Mobile devices in learning languages and its importance

Widespread use of mobile and wireless devices in education has led to revolutionary changes in the way teachers teach and learners learn. Due to their pervasiveness, mobile phones are considered as being potentially valuable learning tools. However, students’ personal use of mobile phones and their apps for learning benefit is still open to research. This study thus investigated the impact of mobile dictionary use on language learning. Thirty-four lower-intermediate language learners participated in a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. They were divided into two groups (17 in each group) based on their choice to work with a mobile dictionary or a printed one for their language course. During the course, the experimental group used a dictionary installed on their mobile phones to do all their activities. Meanwhile, the control group worked with the printed version of the same dictionary. A teacher-made achievement test was used as the pre- and post-test. The result showed that, while controlling for the entry level language ability, the experimental group performed the control group in the post-test. The finding of the study underscores the vital role mobile phones play in extending learning out of the classroom anywhere anytime.

Teaching with desktop computers and mobile devices

I still use desktops in my class to access language-based websites, and use Google Docs to allow students to work together. You can also connect a desktop computer to a whiteboard and project Google Images onto it. It’s an invaluable resource for language teaching.

However, mobile devices allow you and your learners to interact seamlessly with each other, in both formal and informal learning contexts. For example, a teacher can encourage students to create a personal visual story about their daily routine. The student can take a series of snapshots of moments in their day – for example, their alarm clock, a toothbrush, a cup of coffee, their walk to work, etc. – and describe the actions to the teacher. For example, ‘I take a shower and get dressed…’ This will often highlight aspects of language that require teacher input.

Cameras and microphones are useful for learning English

Camera phones provide a great way to ask learners to ‘notice’ grammar around them. You can encourage students to take photos of street signs, menus, advertisements, or other examples of written English that they see around them. Spotting the misuse of apostrophes(‘s) or noticing incorrect spelling are my favorites. Another useful tool is the recording function on mobile devices. Here are three examples:

• 1.    Learners can record themselves speaking English and share it with friends, who can offer feedback. Learners can record conversations with native speakers on a range of topics and integrate them into projects.

• 2.    Learners can use the microphone creatively, and incorporate voice recordings into edited videos.

Mobile technology turns the question ‘What did you do last weekend?’ into a personal story, as learners can share with the group photos or videos of what they did, where they went, and how they felt. They can also share their social media activity, providing an opportunity to explore what their friends thought of the weekend.

Seven tips for using mobile technology with success

Integrating technology into the classroom is a long-term strategy. If it’s to be sustainable, the following points should be considered.

• 1.    As a teacher, you need to engage with mobile technology yourself, before you can start to implement it into classroom practice.

• 2.    To make sure students don’t get distracted by social media, set clear learning objectives. Find creative ways to use social media within lesson plans. Consider how mobile technology can be used for extension activities. ‘Why don’t you post an image of your work on your Facebook page?’, is more engaging than ‘We don’t use Facebook in this class’.

• 3.    If your school does not have a mobile learning policy, you need one for your class before you begin.

• 4.    Do some research. It takes a lot of time to find relevant, suitable apps. There is no moderation process in place, so even with paid apps, it is difficult to know whether or not they are suitable.

• 5.    Don’t overwhelm your class with technology. Learners often fail to recognize the benefits of technology for language learning. So it helps to introduce apps and mobile learning activities one at a time. Then, as a group, you can reflect on whether they are useful.

Nowadays when science and technology are progressing so fast all kind of specialists, need English in their work. That’s why Computer is important in the language learning. Nowadays, most of the youths has owned their computer in the house. The reason for the computer is a very powerful tool. It brings a lot of functions do any certain things. It makes people enjoy its functions themselves. Computer is useful for finding the information especially learning languages.

As long as the Internet is installed in the computer, people can find what they want. Of course, they have to spend time on it . Acquiring the information, they feel that it is valuable. Recently the number of people has increased learning languages by using computer. They can seek the information directly in Internet. That is a very convenient for the people. When the students do the projects or want to learn languages, they will find the information in Internet . Finding the things, they compose of the information and construct it in the computer its function such as Microsoft Work, Excel, etc. They have ability to achieve the people’s aim they want. In fact, computer has plenty of useful functions and assistance for learning languages.