Mobile-assisted language teaching and learning
MOBILE-ASSISTED LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING
Ho Dinh Phuong Khanh, M.A
As technologies have rapidly improved in quality and power, mobile phones with various functions
and capabilities have extended into all areas of life, and education is not an exception. Nowadays
the use of mobile phones has gained increasing popularity among students and they can serve as a
tool for learning with a more proactive approach. Teachers can also integrate smartphones into
their teaching model to engage students in the class lessons and materials. In this article, the
benefits and drawbacks derived from using mobile technologies are closely observed for both
students and teachers. Some examples of useful apps and tools that can be used in the classroom
are also given.
I.
Benefits
1. Connectivity and Interactivity
As a sub-area of mobile learning, mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) is defined as the use
of mobile technology in language learning. A number of studies have shown that learners perceive
technology integration as beneficial for their learning; it promotes learning, helps them improve
and enhances their autonomy.
According to Kukulska-Hulme and Shield (2008), the use of personal, portable devices can enable
new ways of learning, emphasizing continuity or spontaneity of access and interaction across
different contexts. Barker, Krull, and Mallinson (2006) stated in their study that the impacts of
mobile phone technologies on learning are portability, collaboration and motivation. Students can
enjoy the convenience of learning every time and everywhere they are. Furthermore, being
connected to friends through classroom activities promotes collaborative learning, thus creates
numerous positives for students. As collaborative learning is student-centered; it encourages all
involved to support and motivate each other to achieve the learning goal (Valarmathi, 2011).
Student-student interaction can be enhanced when using mobile phones to build up ideas with
others and exchange data. Information can also be easily transferred between teachers and students.
A useful app is Live Board, which is an interactive real-time whiteboard to teach, learn and
collaborate. Teachers can use this app to communicate with students, even the absent ones, via live
messaging or audio chat. To visualize teaching and make the lessons easy to understand, teachers
can import images and PDF files or turn the lessons into video presentations. The teaching sessions
can be recorded and shared on social networks. Some mobile apps such as Poll Everywhere, Survey
Monkey provide a quick and easy way to create online polls, reflective surveys, and questions.
Students can use smartphones to provide their answers, and information can be culled for reports.
2. Better lesson preparation
With the aid of mobile technology, lessons can now be prepared with ease. Thornton and Houser
(2005) show that mobile devices can indeed be effective tools for delivering language learning
materials to the students. For instance, Mentimeter is a presentation app that teachers can easily
use to get real-time input from online students with live polls, quizzes, tests or post-lecture surveys.
With this tool, teachers can create interactive presentations, set various types of questions for
revising previous knowledge or starting class discussions. Students use their smartphones to
connect to the presentation where they can answer questions. This interactive learning experience
motivates students to remain active in class. The results and data are easy to collect and they can
be used for further analysis or tracking student progress.
3. Game-based learning
According to Valk, Rashid, & Elder (2010), smartphones have made learning more flexible, easy
and have helped to reduce the ultimate inherent conventional classroom learning. Teachers can
create a game-based learning environment in which materials and activities are designed and
facilitated using the mobile technology. One example is Quizizz, which provides free gamified
quizzes to play in class. Quizizz can be used as a fun and engaging way to conduct student-paced
formative assessments. Teachers can create quizzes with multiple options of question types, edit
and customize them to toggle the level of competition and speed. As the students finish, teachers
can see the live results or download the results directly to their computer, and can analyze the data
in a variety of ways. They can focus on the needs of each individual student and the class as a
whole, then use the information to focus on areas which need review or reinforcement. Quizizz can
even be assigned as homework so that students can complete on their own. Students can also create
their own games, further enhancing their learning and involvement in the course.
4. Outside-the-classroom practice
Mobile learning technology is also useful for doing activities outside the classroom. Smartphones
with multimedia functions give the students the opportunity to learn in a quick, easy and fun way.
There is now a wide range of AI-driven apps with voice recognition that offer the students an
opportunity to learn vocabulary and improve pronunciation. One example is FluentU, with which
students can learn Business English from real-life videos like talk shows, news, commercials,
documentaries, etc. Interactive captions allow learners to tap on any word and see definitions,
images and useful examples. Another useful app is One LinGo by Pearson English Business
Solutions, which offers flashcards for learning new words and business email templates. There is
also a pronunciation tool that will let learners hear English words and phrases spoken in different
accents and at a variety of speeds.
Research also shows that learners who are given supplemental spoken practice outside of the
classroom using their computers or mobile devices usually outperform learners in the control
groups in oral proficiency measures (Al-Jarf, 2012). Furthermore, there are studies in which
learners show positive attitudes towards mobile-assisted language learning tasks. For example,
participants using mobile devices in Kessler’s (2010) study reported less self-consciousness and
anxiety when completing the speaking tasks. Teachers can assign speaking tasks on LMS, which
is now also available as a mobile app on the Play Store or App Store, set due dates and send
notification messages to their students. The students can complete their assignments by using
smartphones to record their own voice and upload the finished files online.
