M-learning and the EFL classroom
Using mobiles as tools to engage teenagers in speaking activities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-3640.2021.1.39752Keywords:
digital technology, mobile learning, partnering pedagogy, English as a foreign language, speaking activitiesAbstract
Technology is definitely ubiquitous. It is what keeps us constantly connected to different people on a daily basis. Since the advent of smartphones, technology has also changed the way we perform many of our everyday tasks, including the ones at the school local context. It also reinvented the way teenagers learn and behave in the classroom, EFL institutions included. This article, then, aims to present and discuss the role of mobile learning in the teaching of English-speaking skills and the concept of Bring Your Own Device. Additionally, based on the concept of Partnering Pedagogy (PRENSKY, 2012), it suggests a lesson plan for regular school pre-teens to show how teachers can give the first step toward the implementation of mobile devices in their educational practices. The lesson, which can be applied either to online or face-to-face contexts, showed how teenage students become more willing to participate in speaking activities. Finally, the text brings to light some reflection on the integration of mobile technologies in EFL learning practices, emphasizing the essence of delivering high quality learning lessons rather than giving central importance to technology per se.
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