The Integration of Mobile Phones in EFL Contexts| Using Messenger Applications to Learn English Vocabulary

• Main Author: Chakir, Mohamed
• Language: EN
• Published: Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville 2018
• Subjects: English as a second language|Secondary education|Educational technology
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10807796

<p> This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of mobile phones as learning tools in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. It also aimed at exploring learners&rsquo; and teachers&rsquo; attitudes towards the integration of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) tools such as mobile phones in English language teaching and learning. To this end, a mixed method research design was implemented. 60 Moroccan high school students took part in the study. They were divided into two groups, experimental (N = 30) and control (N = 30). The two groups underwent the two treatments that lasted for two weeks. During the first week, the first experimental group was sent two vocabulary items three times a day every day for a period of seven days via WhatsApp messenger while the control group was given a printed list of the 14 items at the start of the week. In the second week, the two groups switched places and the experiment was repeated with another 14 words. </p><p> At the outset of the study, a pretest was used to measure participants&rsquo; vocabulary knowledge with regards to target items. Two immediate posttests were used during the period of the experiment which learners took at the end of each week to measure vocabulary learning. A delayed test was administered four weeks following the end of the experiment to see vocabulary retention. The results of both the pre and delayed tests were not significant as they did not show any difference between the groups. However, the immediate posttests&rsquo; scores showed a significant difference between the two groups. The experimental groups&rsquo; scores in the two weeks were higher than their counterparts in the control groups., The results of the surveys showed that EFL teachers and learners hold positive attitudes toward the use of MALL in an EFL context such as Morocco. </p><p>