SMARTPHONES IN THE CLASSROOM

Nataliia Kovalenko

(Uman, Ukraine)

Today technology rules the world and Internet plays a key role in business relations, entertainment, music, movies, tourism and almost every aspect of our everyday life. Education is not an exception here. Studies have shown that 95% of students have access to some type of computer or mobile device – whether at school, at work, or at home. So, it’s not surprising that the evolution of classroom teaching methods is moving in the direction of technology.

In this article we tried to find out what benefits technology brings to language learning and how it can be successfully applied by teachers during their English classes at high school and university. Primarily it’s cell phones that keep teachers’ attention today as they have undoubtedly become an integral part of modern society, and increasingly common among children and adolescents. Of course, with the increasing popularity of cell phones among students comes the sharply contested debate as to whether or not they should be allowed in classrooms. While there is a valid case to be argued by parents and educators that cell phones are disruptive to the learning environment and can lead to negative behaviors such as cheating on exams and distracting students from tasks, cell phones can certainly enrich and become a useful educational tool in supplementing teaching instruction [2].

In fact, there are many more benefits of using phones at the lessons than just putting them away. Having mobile devices in the classroom allows students instant access to the latest news, information, statistics, etc. Virtually every question they have is at their fingertips, keeping them connected with what’s going on around them and ensuring they are always well informed with the most up-to-date information [1].

One of good examples of how smartphones enhance classroom learning is the scavenger hunt exercise. Here, students must go through websites to find the information they need to fill out a worksheet, or they are given a set of words in a list that correspond with a unit they are studying in class and are sent out on a picture scavenger hunt. This will work particularly well with very concrete sets of vocabulary, words that the students would use and see examples of on a daily basis [4].

For second language learners, visual clues are very important when it comes to communicating. Unfortunately, real life language situations do not always give ESL students ideal situations for communicating in English, for example, language exchanged over the phone. Cell phone conversations can give students a chance to practice conversational skills without visual input to aid comprehension. Though they may be challenging, they will ultimately be beneficial to the students and their language studies.

Students can also use their devices to access free, online exercises that reinforce language and/or skills seen in class. Moreover, smartphones could be a real help in carrying out the surveys or even recording students’ audio and video files. They can record themselves in action, which is perfect helping them receive feedback on specific tasks and activities. Survey Monkey is a fun app to add to your English classroom. It let teachers create surveys, which students can conveniently access from their phones and answer right away. This can be used as an assessment tool or as part of a portfolio of activities. For example, students could even design survey questions, fill them out, analyze results and then create a presentation of those results [3].

What is more here is that the use of smartphones and tablets allow students going paperless. If there are PDF versions available for the textbooks or materials they’re using, this could allow instructors to simplify students’ lives while being environmentally friendly. Besides no one likes lugging around big textbooks. Many digital course books are constantly updated and often more vivid, helpful, creative, and a lot cheaper than those old heavy books.

To sum up, the key issue for teachers here is to be creative with the use of smartphones as an additional tool for making learners study more and become keen on foreign languages. Much like computers, students need to understand that their mobile phones aren’t just for play, entertainment or personal use, but to be used as invaluable instrument of personal development, and it’s our role as teachers to provide them with this knowledge. By allowing and encouraging cell phones in the ESL classroom, you will have a unique bank of resources at your fingertips, and your students’, ready to move them toward language fluency in English.

References:

1. Hammond, E.C. & Assefa, M. (2007). Cell phones in the classroom. Phys. Teach. 45, 312

2. Villa, C. (2007). Bell-Jar Demonstration Using Cell Phones. Phys. Teach. 47, 59

3. [electronic resource, access: http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm]

4. [electronic resource, access: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/raquel-gonzaga/smartphones-learning-possibilities-efl-class-1]