
A large proportion of students in the survey agreed that using cell phones in ELL was really
convenient for them (98%) because mobile phones were portable and could perform more and
more modern functions. Following was the group of students who thought that it was an
initiative to apply mobile phones in language learning (87%). In contrast, the percentage of
students who objected to using mobile phones in ELL due to a variety of reasons as it takes
them a lot of time, it costs them money or it may cause some health problems was
considerable (68%).
3.1.3. Students’ attitude towards the use of mobile phones in ELL
In the survey, there were 36 students who agreed and strongly agreed that mobile phones had
assisted their language learning. Whereas 14 students showed their disagreement and 10
students had a neutral attitude.
Besides, the number of students agreeing that the use of the mobile phone in learning made
them more productive accounted for 65%, while there were nearly 30% of those who did not
think that they could be more productive with the use of the mobile phone in ELL.
When being asked if their motivation was enhanced by the use of mobile phones inside and
outside the classroom, the majority of students agreed and strongly agreed (76%), followed by
16% and 8% of those who were neutral and disagreed, respectively.
Then, 69% of the students surveyed confirmed that the use of mobile phones enhanced their
learning process. Those who disagreed made up 20% and 11% of those who had neutral ideas
about this.
In general, the percentage of students who believed in the positive effects of using mobile
phones in learning English was high (81%) compared to 11% and 8% of students who did not
believe in that.
3.2.
What is the effectiveness of using mobile phones as a video recorder in
helping students become more confident and improve communicative skills?
Answering the questions about their feelings with the video recording activity, 67 percent of
the students agreed that it was interesting, 62 percent said it was motivating and 75 percent
thought it was useful for their language learning. Those who disagreed that the video
recording activity was interesting, motivating and useful accounted for 12 percent, 15 percent
and 5 percent, respectively.
In terms of pronunciation improvement, a large proportion of the students concurred that
video recording activity helped improve their pronunciation (84%). There was only 10 percent
of the students said that their pronunciation was not improved even though they conducted the
activity very often.
Regarding speaking skills, 62 percent of the students confirmed that they could make some
certain improvement, while there was about 23 percent of those who stated that they did not
improve their skill at all.
More importantly, all of the students participating in the survey insisted that they gain more
confidence in their communicative skills (86% agreed and 24% strongly agreed). Most of
them felt comfortable speaking their ideas and then became more confident when being asked
to communicate with others in English.
3.3.
Students’ suggestions
The responses of the participants in the survey brought some suggestions related to the use of
mobile phones in ELL. Many of the students are currently using their phones to study because
they can get access to a wide range of applications available on the Internet. These
applications are not only friendly to users but also inexpensive. However, the students stated
that they were able to study with these applications at home because they were not allowed or
encouraged to use mobile phones in classes. In addition, the students said that they would like
to apply some other features like the camera or programs such as Zalo, VOA learning English,
Karaoke of their mobile phones in their learning.
On the other hand, the students might encounter some problems using their phones in learning
at school. Firstly, the issue of running out of battery always prevented them from learning
with their phones, especially when they had all days at school. Secondly, the studying
environment often distracted their recording activities with noise. Finally, some problems
related to their language competence, such as the lack of vocabulary, the fear of making
mistakes or their shyness, were also considered as the major causes of being unwilling to use
mobile phones in language learning in the classroom.
4. Conclusion, Implications and Recommendations for future research
4.1. Implications and Recommendations
The results of the study clearly indicate that there were motivational effects of using mobile
phones in language learning in the classroom. The students had opportunities to practice
themselves to develop their speaking skill and their pronunciation. Moreover, with the videos
recorded from the classroom activities, the students could identify the mistakes themselves by
watching them again and again, as well as look back at the process of their improvement and
see their own differences before and after a period of time practicing the language. After
hearing comments from the teacher, they could see their “products” of their efforts again,
which obviously contributed to the enhancement of their language competence. By doing this,
they could deeply understand the language and use it more correctly; therefore, more self-
confidence, more accuracy and more fluency could be built.
The results have led to complete answers to the questions of the study. Furthermore, the study
also reveals the potential of more research on creating a typical classroom in which students
are exposed to a variety of modern electronic devices, for example, laptops, tablets, etc. and
making a distinctive atmosphere of language learning in order to raise students’ motivation,
attention, as well as creativity in finding a new way of learning the language.
The limitation of the study lies in increasing students’ motivation and confidence only
without measuring the real results of their study to make sure they have influenced their
language learning.
With considerable points mentioned above, some suggested solutions should be conducted so
as to maximize the benefits that mobile phones can offer students in their language learning.
One of the most important changes that should be done is people’s views about and beliefs in
the use of mobile phones in classrooms as distractions and disruptions. Students should be
allowed and encouraged to use their favorite technologies so that they can improve their own
learning. To make it more effective, teachers ought to know how to integrate applications of
mobiles into suitable learning tasks or activities that are specifically designed for mobile-
assisted language learning.
In terms of battery charge, teachers should clearly inform students of the duration of in-class
activities so that students can charge their mobiles prior to attending the class. Most
importantly, to integrate mobiles into educational institutions, there must be a well-planned
and updated policy that is useful for both teachers and students to avoid problems arisen
unexpectedly. In addition, the leadership of schools should allocate financial resources to
promote the integration of cell phones into language learning. As a result, MALL should be
quickly included in the school curriculum and syllabuses.
4.2. Conclusion
During the study, sixty students from two universities were put into the research without any
awareness of that. They conducted communicative activities and found themselves much
better than they had been before. The study concluded that using mobile phones can bring
some benefits to students in their language learning. It is obvious that using mobile phones in
the classroom cannot be considered a bad behavior that needs prohibiting. Moreover, in recent
years, together with the development of human civilization, a lot of inventions have been
created to make our life much easier in which mobile devices such as mobile phones are
widely used. Therefore, keeping them away from learning in the classroom is not a good idea;
instead, finding a way to take advantage of their functions can be much more advisable,
especially in order for students to keep up with modern life as well as develop their
competence at the same time. In this way, learning a language will not be just a struggling
task for students to complete at school, but a period of time for them to enjoy the advance of
society.
In general, to meet the needs of the new age, MALL and technological advances have to be
encouraged and provided with great support from school leadership, teachers and parents.
Considering a large number of mobile phone users and the potentials of mobile devices for
English learning, a proper policy should be enacted to integrate mobiles technologies into
study units and lessons.
References
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Cui, G., & Wang, S. (2008). Adopting Cell Phones in EFL Teaching and Learning.
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Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2006). Mobile language learning now and in the future. In:
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