5. Quick assessment of student progress
Assessment plays an important role in determining what learning has occurred, especially when
teachers and students have to teach and study online during times of the Covid-19 pandemic. It
gives teachers an insight into how students learn so that they can find out what needs to be
reinforced, provide instructions to guide learning and give students helpful feedback.
Assessment also enables teachers to measure the effectiveness of their teaching and see if specific
learning objectives are being met.
There is now a wide array of tech-enabled tools available for assessing students, which can benefit
both teachers and students in many ways. On the part of teachers, they can conduct evaluative work
faster. When technology is used, students’ results can be found in a digital format that can be easily
aggregated. Teachers, therefore, will have more time for lesson preparation as the paperwork is
reduced. As for students, they benefit because they can get more engaged in the classroom and
have the real-time feedback they need for improvement. Furthermore, with increased flexibility,
students are able to access and complete online assessments at a time that best suits their individual
learning styles and needs.
Here are some examples of online assessment tools that can be used.
ClassFlow, a cloud-based lesson delivery software with advanced collaboration tools, allows
teachers to assess student comprehension in the moment of learning. With ClassFlow, lesson
preparation and course management can be made easier and more time-saving. Teachers can set
different questions for different students or groups of students, depending on their ability and
learning style, so that they can work through at their own pace. In addition, teachers can also poll
the whole class to instantly see student responses. By immediately identifying and addressing any
gaps in knowledge, teachers can then tailor their lessons to the real needs of each student. Teachers
can also send assignments and instructional materials to students before or after class and monitor
their progress using the Assignment Tracker feature. Furthermore, ClassFlow allows teachers to
import existing lessons from PDFs, Microsoft Word documents, PowerPoint or videos. This tool
is an efficient way to increase student engagement and improve teacher-student communication.
Students can get interactive lesson content delivered directly to their devices; they can view posts
or reminders from their teacher and make contributions to the lesson.
Next, Edulastic is a user-friendly online assessment system that provides instant view of student
learning and growth. Edulastic can quickly identify learning gaps with diagnostic and formative
assessments, give students differentiated assignments and monitor their progress. As an easy-to-
use tool, Edulastic allows sign on through Google or Microsoft 365. There are also options for
paper-based testing as teachers can simply upload PDFs to create a SnapQuiz that is autoscored.
One tool that is highly recommended by reviewers and professionals is ExamSoft, which is an
advanced assessment platform that helps teachers maximize student learning outcomes. It offers a
testing solution with instant grading and visualized results. From the assessment data, teachers can
monitor student performance, provide feedback, and identify gaps in the curriculum to make
adjustments or improvements. What makes ExamSoft special is the software system that can help
prevent and deter cheating. When students do a test on their computers, access to programs, files,
Internet usage and screenshot capabilities are blocked during the test, thus ensuring exam security.
Thanks to its efficiency, ExamSoft has been used by a lot of academic institutions worldwide.
II.
Drawbacks
The use of mobile phones in the classroom has also met with resistance from educators for a number
of reasons.
1. Distraction
Mobile phones can be used to encourage student participation, but the devices can also create
distractions that may cause problems in the classroom. Oulasvita (2012) stressed that the use of
mobile devices may lead to the development of a checking habit that involves brief and frequent
content consumption (e.g., checking emails and Facebook updates). Indeed, it is not uncommon to
find students using their phones to chat or text messages when they should be studying. As a result,
failure to pay full attention to the lessons means that students may miss out on important
information given in the lectures. One more drawback is that phone use may disrupt learning and
draw attention away from the lessons if the phones are not switched to silence mode.
2. Uncontrollability and excessive use
One shortcoming is that it may not be easy to monitor and keep track of students’ performance on
their phones. Since performance tracking is difficult, students are likely to avoid doing MALL
related tasks if there is no follow-up by the teacher. Another commonly cited disadvantage of
allowing mobile phone use in the classroom is the potential for cheating. Even though there are
rules regarding when students can use their phones, misuse usually occurs. Students may use their
phones to search Google for answers or take pictures of tests or lectures and share with others.
Furthermore, it has been found that excessive mobile phone use may lead to emotional reactions
like anxiety and irritability. Also, there may be negative impacts on physical health such as
headache, eye strain, body aches, etc.
3. Pedagogical concerns
One issue is that the tasks used in the m-learning environment must be appropriate. There are
concerns that some apps are of little value when it comes to learning since they just focus on lower-
thinking level like memorizing. As a result, they may not be beneficial for such settings as
universities where learners feel the need for practical skill practice. Next, transferring a classroom
task to a MALL one requires certain teachers’ efforts to provide training and support when needed
and ensure task completion.
III.
Conclusion
In short, using technology in the classroom can provide numerous benefits such as active student
participation, efficiency, collaboration, communication, extra help, virtual experiences, and much
more, but there are also potential shortcomings. Whether mobile phones, as an academic tool, are
helpful or hurtful depends on when and how they are used. A mix of traditional and online
activities, therefore, should be used in the classroom. Teaching can be easier and more time-saving
while student learning, at the same time, can be more personalized, engaging and fun.
References
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